Pick A Perfect Pineapple Every Time With These Tips
If you follow these four steps, you can't go wrong.
Ryan Aliapoulios
04.18.18

When it comes to picking your fruits and vegetables, not all produce is created equal. In some cases, the way a fruit looks on the outside doesn’t really mean anything about how it is on the inside. Some fruits are very easy to judge with a simple smell or touch test. For example, we can tell pretty easily when an apple has gone bad. Pineapples, on the other hand, can be a little trickier to figure out.

Because their outsides are covered in a thick layer and they’re not like most fruits we tend to eat, we may not be familiar with what signs to look for. With that in mind, this is what you need to know to pick the perfect pineapple.

1. Examine the color.

flickr.com/viclic
Source:
flickr.com/viclic

Although color doesn’t tell the full story when it comes to pineapple freshness, it’s at least a good place to start. To begin, you want to pick out a pineapple that isn’t completely green. Typically speaking, a pineapple which is too green on the outside is not quite ripe enough. Still, having a bright yellow pineapple isn’t the only thing to consider. Although a good yellow pineapple is a good place to start, you’re not done looking your fruit over yet!

2. Check the leaves.

flickr.com/nickimm
Source:
flickr.com/nickimm

The old trick says that you should be able to pluck one of the middle leaves out of a ripe pineapple when it’s ready to eat. Still, this tip is a little bit misleading. On the one hand, if you can’t pull a leaf out at all, the fruit probably isn’t ready to eat. On the other, if you could pull leaves out very easily, it probably means the pineapple is actually over-ripe and is starting to get mushy. What is true is that the leaves will be easier to pull out as the pineapple flesh gets riper, so somewhere in the middle is just right.

3. Give the pineapple a squeeze.

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Source:
flickr.com/Ecohen

As you handle a pineapple, you want to make sure it has a little bit of give in it before you cut it open to eat it. After all, a pineapple that is too hard on the outside is going to be too firm and probably not very sweet. You want the fruit to feel pretty plump and to make sure the skin isn’t too wrinkled or squishy. Make sure it looks and feels healthy and that there are no big soft spots.

4. Smell the bottom of it!

publicdomainpictures.net
Source:
publicdomainpictures.net

Of all the tips on how to check if a pineapple is good to eat, smelling it is probably the best way. To do this, flip the pineapple over and give it a smell. When the pineapple is ripe, it will have a pleasantly sweet and fresh smell to it. If you can’t smell much of an aroma coming off of it, it’s probably not ripe enough to actually be sweet and aromatic. On the other hand, if you get an overpoweringly sweet smell from it then it may be too late!

Although these tips are pretty straightforward, picking a perfect pineapple is not always the easiest thing to do without any experience. The main thing to know is that you want to pick one that looks fresh, smells good and has a pleasant feel to it. Be sure to use all of the tips above and you’ll get the hang of it!

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