Pineapple juice can vary greatly in acidity. Lemon juice in BOTTLES is the only way you are assured to have the proper amount of acidity as its pH is adusted when it is reconstitutd from a concentrate. Fresh lemon juice is not a dependable substitute either. You can substitute citric acid, and also add pineapple, but depending only on pineapple juice alone will not give you accurate acidty results. What is your recipe that uses pineapple juice? Also, bottled lime juice is acceptable, as it too has a specific acidic level and pH.

No special recipe Ken, just curious if what they told us about the pineapple juice was still valid.

Know about the citric acid. Like the lemon and lime juice it would, of course have to be the bottled type pineapple juice which I assume is standardized just as the lemon and lime is - not fresh. Lemon juice is very hard to find right now and when wife and I were discussing that problem the other day, we both recalled the class discussion on using pineapple but it was several years back.

So thought Linda Lou might know. ;)

Dave

Only bottled lemon or lime juice is approved, plus vinegar in some cases. I have never heard that about the pineapple juice.
Pineapple Juice, canned 3.30 - 3.60
Lemon Juice 2.00 - 2.60
So, it is not nearly as acidic as lemon juice.

Here's a list of pH levels of some of our most beloved canning ingredients:

Item Name and Approximate pH

Lemon Juice 2.00 - 2.60
Lime Juice 2.00 - 2.35
Orange Juice California 3.30 - 4.19
Orange, Juice Florida 3.30 - 4.15
Pineapple Juice, canned 3.30 - 3.60
Tomatoes 4.30 - 4.90
Tomatoes, canned 3.50 - 4.70
Tomatoes, Juice 4.10 - 4.60
Tomatoes, Paste 3.50 - 4.70
Tomatoes, Puree 4.30 - 4.47
Tomatoes, Strained 4.32 - 4.58
Tomatoes, Vine ripened 4.42 - 4.65
Vinegar 2.40 - 3.40
Vinegar, cider 3.10

I'd bet this is the same list that Linda Lou referenced above. The complete list is at the link below - I go to this list a lot when I'm not sure what is low-acid (higher numbers on the pH scale) vs. borderline vs. high-acid (lower numbers on the pH scale) food for "experimenting".

Here is a link that might be useful: Approximate pH of Foods and Food products

Thanks for the info Linda Lou. Just what I wanted to know. Figured it was too good to be true. ;)

And malna - thanks for reposting that link. I used to have it bookmarked but lost it somehow.

Dave

I'm wondering if you're remembering the suggestion to can fruits in pineapple juice and/or to freeze peaches in pineapple or pineapple-orange (good natural levels of ascorbic acid for color retention).

Carol

Here's another list that I stumbled across:

MISCELLANEOUS
Caviar (domestic) 5.4
Cider 2.9 - 3.3
Cocoa 6.3
Corn syrup 5.0
Corn starch 4.0 - 7.0
Ginger ale 2.0 - 4.0
Honey 3.9
Jams/Jellies 3.1 - 3.5
Mayonnaise 4.2 - 4.5
Molasses 5.0 - 5.5
Raisins 3.8 - 4.0
Sugar 5.0 - 6.0
Vinegar 2.0 - 3.4
Yeast 3.0 - 3.5

I'm thinking ginger ale might have some possibilities-don't know in "what" yet. And how can you not love something entitled a "Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook". Sooo appetizing!

Here is a link that might be useful: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook

Hmmm, caviar salsa??? ;)

Yeah, somebody laid awake all night thinking up that book title. Sure to make the bestseller list. :^)

Carol - you may very well be right. The teeth on this old man's mind trap aren't near as sharp as they used to be.

Dave

Oh, cool ! I like that link to the Bad Bugs book ! Yes, I know I am strange that way, LOL.

There is no set 'standard' for pineapple juice, as compared to lemon or lime. Its acidity can very greatly as well as the natural sugar it has.

Yeah, Linda Lou, I was surprised that somebody at the FDA may actually have a sense of humor titling it the "Bad Bug Book".

I'm pretty strange, too :-)