If you've ever wondered how to tell if a pineapple is ripe and how to cut a pineapple, there are plenty of tips and tricks in this post!
Knowing how to tell when a pineapple is ripe and how to cut a pineapple always seemed daunting to me. There are some fruits that are determined not to be eaten. From the oddly shaped pit of the mango (see How to Cut a Mango) to the thick skin and pointed leaves of the pineapple, these tropical fruits are as inhospitable as Death Valley in the middle of July.
I was always baffled by that skin and those darn eyes that seem to get in the way of the otherwise pristine fruit inside. Should I use a peeler? Should I plunge a knife straight into the center? Maybe I would be better off just throwing the darn thing against the wall - it would just fall open easily, ready to be eaten, right?
Thankfully, I learned that all I needed was a good sharp knife and a little know-how. Lop off the top and bottom of the pineapple, cut off the skin in strips and cut the sweet fruit into rounds for desserts such as Grilled Pineapple with Maple Rum Sauce (heavenly!) or into cubes for a sweet salsa or to top a pizza. Voila, you are ready for your next journey to a tropical desert island.
How to Know When a Pineapple is Ripe:
Knowing how to choose a pineapple is half the battle, but it's actually quite simple.
First, you should be able to detect the distinctive pineapple smell when you put your nose close to the bottom of the fruit.
Second, the pineapple should have a small amount of "give" when squeezed gently.
Someone once told me that you can tell that a pineapple is ready by tugging on one of the inner leaves. However, it seems that this is an old wives tale, so it would be best to stick to the sniff and squeeze methods.
How to cut a pineapple:
First things first...wash the pineapple. Since your knife will be slicing through the skin and into the fruit, you want to avoid transferring any bacteria from the skin to the flesh.
With a sharp chef's knife cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple. Cutting the bottom allows an even surface so the pineapple rests securely in the next steps.
If you wish, save the top of the pineapple (leaves and all) to use as part of your presentation, particularly if you are serving a large platter of fruit.
Next, cut off the skin. Stand the flat bottom of the pineapple on a cutting board. Cutting from top to bottom, remove the skin in strips, cutting deep enough to remove most of the eyes. Continue to turn the pineapple and cut off strips until all of the skin is removed.
Use the tip of a peeler to remove any stubborn eyes (those brown circles).
Cut the pineapple crosswise into rounds of the thickness desired. Using a paring knife, cut around the core in the center of each round. Use your thumbs to pop out the center.
Alternatively, stand the pineapple on its end and cut the fruit off, in strips, from around the core. Chop as desired.
Recipes using pineapple:
Grilled Pineapple with Maple Rum Sauce
Pineapple Spinach Smoothie
Jicama & Pineapple Spinach Salad
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple Sorbet
Pineapple Fried Rice
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How to Choose & Cut a Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple
Instructions
- Wash the outside of the pineapple.
- With a sharp chef’s knife cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple. Cutting the bottom allows an even surface so the pineapple rests securely in the next steps.
- The next step is to cut off the skin. Stand the flat bottom of the pineapple on a cutting board. Cutting from top to bottom, remove the skin in strips, cutting deep enough to remove most of the eyes. Continue to turn the pineapple and cut off strips until all of the skin is removed.
- Use the tip of a peeler to remove any stubborn eyes (the brown circles).
- Cut the pineapple crosswise into rounds of the thickness desired. Using a paring knife, cut around the core in the center of each round. Use your thumbs to pop out the center.
- Alternatively, stand the pineapple on its end and cut the fruit off, in strips, from around the core. Chop as desired.
This post was first published on July 16, 2011 and updated on February 25, 2021.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
thefarnz
Pineapples belong to a group of fruit that DO NOT ripen after picking. The plant produces one fruit only from a main stalk. It ripens from the bottom up, so pulling a leaf is no indication. The 'eyes' are the best indication of ripeness. Large full eyes (as opposed to small pinched eyes) are better.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thank you for that information. I had not heard about the eyes being an indication of ripeness.
Lilly
I always smell and pull out one of the inner leaves. Works every time for me. My methode of cutting a pineapple is slighly different. Instead of slicing a thick piece of the skin off I just cut enought to remove the green/yellow outside. Then I remove the "eyes". I described it on my blog under "pineapple the Asian way". Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thank, Lilly. Your method definitely produces less waste. Sometimes, however, I don't have the time to remove all of the eyes by hand, so just slice a little more deeply to avoid that.
Parsley Sage
I wish I had seen this before I attacked my own pineapple last night. It was ugly. But I won in the end. Buzzed!
Skylar
Looks great! I know this is going to sound extremely nerdy, but you can also cut out all the eyes following a spiral pattern up the pineapple. The eye placements are based on a Fibonacci sequence, so they do fall in a pattern. Crazy!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Cool, Skylar! I never would have known that. I like that kind of nerdy stuff, too.
KalynsKitchen
Great post. I'm not a fan of canned pineapple, but I love fresh pineapple, especially in fruit salads.
marla
I am one of those who ONLY has my hubs cut a pineapple. My first inclination is to run far away, the next would be to chuck it against the wall. Thanks for these helpful tips - I might just invite you over instead 😉
Maureen
I live in a big pineapple growing region of Australia and I went to a farmers market soon after moving here and asked, "how do I know which one is ripe?"
The old farmer looked at me and said, "Smell it, does it smell like a pineapple? If it does, buy that one."
I hate biting into a pineapple that's not quite ready but is there anything better than a perfectly ripe, sweet pineapple? Not to me.
Good post!
Maris(In Good Taste)
These how to posts are very helpful.
Patti Woodard
Yes, they definitely are very helpful. Thank you!
Lori @ Girl Meets Oven
Great pictures and tutorial. I usually quarter and core the pineapple before peeling. I'll have to try it this way next time I cut up a pineapple to make pineapple cookies.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
I've done a tutorial almost exactly like this on my blog...one about cutting a pineapple and one about choosing the perfect one.
It's amazing how many people have written me to tell me they cleaned their 1st pineapple b/c of my post...which is great. Great that they are no longer paying for over-priced pre-cut fruit that lays around in saran wrap or plastic containers being exposed to bacteria.
Great post, Dara!