I recently asked people what they would like to learn on my cooking videos. Heidy wants to learn how to cut fresh pineapple. So, in this video, I show the step by step process for cutting a fresh pineapple 4 different ways.

Do you want to know how to pick the best fresh pineapple? Below are a few answers to questions you may have:

How do you know when a pineapple is ready to pick and eat?

I was taught at Dole in Hawaii (as I was enjoying my Dole Whip) how to tell when a pineapple is ripe. They told me to look for even circles going up the pineapple. If the circles are all the same size, the pineapple is ripe and ready to be picked and eaten. I also feel the pineapple. I look for one not too firm…one with just a little give.

How to tell when a pineapple goes bad?

You can tell when a pineapple goes bad because it will start to feel mushy/watery. It can also have a really musty/moldy smell. Sometimes it will taste fermented. Some people make a drink called Tepache out of fermented pineapple. I’ve not had this drink, but I’m not a fan of the flavor of raw fermented pineapple. For me, I like to stick to a fresh-sweet pineapple.

Does a pineapple ripen after it is picked?

You can scour the internet and get about as many answers as you want…you may even get a mix of answers from the pineapple growers - Ha! I’m not a scientist, but I know when I take a pineapple home if it’s ready to eat by the feel. If it seems too firm, I let it sit on the counter for a few days until I think it’s the perfect time to eat.

How to pick the perfect pineapple?

I pick one that is just a little heavy, but not too heavy. If it’s not heavy at all, I know it’s dry inside. One that is too heavy can be water logged and going bad. Picking one with the same circle sizes going up the pineapple has been a very effective way too.

How to prepare pineapple?

Pineapple is versatile as about any other fruit. It can be cooked and put in a sweet dessert, dehydrated for a snack, made into a relish or just eaten fresh.

Click here to see a recipe for yummy Pineapple Butter!

How to store a cut pineapple?

The best way I’ve found to store a fresh pineapple is in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. Pineapple freezes great, so feel free to stock up when they are on sale and enjoy a frozen smoothie year round. I clean a bunch of pineapple at once, cut them into desired sizes, line them up on a plastic wrap lined tray in the freezer, remove them when frozen and store in resealable freezer bags.

I thought it would be fun to share this video of when I made a tropical fruit milkshake at Atlantis Paradise Island win the Bahamas back in the day…(2010)

Hopefully you learned a few things today and will be inspired to cut your own fresh pineapple.

Enjoy!

If you would like to purchase the knife in the video: