Picking the Best Pineapple & Knowing When It’s Ready to Eat

Yoga71

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posted on 17 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Is there anything better than a juicy, sweet slice of pineapple? This bright, sunshiney fruit is fit for a day by the pool, but cutting it at the wrong time can turn your day upside down. So how do you know when a pineapple is ripe and ready to be eaten? We’ve laid out everything you need to know right here, so keep reading to learn how you can smell, feel, and see when a pineapple has reached ripened perfection.

Things You Should Know

Sniff the bottom of a pineapple. If it smells sweet, it’s ready to eat!
Squeeze a pineapple with your fingers. If it’s firm but moves ever-so-slightly, you can chop it up.
Look to see if a pineapple has perky green leaves and a golden-yellow hue on the outside, which means it’s perfectly ripe.

Testing the Scent & Feel

Does is smell sweet? Flip the pineapple over and sniff the bottom. If you smell something sweet, it’s ripe. If not, it’s probably not. You can smell the pineapple on other sides too, but the strongest fragrance will come from the bottom or stem end. Throw out pineapples that smell fermented or like alcohol or vinegar, as they’re most likely bad.

Is it squeezable? Hold the pineapple in your hand and gently press on it with your fingers. A ripe fruit will be firm but soft enough to bend under your fingers, specially in the bottom indentation. If the pineapple’s hard, it’s probably unripe. If the pineapple molds too easily in your hands, it may be rotten inside.

Is it heavy? A heavier pineapple usually means it’s juicy, and juice means it’s ripe and sweet. If the fruit feels hefty in your hands, it’s most likely ready to eat. This method isn’t foolproof, especially since pineapples come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s worth trying! This is a great way to pick between 2 pineapples at the store. Weigh each in your hands, and choose the heavier one. Note that “heavier” doesn’t mean “larger.” A ripe, smaller-sized pineapple might be as heavy (or heavier) than a larger, unripe pineapple.

Do the leaves pluck right off? Now, this is a controversial method of testing ripeness, as some believe it works while others don’t, but it’s worth a try! Pull out the innermost center leaf. If that leaf removes easily, then the pineapple is ripe. Be careful because a leaf that slips out too easily may be rotten inside.

Visually Checking for Ripeness

Is it golden-yellow in color? When pineapples ripen, their green or brown outsides start to turn a shade of yellow, especially near the base of the fruit. Even so, a green-tinted pineapple doesn’t automatically mean the pineapple isn’t ripe. Check to see if the pineapple has some yellow tones to it, as that may mean it’s time to cut it open. Pineapples will start to change color on their base first. The more golden a pineapple is and the further the color rises towards the crown, the sweeter and riper it’ll be. Avoid pineapples with wrinkled or reddish-brown skin, as these are signs of rot.

Are the leaves perky and green? A pineapple with droopy brown leaves is most likely overripe and not good to eat anymore. If the leaves are perky and green and there are other notes of ripeness, the fruit is most likely perfect to eat.

Are the spikes flat against the fruit? The eyes or spikes around a ripe pineapple are flush with the fruit, not pointy. If the eyes are sharp and sticking out, the pineapple isn’t ready to be cut and eaten, so leave it on the shelf for a few more days.

Storing

Leave an uncut ripe pineapple at room temperature for 3 days. As long as you don’t cut the fruit, a pineapple can last on your countertop or in your fruit bowl for around 3 days. Just don’t try to stick it in the fridge, as this could cause it to ripen unevenly.

Store cut pineapple in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat your pineapple, chop it up and place it in the refrigerator for about 4 days in an airtight container. This way, you can grab a fresh, sweet snack whenever you’d like! If your cut pineapple turns brown or slimy, it’s gone bad and should be tossed right away. To keep your pineapple fresh longer, chop off the rough exterior and store it in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a week.

Freeze freshly cut pineapple for up to a year. Slice the pineapples into large chunks to retain as much flavor as possible. Then, place the pineapple chunks in freezer-safe plastic containers or freezer-safe plastic bags before storing them. The sooner you use them, the fresher they’ll taste. Try freezing your pineapple pieces on a lined baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag, so they don’t clump together. When you're ready to use the pineapple, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature.