In my last grocery order, I got a fresh pineapple. I was disappointed when it arrived because it was TOTALLY green... no "yellow" whatsoever. It was labeled "Dole" and a very pretty specimen; it was just GREEN. So I got online to see whether I could attempt to ripen it and learned a lot about pineapples. First, from Dole's website... "A pineapple can be ripe when it is practically all green outside. The plantation calls it “green-shell ripe.” Shell color of ripe fruit are divided into seven groups or levels ranging from No. 0, all green, to No. 6, all yellow. A pineapple will not ripen any further – get any sweeter – after picking. It is sugar that makes pineapple sweet after ripe." Well. Who knew??? Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a protelytic enzyme that breaks down protein in a manner similar to what happens in digestion. Because of this, gelatin made with fresh pineapple won’t set. Cottage cheese, sour cream and other dairy products should not be mixed with fresh pineapple until just before serving. But, you can use fresh pineapple to great advantage in meat marinade to add a flavor accent and tenderize less tender cuts of meat. So because I'm hard-headed, I decided to try one of the ripening methods I found online, which was to place the pineapple in a paper bag with another piece of fruit (apple, banana, etc.) and leave it for a day or so. I did this, and when the pineapple emerged it was STILL GREEN. So today I decided to cut it and see what happens. I'm happy to report that Dole is correct; the totally green pineapple is nice and yellow and SWEET on the inside. What?? So all's well that ends well. And I put the cut top into a saucer of water to hopefully root; I'll have a pineapple pot-plant in a few weeks.
A little salt on under-ripe pineapple will make it taste better, for some reason. Fresh pineapple is good for you when you have chest congestion.
If it looks too green to me, I leave it in a dish on the kitchen table for a couple of days. It starts to turn yellow at the bottom. The I cut it.
A lot is changing in produce. I almost waited too long for a pineapple but it was good when I cut it green. "Let food be thy medicine" =bromelain. I got a cantalope and it did not feel or sound ripe but it smelled almost past ripe. When I cut it it tasted fabulous but was almost crunchy and juice-less. Gmo's?
I love pineapple. Our Meals on Wheels makes a pineapple pudding that is delicious and I'm so happy when I see that's on the menu. And yes it is good for your digestive system too.
One thing I learned a long time ago is that when a pineapple is ripe, you can somewhat easily pull off one of the lower outside leaves (a short leaf from the outer ring.) If it's not ripe, you gotta pull hard to rip that sucker off. I do this when I'm picking out my own at the store. I don't pay attention to color.
LOL. Dole says this: Don’t be fooled: Ease in pulling the leaves out of the crown is not a sign of ripeness or good quality. https://www.dolefruithawaii.com/Articles.asp?ID=143 If I'm picking one myself at the store, I look for fresh looking leaves and a good "pineapple" smell. I also look for a yellow one, but I guess I've been doing it wrong, too.
Pineapple is excellent for stomach issues and papaya even better. If you take meds, I would sure read their monograph and make sure they aren't contradictory with pineapple.
That's true. I'm not supposed to have any grapefruit while on this chemo but no mention of pineapple.
Here. I'm gonna paste that Dole article titled "How to Select A Fresh Pineapple" and color in red the parts that actually tell you how to do that. The rest is but so much blather. ******************************************************************************************** How to Select A Fresh Pineapple To begin with, select a pineapple that is plump and fresh looking. Fresh, green leaves in the crown are a good sign. The body should be firm – not soft. The larger the pineapple, the greater proportion of edible fruit. That doesn’t mean necessarily that it is better tasting or any riper than smaller fruit. Shell color is not necessarily a sign of maturity or ripeness. A pineapple can be ripe when it is practically all green outside. The plantation calls it “green-shell ripe.” Shell color of ripe fruit are divided into seven groups or levels ranging from No. 0, all green, to No. 6, all yellow. A pineapple will not ripen any further – get any sweeter – after picking. It is sugar that makes pineapple sweet after ripe. The sugar comes from the conversion of starch reserves in the stump at the time of ripening. Fresh pineapples from Hawaii are picked at maximum ripeness for delivery to U.S. markets. The sooner they are eaten, the better. If you don’t plan to use a fresh pineapple right away, store it in your refrigerator. It will keep better and longer. Don’t be fooled: Ease in pulling the leaves out of the crown is not a sign of ripeness or good quality. Some tips on using pineapple: Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a protelytic enzyme that breaks down protein in a manner similar to what happens in digestion. Because of this, gelatin made with fresh pineapple won’t set. Cottage cheese, sour cream and other dairy products should not be mixed with fresh pineapple until just before serving. But, you can use fresh pineapple to great advantage in meat marinade to add a flavor accent and tenderize less tender cuts of meat. ******************************************************************************************** They didn't say $hlt. What the hell is "fresh looking" when color is irrelevant? And at that, not one word regarding ripeness except the "don't pull on the leaves." Okay, I won't. I won't stomp on it, either, or sing it show tunes. So how DO I tell ripeness, Dole???? <crickets> Thanks for the "tips." Here are 5 [abbreviated by me] tips from AllRecipes Note "The Frond Test." The Color Test Look for the outside of the pineapple, called the shell, to be a light or medium yellow color. Some green is fine, but avoid pineapples that are entirely dark green (underripe) or are dark yellow or orange (overripe). The Weight Test You've likely heard that ripe fruit should be heavy for its size. This is definitely true for pineapples. The Sniff Test Pick up the pineapple and sniff the bottom. When ripe, it should smell fruity and sweet. The Squeeze Test Give the pineapple a squeeze. It should feel firm but give very slightly when ripe. The Frond Test You can also use the spiky green top of a pineapple, called the fronds, to check for ripeness. Gently tug on one of the leaves. If it feels loose or comes off, your pineapple is ripe. While the fronds should mostly look green and healthy, a couple dry leaves won't make a difference. ********************************************************************************************
I have fruit on my grocery list bt have never bought a pineapple that I can recall. Always bought the canned stuff. Always thought one pineapple was too much for one guy; it would ruin. I may try it.
@John Brunner -- I think "fresh looking" means that the top "fronds" are not wilted and brown. I've always used the "sniff" method so I guess we should just keep doing what works for us.
A pineapple is a lot of fruit, but it will keep for several days, Bill. I cut mine up and put it in a plastic container in the refrigerator.