How to Peel and Slice a Pineapple Step by Step

Don't let a pineapple intimidate you.

Many people buy sliced pineapple at the store because they are afraid of cutting a fresh pineapple. Pineapple just looks menacing. But if you just take a step-by-step approach, you can slice your own and enjoy fresh pineapple at a reasonable price.

Things You'll Need

• Ripe pineapple
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board

Instructions

1. Begin with a ripe pineapple. You can tell that a pineapple is ripe by smelling it and by evaluating the color. It should smell fruity and sweet and be more yellow than green.

2. Start by holding the pineapple with both hands. Grab the top of the pineapple and twist it off. A quick twist and pull should do the trick, and then stand the pineapple on a cutting board.

3. Begin to peel the pineapple by placing the knife at the top of the pineapple and working your way down in long slices. If you don't get all the peel off in one slice, don't worry. You can always go back and peel off the parts you missed. Rotate the pineapple and continue peeling.

4. Continue rotating the pineapple and peeling around the entire fruit. When you are done, inspect the fruit for any parts you may have missed.

5. Cut off both ends to ensure there is no peel left on the pineapple.

6. Stand the pineapple on end and look for the core or center. The core of the pineapple is usually too tough to eat. Begin slicing the pineapple into strips by placing the knife just off-center so as to miss the core.

7. Continue cutting vertical slices from around the core until all you have left is the core. Discard the core and dice or chop the pineapple as needed.