How To Cut A Pineapple Like A Professional posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Out of all the fruits out there, I think pineapples are the most flavorful and the most distinct. They are absolutely bursting with a deep and tropical sweet and sour flavor. They’re also very versatile: they’re great for eating plain or adding to almost any type of recipe, either savory or sweet, to add a whole new layer of flavor to the dish. The only downside of pineapples is that they’re really difficult to cut up properly unless you know what you’re doing. In this brief guide, I’ll tell you how to pick out the perfect pineapple and cut it up like a pro. How to Select a Pineapple Assortment of fresh pineapples on market stall Pineapple is one of the more difficult fruits to pick out, and a pineapple that’s not ripe yet (or a bit too ripe) will leave you unsatisfied. Here are the factors you should consider when trying to select a perfectly ripe pineapple: Color A ripe pineapple should have a deep yellow, almost golden, hue. Unripe pineapples are a pale shade of green, and overripe pineapples are dark orange. Aim for a pineapple that is yellow all over (even on bottom) with just a hint of green up near the crown. Texture When selecting a pineapple, give it a firm two-handed squeeze. If it’s ripe, it should have a small bit of give. However, it’s probably over-ripe if it feels like you could actually dent the pineapple by squeezing too hard. Another tip is to look at the spikes on the pineapple. If they are still pointy, that probably means the pineapple is not ripe enough. This tip is not a foolproof means to tell if a pineapple is ripe, but it’s a good way to quickly identify potential selections. Scent Smell the pineapple near the bottom, not on the base but just next to it. A ripe pineapple will have a faintly sweet and vivacious smell at that spot. Unripe pineapples will have no odor and over-ripe pineapples will smell like old fruit. How to Cut a Pineapple Cutting fresh pineapple on cutting board Once you have your pineapple on the counter, follow these steps to cut it: Step 1. Remove the crown, which is the proper term for the leafy top on a pineapple. You can cut it off with a knife or remove it by hand by twisting it like you’re wringing out a wet rag. Step 2. Turn upside on a plate for 30 minutes. The juice inside the pineapple actually runs down to the bottom when it is stored rightside up, so flipping it for a while will evenly redistribute the juices. Step 3. Cut off the bottom. When you’re ready to start cutting, remove the bottom to create a flat surface. Step 4. Remove the skin. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice off the skin on each side of the pineapple using a slightly curved motion to hug the curves of the fruit. This requires a bit of finesse, because you want to completely remove the skin while removing as little of the actual pineapple meat as possible. Step 5. Remove the eyes, which are those little brown holes on the pineapple meat. The easiest way to do that is by finding a line of 3-5 holes and cutting in a line in a 45 degree angle that runs along one side of the holes. Then make a 45 degree angle cut on the other side of the holes so that a little chunk in the shape of an oblong pyramid with all of the holes on the bottom is removed from the pineapple. Repeat that process until you’ve cut out all of the eyes. Step 6. Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Step 7. Cut the pineapple in half again. At this point, the pineapple meat should be cut into quarters with a triangle-shaped section of white core at the corner of each one. Step 8. Cut out the core. On each quarter of the pineapple, cut at an angle so as to slice off the triangular core. Step 9. Slice the pineapple into bite-sized chunks and chop them into smaller pieces if necessary. Storage Pineapple is quite delicate, so you should know how to store it properly if you’re not going to eat or use it all at once. Storing a Cut Pineapple After the pineapple is cut up, it needs to be stored in the fridge inside an airtight container. It goes bad even more quickly than most fruits when left out on the counter, so be sure to store the part you’re not going to use right away. How Long Does A Cut Pineapple Last? If stored in the fridge, cut pineapple will stay good for 5-7 days before getting soft and overly-sweet. If it is frozen, it will still retain its taste for 3-4 months and will remain safe to eat indefinitely. If left on the counter, cut pineapple will go bad in about 2 hours. Pineapple FAQ Now to answer some commonly asked questions about pineapple, the king of fruits. Can you eat the core of a pineapple? Yes. The core is firmer and less flavorful than the juicy meat of the pineapple, but it’s perfectly safe to eat. Will a pineapple ripen on the counter? No. A pineapple stops ripening when it is picked. If left on the counter, a pineapple will get softer and juicier, but it will not get any riper and sweeter. Can you plant the top of a pineapple? Yes. However, pineapple plants take a whole 2-3 years to mature and then only produce one pineapple at a time, so having a personal pineapple plant for the purpose of free fruit isn’t very efficient.To grow a pineapple from the crown (which is the technical name for the top), you need to remove it from a pineapple, dry it completely in the sun, put it in water for a few days, and then transplant it to a flower pot. The plants require a good amount of care but can grow to be six feet tall. Interesting Facts About Pineapples Pineapples have an absolutely fascinating history, so I just couldn’t write a post about them without mentioning a few interesting pineapple facts. Pineapples grow better upside down, and no one knows why!Tiny Hawaii produces 35% of the world’s pineapples even though they’re native to South America.In the 1700s when pineapples were not yet grown in Europe, they sold there for the equivalent of $8,000 in today’s money.Pineapples make great house plants.Pineapple does not mix with dairy because a chemical in it reacts with lactose to create a bitter taste. Pineapple Recipes Pineapple-centric recipes are some of my favorite foods and drinks on the planet. Here are a few especially good ones: Brazilian Grilled PineapplePineapple Dreamsicle Smoothie A Final Thought Cutting and preparing pineapple can seem to be a prickly problem if you don’t know the right way to do it, but it’s actually quite easy. I hope this overview allows you to enjoy my favorite fruit more often.
