Contents
Pineapple Basics
Nutritional Information: Pineapple
How to Buy Pineapple
How to Store Pineapple
How to Peel a Pineapple
How to Serve Pineapple
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- The history, different types, and nutritional value of pineapples
- What to look for when buying pineapples, and how to store them after you buy
- How to peel and prepare pineapples
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Pineapple Basics
The pineapple is the fruit of an herbaceous plant that originated in the tropical and subtropical countries of America, most likely in Brazil. The pineapple belongs to the large Bromeliaceae family. Unlike most plants in this family, pineapples do not grow on trees, and they are the only plant in this family to bear edible fruit. The pineapple is actually a compound of small individual fruits, called eyes, merged into one large fruit—the eyes are the diamond-shaped pieces of fruit that make up the pineapple’s flesh.
Pineapples are seedless and have a thick, scale-like skin that is various shades of yellow, green, greenish brown, or reddish brown. The yellowish flesh is fibrous, sweet, and juicy. The flesh near the base of the fruit is even sweeter and more tender, and has a darker color. Pineapples usually weigh 4–9 pounds.
A Brief History of the Pineapple
The pineapple has been cultivated in South America and the West Indies since ancient times. Christopher Columbus discovered it during his voyage to Guadeloupe in 1493 and brought it to Europe, where attempts to cultivate it met with little success. The Portuguese and the Spanish, though, successfully introduced it into their Asian colonies. In the early 1800s, the Azores, Australia, Hawaii, and South Africa began to grow pineapples for commercial purposes. The main producers today are Thailand and the Philippines.
For a long time, the commercialization of pineapples was limited by the fact that this fragile fruit does not stand up well to shipping, particularly when ripe. The market for pineapples expanded greatly with the advent of modern refrigeration methods and rapid means of transportation. Pineapples are now produced in most tropical regions, including South and Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and in several countries in
Asia and Africa.
Types of Pineapple
Of the numerous varieties of pineapples, four are especially popular:
- Cayenne pineapples: Large, with golden-yellow flesh. The firm and fibrous flesh is juicy, tart, and very sweet. This is the most common variety of pineapple.
- Queen pineapples: Somewhat small. Their yellow flesh is firmer, less acidic, and slightly drier than the cayenne variety, and not quite as sweet.
- Red Spanish pineapples: Medium-sized, with purplish skin and pale-colored flesh that is very fragrant, acidic, and slightly fibrous.
- Pernambuco pineapples: Medium-sized, with whitish or yellowish flesh that is moderately acidic, tender, and sweet.
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