Pineapple is a fruit best eaten fresh, but you might feel intimidated because cutting and peeling it seems like daunting tasks compared to other fruits. The most flavorful parts are on the sides, so it's important to know how to cut it properly. Leave as much flesh as possible, but don't hesitate to discard any damaged parts and brown spots (the eyes). After removing the stem, crown, and peel, you can cut it in various ways.
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Smell the pineapple. Smell it from underneath to find the strongest scent. The pineapple should have a fresh, sweet aroma. If you find a smell that resembles fermentation or you don't smell anything sweet, don't buy that pineapple [1] .
Look at the pineapple. It's okay if you see a little green on the side, but the pineapple shouldn't be completely green. A good pineapple is usually golden on its bottom. Avoid pineapples with obvious blemishes.
Touch the pineapple. It should be firm. When you press on it, you should feel slight resistance. If the pineapple feels soft and mushy, it's overripe. The pineapple should also feel heavy for its size.
Check its consistency. Pull on one of the leaves in the center with your fingers. If you can easily separate it from the fruit, it's ready to eat.
Place the pineapple on its side. Arrange it on a cutting board or any other surface where you can cut it.
Cut off the crown and stem. Using a sharp knife, cut them off, removing one centimeter of pineapple flesh from each side.
Stand the pineapple upright on one end. Cut the skin on the sides, from top to bottom. Cut as thinly as possible. Try to leave as much flesh as possible on the pineapple; the sweetest part of the pineapple is on the outside of the fruit [2] .- If you follow the contours of the fruit, you will avoid losing too much flesh, especially on the central part of the pineapple which is a little plump.
- Do not remove the eyes (the brown spots) at the same time as you cut the skin or you will lose too much of the tastiest part of the pineapple.
Remove the eyes. The eyes will all be aligned along diagonal lines running through the pineapple. Cut a V-shaped groove along each diagonal to remove the eyes. The remaining flesh is now ready to be sliced.- You will lose a little more of the tasty pineapple flesh by removing the eyes this way, but it takes much less time than if you had wanted to remove the eyes one by one.
Cut the pineapple into rings. Lay the pineapple on its side and cut slices 3 centimeters thick. You will get pineapple rings. You can insert a fork into the thicker core of the pineapple to hold it more easily.- The core of the pineapple is harder, but it is edible and very good for your health.
- You can turn your pineapple slices into rings by removing the core. You can easily do this with a knife or a cookie cutter.
Cut it into pieces. Hold the pineapple upright and cut it lengthwise into quarters. Remove the core from each quarter, then cut each quarter in half. Lay each pineapple section flat and cut it into pieces.- One whole pineapple will yield 4 cups of pineapple chunks.
Add pineapple to a recipe or dish. It's a delicious fruit to eat on its own, or you can mix it into yogurt, sour cream, with nuts, etc. You can also use it to make an upside-down pineapple cake or as a garnish for a meat dish or on top of a dessert.
Advice
- Pineapple is low in fat and contains no cholesterol. It contains vitamin C as well as other essential nutrients. And it's packed with excellent fiber!
- Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. This property makes pineapple juice ideal for marinating tough meats, but don't marinate it for too long or the meat may fall apart. Bromelain also prevents gelatin from setting, so if you want to make pineapple jelly, you must either cook the pineapple first or use a ready-made preparation, as in both cases the bromelain will have been destroyed.
- The fibrous white part inside the core of the pineapple has a more bitter taste, but some people enjoy it. It's perfectly safe to eat and is good for your health (it contains antioxidants), but you might not find it to your liking, as it's generally hard, although its flavor is actually quite mild and rather interesting.