Pineapple is a delicious tropical fruit that can be eaten raw, grilled, baked, or made into delicious drinks and smoothies. But if you've never tried pineapple before, it's normal to have doubts about how to eat it. The pineapple is covered with a thick and slightly thorny skin and also has a tuft of leaves on the top. Thankfully, peeling, cutting, and eating it is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is remove the stem, underside, skin, and core.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Peel and Cut the Pineapple
Step 1. Remove the stem and bottom
Spread the pineapple out to the side. Hold it steady with one hand and grab the base of the tuft with the other. Twist and gently pull the leaves to remove the stem. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pineapple by calculating about 1.5 cm on the upper and lower ends.
To determine if the pineapple is ready to eat, grab it and hold it still. Pinch a central leaf from the tuft with the help of two fingers and gently pull it. If you can easily peel it off, then the pineapple is ripe
Step 2. Remove the peel
Place the pineapple on its base. Using a sharp knife, cut the peel lengthwise into thin strips. These strips should be about 6mm deep so that you can remove as much of the peel and dark parts as possible. Peel the whole fruit.
Once the peel is removed, examine the pineapple and carefully cut the dark parts left on the pulp
Step 3. Cut the pineapple into slices
Place the fruit on the side. Hold it steady with one hand and cut it with the other. Cut it into slices or discs with a thickness of about 1, 5 or 3 cm.
It may be necessary to change the thickness of the slices depending on how you will use them, so read and follow the recipe of your choice before slicing the pineapple
Step 4. Remove the core from the slices
Place each slice of pineapple on a cutting board. Use a cookie pan with a diameter of about 3 cm to pierce the core of each slice. The core is the part of the pulp that has a dark yellow color and that crosses the central part of the fruit.
If you don't have a cookie cutter, you can also use a knife to perform this procedure
Part 2 of 3: Eat Raw Pineapple
Step 1. Eat the pineapple slices with your hands
It is possible to eat pineapple with your hands. Take a slice with your hands or stick it with a cutlery, bring it to your mouth and bite into a small piece. Chew it and swallow it before taking another bite.
Some people serve pineapple wedges with the peel. In this case, bite into the pineapple from the top of the wedge and stop when you reach the peel
Step 2. Have some napkins handy
Ripe pineapple is very juicy, so eating it with your hands can be uncomfortable. Before you start eating it, prepare some napkins, which you will need to wipe the juice from your hands and face.
Step 3. Alternatively, cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces using a fork and knife
It is not mandatory to eat pineapple with your hands, especially if you don't want to get dirty. Place the fruit on a plate, then cut it into bite-sized pieces with a fork and knife. Skewer a small piece at a time with the fork and bring it to your mouth.
Eat one bite at a time. Before you skewer another one, finish chewing and swallow the piece you have in your mouth
Step 4. Don't be alarmed by itching
Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which can cause mild tingling in the mouth. It is absolutely normal and not symptomatic of any allergy.
Bromelain concentrates around the center and core of the fruit, so removing the core should ease the tingling
Part 3 of 3: Savor pineapple in other ways
Step 1. Grill the pineapple
Grilled or grilled pineapple can be enjoyed on its own, served with steaks and burgers, or added to warm salads. You can marinate it or cook it without any seasoning. You can also bake it in aluminum foil or place it directly on the grill. The choice is yours.
The cooking process leads to the breakdown of bromelain, the enzyme responsible for itching. If you don't like this feeling when you eat raw pineapple, try grilling it
Step 2. Use pineapple to make baked goods
Just like bananas and apples, pineapple is a sweet and tasty fruit that can be used to cook a variety of baked goods. You can try different recipes. Here are some of the most popular:
- Pineapple upside-down cake;
- Pineapple bread;
- Pineapple pancakes.
Step 3. Make a pineapple sauce
It is an exquisite condiment that can be used as a substitute for cold tomato sauce. Being refreshing, it is especially good in the summer, for a picnic or a barbecue.
The pineapple dip can be used to dip tortilla chips, topping burgers and hotdogs, or as a side dish for various meat and vegetable dishes
Step 4. Try a pineapple drink
Since it is a sweet and juicy fruit, it lends itself perfectly to making smoothies, piña coladas and other drinks. The juice can also be drunk on its own, added to a punch, or mixed with sparkling water and ice to make a refreshing carbonated drink.
Step 5. Pair pineapple with savory dishes
Being sweet, pineapple is often considered a dessert food, but it can also be used to accompany meat, vegetables and other salty foods. Cut it into chunks and try using it in the following ways:
- Put it on the pizza;
- Stick it with a skewer along with the meat;
- Serve it with shrimp;
- Add it to tacos;
- Serve it over rice;
- Add it to dishes prepared with the stir fry method.
