The Ridiculously Simple Hack For Juicy Pineapple Every Time
Pineapple is a quintessential fruit that can be the anecdote to just about any long, hot summer day. Whether you enjoy the fruit cut and cubed in a medley of homemade fruit salad or sliced into succulent wedges, pineapple is best eaten when ripe and refreshingly juicy.
The fruit, native to the Americas, is now grown throughout the world in warm climates with lots of sun. Pineapple turns from green to a vibrant yellow color as it ripens — once picked from its flowering plant, pineapple ceases to ripen further. So, when selecting your fruit it's important to choose one that's ripe. Ripened pineapples are heavy, yellow throughout, fragrantly floral (but not musty or pungent) at the base, and slightly firm but soft to the touch with a squeeze.
While knowing the tell-tale signs of a ripe pineapple is important, sometimes the fruit available can be a bit dull in color and underwhelming in sweetness. Luckily, there's a way to get the most succulent slices or cubes after taking the fruit home from the store or farmer's market. In a recent video, TikToker Austin Tronzo reveals her simple trick: Twist the leafy top off the fruit and set it upside down on the counter for two to three days. By allowing the pineapple to rest upside down before cutting into it, the juices from the bottom (the riper portion of the fruit) have a chance to evenly distribute, making the whole pineapple mouthwateringly sweet.
Setting the pineapple upside down distributes its juices
Historically, there have been many references to upside-down pineapples, including the classic pineapple upside-down cake (and upside-down pineapples have even been used as a signal for swingers). To add on, placing your pineapple upside down on your counter results in the best-tasting pineapple, as it lets the sweet, ripe juices flow from the bottom throughout the entire fruit.
When selecting a pineapple, you may notice that just the bottom of the fruit is vibrantly yellow, while the upper portion of the fruit is dull in comparison. This is because, when picked from its plant, the bottom portion of the fruit has the highest concentration of sweetly floral juices. As you leave your pineapple upside down on the counter for a few days, you'll notice that the fruit becomes a bright yellow color throughout.
To let the pineapple rest on its head, there's no need to cut into the pineapple before you're ready to eat it. Instead, simply twist and pull off the green leafy portion of the fruit (called the fronds). This creates a stable base for the fruit to sit, without exposing any of the flesh to air before you're ready to use it. Fronds that come off without much effort are a further sign of ripened fruit, so they should come off with a gentle tug.
How to prepare and enjoy a succulent pineapple
Once your pineapple has rested on its crown for a few days, the result will be a wholly yellow, juicy fruit. Sure, there are other ways of ripening your fruit, including placing the fruit near apples, bananas, and other ethylene-producing fruit. However, once you try this trick, you won't look back — no longer settling for dull, tough pieces of what could be the most luscious fruit.
To prepare your pineapple for use in a variety of summertime recipes, slice off the top and bottom portion of the fruit and set it back on its base for a stable surface. Carefully shave the spiky exterior off with a knife, then lay it sideways and cut it in half. From there, chop the fruit into cubes, slices, or wedges. If you're feeling adventurous and want a true show-stopper to seriously impress your friends at your next dinner party, save the rind and make it into a bowl to serve the fruit, or savory dishes like pineapple fried rice.
Grill or bake whole pineapple to caramelize its sugars, or use it as a decadent topping for tacos al pastor. Of course, you can't go wrong with making pineapple juice in a juicer, or by blending and straining the fruit. Fresh pineapple juice is delicious on its own, or when used to make a variety of drinks like a classic piña colada (or even piña colada muffins for a sweet morning breakfast treat).