How to Choose and Slice a Pineapple

Pineapples are native to Brazil and were common in South and Central America long before they were brought to Hawaii, now the world's leading producer of of this sweet, acidic fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Pineapples

Instructions

1. 

   Look at the pineapple. It should be brightly colored, with fresh-looking, deep-green leaves. Avoid pineapples with bruises, brown leaves or moldy spots.

2. 

   Smell the pineapple. It should have a sweet, pineapple smell at the stem end of the fruit.

3. 

   Pick up and touch the pineapple.It should be plump and heavy for its size. The surface should give slightly when you push on it, but there should be no large, soft spots that cave in under your touch.

4. To cut pineapple into chunks, twist off the crown, then slice the pineapple lengthwise into quarters. Cut away the shell from each quarter, then remove the core strip from the top. Slice into chunks.

5. A pineapple corer such as the one made by VacuVin (available at cookware stores for about $10), can help you to cut a pineapple into rings while preserving a hollowed-out pineapple shell to use for decoration or fill with a beverage.

Tips & Warnings

• Unlike some fruits, pineapples do not get sweeter or riper after picking. Be sure that you buy a pineapple that is already ripe.

• The shell color of a pineapple does not necessarily indicate its ripeness.

• The ease with which you can remove a leaf from the crown does not indicate how ripe a pineapple is.

• A ripe, whole pineapple will stay fresh if stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to four days. Cut pineapple stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.

• If you want to use the pineapple shell as a decorative "bowl," do not remove the crown and only cut the pineapple in half. Cut the fruit away from the half-shell carefully in order to leave it intact.