Canning Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops

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When it comes to canning, I’m always on the lookout for recipes that match what I actually cook at home, and that’s why I was so excited to try out a new recipe from Angi Schneider’s book Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond (Amazon).

Today, I’m sharing my experience canning Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops. Not only does this recipe feature simple ingredients and straightforward steps, but it also produces incredibly flavorful and tender pork chops that are perfect for a quick and delicious meal.

Why I Chose This Recipe

I got this recipe from the book, Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond (Amazon)

One thing I love about Angi Schneider’s book (Amazon) is that the recipes align with the kind of food I like to cook, unlike some other canning recipes that can be overly complicated or filled with ingredients I don’t typically use. Angi’s recipes are based on safe canning practices, which is essential, and she often puts her own spin on them without compromising safety. The Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops recipe caught my eye because it’s easy to follow and uses ingredients I usually have on hand.

I’ll have to admit that prior to coming across this recipe I didn’t even know that canning pork chops was an option. This recipe has been a total game changer for me because it gives me an opportunity to put up solid pieces of meat (rather than ground meat or chunks of meat). When I pop open a jar of my home-canned pork chops, and use the juice to create a delicious gravy, I’m able to serve up a hearty meal to my family in no time. The best part about it is that no one would ever think that the pork chops on their plate were canned.

Canning Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops (Video)

Check out my video on how to can spicy pineapple pork chops. In the video, I walk you through the entire process.

Preparing the Pork Chops

Before diving into the actual canning process, I did a bit of prep work to ensure the pork chops were ready to go. I started with lean pork chops, trimming off any excess fat around the edges.

The pork chops I started off with were pretty lean, but as you can see, there was an outer layer of fat on one side of each pork chop.

I trimmed the excess fat off of each pork chop, so they were nice and lean.

Next, I seared the pork chops using as little oil as possible. My goal wasn’t to cook them through, but just to get a nice sear on the outside.

I used a high heat on my cast iron griddle to quickly sear the pork chops. The goal was just to brown them rather than cook them.

After searing, I placed the pork chops on a baking dish, covered them with foil, and popped them into the oven for two minutes at 350°F. This step wasn’t necessary for cooking but helped keep the pork chops warm while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. My big goal here was to heat the pork chops – and also heat up the oven, so the pork chops would stay warm while I did the rest of the prep work.

Ingredients for Canning Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops

The original recipe makes 8 pints or 4 quarts, but since I was using my Nesco canner (Amazon), I scaled it down a bit. My goal was 5 pints. Below are the amounts for the full recipe, as written in the book, as well as what I actually used to make it work best with my Nesco canner.

6 pounds of boneless pork chops (I used 4 pounds)
1 quart of water (I used 3 cups)
1 cup of pineapple juice (I used 2/3 cup)
4 tablespoons of brown sugar (I used 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons of garlic powder (I used 1.5 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons of paprika (I used 1.5 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons of non-iodized salt (I used 1.5 teaspoons of canning and pickling salt)
1 teaspoon of black pepper (I used 0.75 teaspoon)

I also added the juice left over from searing the pork chops to the broth mixture, which gave the sauce an extra boost of flavor.

Bring all of the ingredients listed above (except for the pork chops) into a medium pot, and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes.

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Filling the Jars

Using tongs to put a pork chop into a canning jar — I found that 3 boneless pork chops fit into each pint jar. Angi Schneider recommends putting the jars on the side and sliding the pork chops in, but I found it worked fine to keep the jars standing upright.

Once the broth was ready, I started filling my jars. I used wide-mouth jars because they make it easier to fit the pork chops inside.

canning jars filled with pork chops — Canning jars filled with seared pork chops

For this recipe, I placed three pork chops in each pint jar, aiming for one inch of headspace. I then added the broth.

Once I had the pork chops in the jars, I used a ladle to put the hot broth into the jars.

I made sure to de-bubble the jars after adding the broth and topped off the liquid as needed to maintain the proper headspace.

Putting on the lid and rings, fingertip tight

After filling the jars, I wiped the rims (a crucial step in canning in general, and even more important when working with meat). I then placed the lids on and the rings, fingertip tight.

Pressure Canning the Pork Chops

Pressure can pints of pork chops for 75 minutes, quarts for 90 minutes

I used my Nesco canner (Amazon) for this, but you can use any pressure canner. When using the Nesco canner, you start off with the valve in the exhaust position. At some point, the pressure will build, and you’ll hear a beep, and the display will show E10. Once it counts down to E0, it will beep again, and you’ll then switch the valve to airtight.

Pro tip: If you need detailed information on how to pressure can in the Nesco or Carey canner, check out this blog post, How to Pressure Can in the Nesco Canner.

You’ll pressure can your pork chops for 75 pints for pints, or 90 minutes for quarts.

finished home canned pork chops in a pint size canning jars — The pork chops after removing them from the canner

Once the canning process was complete, I removed the jars and let them cool. I was pleased to see that all the jars sealed properly.

Serving the Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops

browning pork chops after removing from a canning jar — When it was time to serve the pork chops, I carefully removed them from the canning jar, and seared them in just a small amount of oil.

To serve, I gently removed the pork chops from the jar, careful not to let them fall apart—they were incredibly tender!

After searing the pork chops, I added the broth from the canning jar into the pan.

I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy.

I seared them again on both sides and then thickened the sauce with a little cornstarch before pouring it over the pork chops.

Pro tip: I had a bit of a problem stirring the cornstarch mixture into the broth, due to the pork chops being in the pan. The second time I served these, I browned the pork chops, and then removed them from the pan. I then made the gravy and added the pork chops back to the pan. This worked much better!

Talk about comfort food! Everything on the plate was from my pantry. Home-canned spicy pineapple pork chops served over instant potatoes, home-canned lemon garlic green beans, and canned pineapple. I had drained the juice from the pineapple to use in the broth that was called for in this recipe, so serving the drained pineapple was a great way to use it up.

I served the dish with mashed potatoes, and the result was nothing short of amazing.

Conclusion: Canning Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops is a Recipe Worth Trying

home canned pork chops in gravy on a plate. — Can you believe these come from a can? Talk about a great way to add comfort food to your prepper pantry!

If you’re looking for a delicious and easy-to-make meal that you can have ready in your pantry, I highly recommend giving this Spicy Pineapple Pork Chops recipe a try. The flavors are fantastic, and the process is straightforward, making it a great choice for both beginner and experienced canners. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment and let me know how it turned out for you!

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to subscribe to my blog for more canning recipes and tips. Thank you for reading, and happy canning!

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