The Costco Connection

ripening, as they do not carry a starch reserve. When you see one in the store, it is as ripe as it ever will be. Look for green leaves, and avoid pineapples with bruising and dark spots on the body. A firmer shell indicates freshness as well. Coloration is not a sign of ripeness or freshness. Larger pineapples contain a higher proportion of edible meat.

“A strong scent of sweetness is a good indication that the fruit inside will be sweet as well,” says William Goldfield, communications director at Dole Food Company.

Prepping: a few steps

Getting into the meat of this delicious and nutritious fruit is actually a snap. The trick is to learn a few cutting techniques that allow you to cut into the fruit without sacrificing too much of its meat or accidentally leaving on a thorn (ouch!). See the sidebar for tips.

A versatile food

Sweet and simple, pineapples leave nothing to be desired. Whether you’re eating them solo, grilling them alongside delicious barbecue, adding them to a refreshing cocktail or just marinating a culinary masterpiece with pineapple juice, the taste of sunshine delights the palate.

“[Pineapple’s] an easy fruit and it’s very versatile,” says Raul Romero, president and COO of Chestnut Hill Farms. “We like to dip [chunks of pineapple] in chocolate, like fondue.”

Good for the body

Pineapple is a great addition to your diet to help you stay healthy. Beyond its sweet taste and versatility, pineapple nourishes and protects the body in unique ways. Bromelain is an enzyme found only in pineapple. Prized for its anti-inflammatory properties, bromelain is effective for sports injuries and acute swelling, but also is used to treat osteoarthritis. And ongoing research indicates that bromelain may possess cancer-preventing or -fighting qualities.

Vitamin C is also prevalent in the spiny fruit, and plays a role in helping you stave off disease. The high manganese content promotes healthier skin and fights free radicals.

Pineapples may look intimidating, but underneath the skin lies paradise. I, for one, am packing my bags. C

Peter Sacotte is an intern at The Costco Connection.

The Costco Connection

Look for whole, fresh pineapples in the produce section of your local warehouse.

table

for your
Product
of paradise

A how-to guide to fresh pineapple
How to cut
a pineapple

Twist off the top.

Cut it into quarters.

Core it and peel the skin.

Cut it into cubes.

By Peter Sacotte

PINEAPPLES ARE A universal sign of hospitality and friendship, and have been since Europeans were first introduced to the exotic fruit when they came to the Americas. When looking at a pineapple,

I don’t see anything hospitable or friendly about it; the armored exterior can be a little intimidating. But taking time to prepare a fresh pineapple is well worth the effort.

How they’re grown

With their rich, fibrous texture and sweet taste, pineapples are truly a reflection of the tropical paradises in which they’re grown. Tropical climates produce the best pineapples, Growing a pineapple can take between 12 and 20 months. There are no seeds, so planting begins by planting crowns, the leafy green tops of the pineapples that are removed from the pineapples in the previous year’s crop. Slips and suckers, offshoots of the plant that grow out of the base of the fruit and between the leaves, can also be used to plant crops. Pineapple plants grow vertically, with the fruit itself growing at the top of a stalk, just like a flower bud. Each plant yields one pineapple in the first crop. The second crop, called “first ratoon” (from the Spanish retoñar, “to sprout”) yields significantly fewer pineapples and signals the need to replant the entire field.