Pineapple
Pineapples are delicious when in season. I buy either conventional or organic, depending upon price and what looks best at the store. It is a myth that a good test for ripeness is to pull a stem out from the center, and if it pulls out easily it is ripe. A much better test is to smell the base of the pineapple. If it smells sweet, it is a good pineapple. Be careful though, if it smells sickly sweet, it is overly ripe and beginning to rot.
Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals which help our bodies in a variety of way. For example, pineapple provides manganese to help build healthy bones and also bromelain, an anti-inflammatory, which can alleviate aches. In addition, pineapple helps keep your gums healthy and aids in digestion.
Pineapples are very easy to prepare with a little instruction, so I have tried to photograph each step for you. This pineapple that I bought for the demonstration is the smallest pineapple I have ever seen, most are about twice this size. Though small in size but it was a very tasty, sweet pineapple!
Kids love fruit and it is sad that so many are not offered fresh fruit but instead man-made junk food. Jennifer has shared a great story about kids and fruit that you should read.
Kids love fruit and it is sad that so many are not offered fresh fruit but instead man-made junk food. Jennifer has shared a great story about kids and fruit that you should read.
When preparing a pineapple, first cut off both ends with a large knife.
Then stand the pineapple on it's cut end and, with the same large knife, cut off the outer skin, going from top to bottom, minimizing the amount of yellow flesh you remove. You can use the end of a carrot peeler to remove any remaining eyes that did not get cut off.
Next, I cut down through the center of the pineapple and quarter it.
Then it is easy to cut off the hard center (now a triangular piece). We always munch on this center piece and enjoy eating the soft edge up to the hard core, holding it like a piece of corn-on-the-cob.
Then stand the pineapple on it's cut end and, with the same large knife, cut off the outer skin, going from top to bottom, minimizing the amount of yellow flesh you remove. You can use the end of a carrot peeler to remove any remaining eyes that did not get cut off.
Next, I cut down through the center of the pineapple and quarter it.
Then it is easy to cut off the hard center (now a triangular piece). We always munch on this center piece and enjoy eating the soft edge up to the hard core, holding it like a piece of corn-on-the-cob.
I now cut the four pineapple quarter chunks lengthwise and then cross-wise for bite size pieces.
Once cut, you can store the pineapple in the refrigerator for several days.
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