How to Select a Ripe Pineapple: 3 Ways to Pick a Ripe Pineapple

A pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit known for its sweet flavor, golden yellow color, and unique health benefits. Pineapples contain antioxidants, manganese, and vitamin C, which is known to strengthen the immune system. They also contain a mixture of proteolytic enzymes called bromelain, which breaks down proteins and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Pineapple fruits grow out of flower heads on the pineapple plant, an herbaceous perennial that grows in tropical regions. Spiky green leaves grow from the top of the pineapple. These leaves, as well as the armor-like pineapple skin, must be removed before eating. Pineapples are commonly used in desserts, smoothies and juices, as well as chopped and eaten raw.

The key to finding the perfect pineapple is understanding that the ripening process technically ends the moment that the pineapple is picked. Green pineapples in the grocery store will never ripen because the base of the fruit has been severed from its source of starchy nutrients. When scouring pineapples at the grocery story, use the following tips to identify truly ripe fruit:

• Check the base: The base of a good pineapple will be yellow or orange in color. A green base indicates an underripe pineapple, and once the fruit is picked, it can soften, but it cannot further ripen.
• Smell it: A ripe pineapple smells sweet and delicious. An overripe pineapple may start to ferment, in which case you will detect the smell of ethylene. An unripe pineapple will have almost no smell at all.
• Avoid brown spots: Brown spots on a pineapple are like bruises on tree fruit. They tend to indicate an overripe pineapple that will quickly turn mushy.

A pineapple does not ripen after picking. This is because pineapple can only ripen with the steady infusion of starch, which is sent into the fruit via the bottom of the pineapple while it is connected to the plant. Once it is severed from the plant, that starch supply disappears.

Although you cannot ripen a pineapple on your own, you can make an underripe pineapple a bit more appetizing. Try storing a whole pineapple in a brown paper bag at room temperature. This will help soften the fruit and make it nicer to eat. You can also toss a few bananas into the bag to speed up the softening process. Another hack is to turn an unripe pineapple upside down, which helps spread starch and sugar from the bottom of the fruit to the rest of it.

Once you have a ripe pineapple on your hands, you have many options for using it. They include:

1. 1. Pineapple salsa: Mix in tiny bits of fresh pineapple to your favorite salsa recipe to add a splash of sweetness. This can offset the heat of spicy peppers like habanero or jalapeño.
2. 2. Pineapple juice: Run your fresh cut pineapple through a juicer for bright, sweet pineapple juice.
3. 3. Homemade piña coladas: Use fresh pineapple pulp to make a sweet homemade piña colada.
4. 4. Pineapple smoothie: Cut a pineapple and add it to your morning smoothie. Toss pieces of pineapple into a blender with bananas, almonds, yogurt, instant oats, ice, water, and a dash of cinnamon and vanilla to make a delicious and fruity drink.
5. 5. Fruit salad: Sometimes the best way to enjoy pineapple is to toss it into a good old-fashioned fruit salad. Combine pineapple chunks with berries for a nice mixture of tartness and sweetness.

Unripe pineapples can be toxic, and consuming them may cause vomiting and diarrhea. While pineapples sold in grocery stores are ripe (even if underripe) and therefore safe for most people to eat, an unripe pineapple will not ripen once picked and should be discarded.

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