How to Cut A Pineapple with Step-by-Step Instructions

Cutting a pineapple is not as straightforward or easy as cutting other fruits. The prickly leaves on the top and the spiny parts around the edge can be intimidating. Since we can get our fill of the tropical fruit through canned pineapple, frozen pineapple, and dried pineapple, there’s little need to cut fresh ones often. But it really doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to learn how to cut a pineapple. 

How to choose a pineapple for preparing

Here are some tips for choosing the freshest, sweetest, juiciest pineapples.

Look at the pineapple

Pineapples are generally a mixture of green and grey that gradually turns to yellow as it ripens. The sweetest, ripest pineapples are a beautiful golden yellow color. 

Smell the pineapple

The best way to tell whether or not pineapple is good is to smell it. Smell the bottom portion to see if it smells sweet. If it does, that’s great. Avoid pineapples that smell of fermentation. 

Touch the pineapple

The pineapple you choose should be firm and heavy. There should be a bit of “give” to it as you touch the skin of the pineapple, but not so much that it feels soft. Pineapples that are overly soft are on the verge of going bad. Pineapples that are hard are not fully ripe, and they do not ripen any further after being picked.

How to cut a pineapple

There are three basic steps that you’ll follow to cut a pineapple: cut off the outer skin, remove the inner core, and cut the fruit into pieces. The type of pieces you want determines the order of the steps. 

How to cut a pineapple into pieces

1. Cut off the crown

Remove the crown (the top part with the leaves) and the bottom of the pineapple. Now the pineapple can stand upright easily.

2. Remove the skin from the pineapple 

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the skin of the pineapple. This part is a bit tedious as the skin is fibrous and can be thick. There are also many round, brown “eyes” that make it more challenging than peeling something like an apple. Some people like to cut them off with the skin, but that will cause you to lose some good fruit. 

3. Take out the “eyes”

Next, it’s time to get rid of the “eyes” if you didn’t cut them off with the skin. Did you notice that these eyes line up pretty well with each other and spiral around the pineapple? The best way to cut them out is if you don’t have a special tool for removing pineapple eyes, you can use a smaller knife to make diagonal cuts on either side of the eyes. This will create a v-shaped trench, and you’ll end up with a long spiral of pineapple flesh. 

4. Remove the core

Now, it’s time to cut the core out of the pineapple. First, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Cut both halves into half; you now have four quarters. Use your knife to cut out the core off of each piece carefully. This part is optional since the core is edible. It is tough and not very sweet or juicy. What you can do to avoid waste is to freeze the core pieces and use them in smoothies. 

5. Cut the pineapple into smaller pieces

At this point, you have four quarters. The simplest thing to do now is to cut each one into bite-sized pieces. If you think the pieces will be too big, halve each quarter before you cut them into pieces. 

6. Enjoy the pineapple

Give your pineapple pieces a quick rinse and enjoy! 

How to cup a pineapple into rings

To begin cutting a pineapple into sliced rings. 

1. Remove the crown, skin, and eyes

Follow steps one through three as listed above to cut off the crown. After that, you’ll remove the skin and take out the “eyes” of the pineapple. 

2. Slice the pineapple

Turn the pineapple on its side, and use a large knife to cut off a slice about one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick. Continue doing this until the pineapple is completely sliced. You can also use a pineapple slicer if you have one. 

3. Remove the core from the pineapple slices

Finally, it’s time to remove the core from each slice to transform it into a pineapple ring. The easiest way to cut out the circular core is to use a round cookie cutter. Position the cookie cutter around the core and press down to cut the core out. Repeat this process with the remaining pineapple slices. 

4. Enjoy your pineapple

Rinse the pineapple rings and serve or use them in baking. 

How to store pineapple

You can store freshly cut pineapple for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze fresh pineapple. Place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for three hours or until solid. Then transfer the frozen pineapple pieces to a freezer bag or food storage containers and freeze for up six months. 

Benefits of pineapple

Pineapple is a healthy fruit naturally rich in vitamins C, A, B6, E, and K. It also contains calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc. 

Order fresh pineapple online

You don’t have to wait for your next trip to the grocery store to put your new pineapple cutting skills to use. When you use Instacart to order groceries, you don’t have to leave the house. A professional shopper will shop for and deliver all of your groceries directly to your door. 

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