All About Pineapple

A while back I made a conscious effort to start eating more fruits and vegetables. I realized that one of the things keeping me from digging into the produce section was not having any idea how to choose or use many of my options.

Do you have this problem too? Fear not! I’m here to help! Let’s start with pineapples.

The first thing to know about pineapples is they won’t continue to ripen after being picked. That means you need to make the right selection at the grocery store. Give your kids a snack or a book and focus on the task at hand.

When you choose a pineapple it should feel heavy for its size, be slightly green or golden in color, and the end of the pineapple should smell sweet. Pull at one of the leaves at the top of the crown. It should come out easily if the pineapple is ripe. Some people say this is an urban myth. I figure it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. Avoid pineapples with bruising, brown leaves, or mold. The bottom of the fruit should yield to slight pressure but not be soft.

Congratulations! You made it home with a pineapple. Let’s find out how well you did picking one out.

Place the pineapple on its side and cut off both ends.

Stand it up and, from top to bottom, slice the skin off, making sure to cut back far enough to remove the eyes.

Cut the pineapple in half vertically, then cut both halves in half again.

Cutting vertically, remove the core from each slice. This is the point at which I stopped to calm a crying baby. Don’t worry, pineapple will wait for you. It’s cool.

Once you have a toy stuffed in your baby’s mouth, cut each piece in half once more and slice into bite sized pieces.

The cut pineapple will keep in the fridge for five to seven days.

I recommend covering it in chocolate. I recommend covering all things in chocolate.

What other fruits or vegetables intimidate you?