Almost all of the sweetness of the pineapple develops within a few days of rapid ripening on the plant. Once harvested, however, the fruit does not become sweeter than it is. However, these strange specimens of the fruit world are in some cases at the peak of their ripeness despite having a completely green skin. If you're lucky, an "unripe" looking pineapple might turn out to be sweet and delicious. If not, know that there are a couple of "tricks" to make it softer and more palatable.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Handling an Unripe Pineapple
Step 1. Smell it to check the degree of ripeness
Most of the common criteria used to evaluate fruit ripeness are not good for pineapples. Instead, try to smell the base: if you can smell an intense aroma, the fruit is ripe. If you can barely smell the classic pineapple aroma, it's probably still unripe. Cold pineapples never smell strong, you need to leave them at room temperature for a while before practicing this technique.
A fruit with a yellow skin is always a safer choice than a still green one, but it is not always a reliable criterion. Some pineapples are ripe when they are completely green. Others have a golden or red skin, but are still hard and unpleasant on the palate
Step 2. Expect the pineapple to become softer, but not sweeter
These fruits do not ripen properly after being picked from the plant. Once on the kitchen counter they will become softer and juicier, but their taste will always remain a bit sour; in fact the sugar content derives directly from the starches present in the stem of the plant. When the "supply" of these starches is cut off, the fruit is unable to produce sugar on its own.
- Green pineapples typically change color as well.
- If they are stored for too long, they may even become too acidic.
Step 3. Store the pineapple upside down (optional)
If the fruit you purchased still has some starch to convert to sugar, this is likely to be near the base. In theory the sugar should spread better if the pineapple is held upside down; in practice, however, the difference in flavor is difficult to perceive, but it is worth a try.
- The color of the peel also changes from the base upwards, although it is an irrelevant detail for the purposes of ripening, once the fruit has been picked.
- If you have trouble keeping the pineapple upside down, twist and peel off the top containing the leaves and lay the exposed area on a damp paper towel.
Step 4. Leave the fruit at room temperature
The pineapple should become softer within a day or two. Most of these fruits ferment quickly if stored for a longer period.
- If it was harvested still unripe, then it will be rather unpleasant to eat. Continue reading this tutorial to learn how to improve the flavor of an unripe fruit.
- If you can't eat it right away, place it in the refrigerator for another 2-4 days.
Part 2 of 2: Eating an Unripe Pineapple
Step 1. Be careful with unripe pineapples
Fruits that are too young and not very ripe can be toxic; in fact they irritate the throat and cause severe laxative effects. That said, remember that most pineapples you find on the market are sold partially ripe, even if the skin is green.
Even a ripe fruit can irritate the mouth or cause it to bleed. The technique described here prevents this from happening
Step 2. Cut the pineapple
Remove the stem of leaves, the crown and place the flat part on a cutting board. Remove the peel, the "eyes" and finally slice the pulp into small pieces or slices.
Step 3. Broil it.
In this way you caramelize the sugars present in the fruit giving more flavor to a bland and partially unripe pineapple. The heat also neutralizes bromelain, the enzyme that causes pain and makes the mouth bleed.
Step 4. Heat the baked pineapple slices
This way you get the same results as grilling and the fruit will be sweet and delicious. If you feel it is too sour and unripe, sprinkle it with some brown sugar before cooking.
Step 5. Simmer the pineapple
Although this method does not allow you to caramelize the sugars, cooking in water neutralizes the bromelain. Try this method if the fruit you bought is really unpleasant to eat:
- Put the pieces of pineapple in a saucepan, and also add the juice released during the cut.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat by letting the fruit simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain it and wait for it to cool.
Step 6. Sprinkle some sugar on the cut pineapple
If it's still not sweet, you can add a little sugar to the round slices or pieces of fruit. At this point you can enjoy the pineapple or you can store it in the fridge in a closed container.
Advice
- There is no need to put pineapple in a paper bag or next to other fruit. This technique works well for ripening pears, bananas and apples, but is not suitable for pineapples. In this way, in fact, the fruit could become golden more quickly, but the flavor of the pulp would remain unchanged.
- Pineapples harvested during the summer season are sweeter and less acidic than those available in the winter.
