How to Peel a Pineapple

There is nothing tastier or healthier than a nice bowl of fresh pineapple. It's much better than the prepared canned pineapple that is packed in all those sugars and artificial juices. Though most fruit is easy to handle and slice, pineapple is a little different and some folks might be tempted to stick with the canned or pre-cut pineapple because of the outer shell. It's prickly and thick skin can be intimidating. However, it doesn’t have to be. The next few steps will give you a very easy way to peel a pineapple.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Cutting board

Instructions

How to Peel a Pineapple

1. 

   First you will need to slowly, in a continual downward motion, away from the face and eyes, cut the top and bottom off of both ends of the pineapple, using a sharp knife. Be careful to keep your fingers out of harm's way. Make sure you use a cutting board so you don't damage the surface you are using.

2. The way you begin to peel a pineapple is by removing the edges of the pineapple. Because the outer pineapple is thick and prickly, caution needs to be used. You might want to use a set of kitchen gloves if this is your first time slicing a pineapple. If you don't have a proper grip on the pineapple as you are cutting away the outer skin, the pineapple could slip away from you and possibly cause bodily harm to you and others who are standing near you and/or to the cutting surface.

3. 

   Place one end of the cut pineapple in an upright position. Take the knife and start cutting the edge of the pineapple in a downward motion, away from the face and eyes, leaving as much of the pineapple as possible. Continue this procedure until you have removed the entire outer layer of the pineapple.

4. 

   Turn the pineapple on its side and begin slicing the pineapple approximately one inch thick, using the same knife blade that you used to remove the outer skin, or if you have an electric bread slicer, you can opt to place the pineapple on the unit and run the pineapple through the slicer. Continue until the entire pineapple has been evenly cut.

5. 

   It's better to remove the center core of each pineapple after you sliced your pineapple. It makes it much easier on you and you will be less likely to damage the exterior form of the pineapple, leaving you with pieces that resemble a car wheel, much like you would find in a can of Dole pineapple. If you wish, you can opt to make this a fun procedure, by creatively using other kitchen utensils to make florets or designs. If you are having a dinner party, it will make for a great conversation piece.

Tips & Warnings

• As you have witnessed, peeling a pineapple can be an easy procedure.