My wife and I recently made a recipe for a marinade that has grated fresh pineapple. It really works well and is flavorful. However, in the directions it says “marinate chicken for 15 minutes, and NO Longer than 15 minutes.” They were not kidding! Some of the chicken went a little longer in the marinade, and the meat started to turn mushy.
I have used canned pineapple before, and never had that issue. Afterwards I realized that fresh pineapple has bromelain, an enzyme that helps digestion, and breaks down proteins! The heat from the canning process deactivates the bromelain, meaning that you get the flavor, but not the over softened meat.
So if you use fresh pineapple for a marinade, just don’t leave the meat in for too long! 😱 And cook the meat promptly to deactivate the bromelain.
I have used canned pineapple before, and never had that issue. Afterwards I realized that fresh pineapple has bromelain, an enzyme that helps digestion, and breaks down proteins! The heat from the canning process deactivates the bromelain, meaning that you get the flavor, but not the over softened meat.
So if you use fresh pineapple for a marinade, just don’t leave the meat in for too long! 😱 And cook the meat promptly to deactivate the bromelain.
Comment