How to cut pineapple like a local
At some point in your life, you will very likely be faced with a pineapple cutting.
Although this is a very weighty event, the key is to remain calm. It is at this moment, when face-to-face with the prickly Ananas comosus, that the children are separated from the adults, the tourists from the veterans. Everyone will be watching to see what you're really made of. The pineapple was introduced to Hawaii in the 16th century, giving residents several hundreds years to practice their cutting techniques. With the tips below, you can make a valiant effort to catch up.
But first, you need a pineapple to cut. Picking a pineapple is different than most other fruits because of the way the flavor develops during ripening. No sugars are produced within the fruit itself, contrary to just about every other fruit out there except melons. Instead, starches are stored in the plant stem and then released into the fruit as it ripens. All the sweetness of a pineapple is determined by when it is picked from that stem-- after that separation no further sweetening occurs. Color, firmness and looseness of leaves are all better indicators of the age of the pineapple than the flavor. Sure those other things matter, but would you rather have a pretty orange pineapple that tastes like gnawing on a table leg, or a yellow-greenish one that tasted like heaven itself?
If you want to get the very best pineapple, you need to use your nose. Smell the stem end. You're looking for a sweet, fresh smell. Skip pineapples with fermented or green odors, or any with bruised or mushy spots. When you find one you like, rush it home so we can get down to... the cutting.
There are as many ways to cut pineapple as there are varieties (iow, a lot), but I quizzed two of my kama'aina friends and they both swore by the method below. Good enough for me!
To cut your new pineapple like a local, lay it on its side and slice off both the crown and the stem. [Updated based on reader comments: it can be easier to leave the crown intact for now as a handle.] Some people like to twist the crown off with their bare hands and growl, but it's purely a matter of preference. Next, stand the pineapple up on end and carefully slice off the skin, from top to bottom, leaving as much flesh as possible. Don't worry about the little eye spots; we take care of those next.
If you observe the eye spots, you'll see that they form diagonal lines around the pineapple. Cut a v-shaped groove along each diagonal line to remove the eye spots.
At this point, everything left is edible. If you want pineapple circles, cut the fruit in disks and then core each disk. Munch on the core as you cook-- it's tough but many people like the mild flavor. If you want pineapple cubes or wedges, instead cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise, core each quarter, and work from there.
Then, enjoy your pineapple, and there's lots to enjoy. Pineapple is low in fat, contains no cholesterol and is brimming with Vitamin C and other trace minerals. Not only that, but you'll have earned the respect and admiration of all as you pass around perfectly cut, totally ono pineapple.
If you think this tutorial was worth the time it took to read it, you may be interested in more posts about pineapple:
→ Pineapple-Ginger Sorbet
→ Grilled Pineapple
→ Caramelized Pineapple Over Ice Cream with Toasted Macadamia Nuts
→ Pineapple facts - Did you know it takes two years for a pineapple plant to bear fruit?
Mahalo!
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I can't wait until the episode in which you explain how to prep a mango.
Max, at first I thought you were poking well-deserved fun at me. Now I realize you're completely serious, and that it's not a bad idea. I don't have a clue how to prep a mango without ending up with a mess of uneven slices.
I bought a mango last week and tried a method for cutting it that I found online. I had better success than the first time I tried it, but I think that I won't get it entirely right until I try, try again. You just gotta have an instinct as to where the pit is when cutting. I bought a couple more yesterday. I'll get it right at some point.
Max, that link is helpful for visualing under the skin. I went looking for mango tonight for a recipe, but I think they must be out of season. I'll have to wait until later to try my hand at cutting again.
Alan, loved the pics and explanation on how to cut pineapple like a local. We do it the same way here in Panama. Regarding mango---let me get some in the next days and will show in my blog a few techniques I know on how to cut mango---Hope to get 2-3 different types of mango, since it`s summer here they are in season.
Melissa, thanks for stopping by! I'm make sure to check in for those techniques. Good mango cutting has been nagging me for some time.
hi alan
isn't this a great way to cut a pineapple? It adds a stylish touch to it too...it seems that this technique is used also in many other parts of this world. I have first seen this on a vacation trip to Bali, where kids equipped with a little knife would cut them for you. They actually used baby pineapples.
Oliver, I'm not surprised to learn that they use a similar technique in Bali. Most countries with a readily available supply of local pineapples will have to come up with ways to cut them, and eventually those methods will converge on the few slicing solutions that work best. Baby pineapples? I've never seen those. It sounds like a lot of work for less fruit-- unless you've hired someone to do the cutting on your behalf, of course!
This method for cutting pineapples must be an island thing, I have always cut pineapple this way but when it did it for some American friends, they liked it so much they didn't want to eat it.
Not eat it?! All this fancy cutting is just to tease the eyes and whet the appetite for that first sweet taste on the tongue. Silly Americans ;-)
This is the way that we cut them as well, my family used to have a large pineapple farm here in Australia.
Helen, I had no idea that a similar technique was in use in Australia. I guess it makes sense that any place where pineapples are easily available is going to gravitate towards similar methods for cutting them.
Hy there ...
i have a few questions about the pineapple.
Why most of the time the woody core is remove before eating the pineapple? I ask once a cookchef and he told me that it is removed because the core contains more acid then the rest of the pineapple, and that the acid can give an undesired feeling in ur mounth after eating it. Is that the truth? ... cause i looked everywhere on the internet and i could find nothing based on his theory. Is there any links where i can find an exactly explanation to this issue and why is preferable for the (woody) core to be removed before eating a pineapple
Thank u verry much ... Lucian
Lucian, I'd always thought that the reason the woody core is discarded is because it can be so fibrous. As a kid, I liked chewing on it, but I'd eventually chew all the good flavor out and be left with an inedible woody mess to spit out. I'll keep my eyes open for more info though.
As a filipina, I appreciate someone finally explaining this process correctly!
My only big complaint about these directions is the cutting off of the stalk first. There is no good reason to do that! Not only is it a very beautiful part of the pineapple, but it's also very functional to keep around, as you cut it up. I cut a pineapple today for a dozen guests, while being terribly sick. I covered my mouth, and never touched a millimeter of the pineapple meat, keeping my germs to myself by gripping nothing but its very sturdy stem. The way the hands are pictured all over the pineapple meat is gross!
I bring the beautifully trimmed and full-bodied pineapple with the stem still attached, to the table, let it stand as the centerpiece throughout the meal, accepting numerous compliments, before cutting a ring/disc off for each person as dessert. It's always a tasty hit and educational cultural experience for all.
Pilipino Pineappler, you make a very good point. Although I do wash my hands repeatedly while cooking, leaving the stem intact has both practical and aesthetic value. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the directions! My husband didn't believe me that this was the way to do it. A google search of "How To Cut A Pineapple" and a peek at your blog proved me right. Now I must go eat some of it before he eats it all. Yum!
Haole Girl, there's always more the one way to skin a cat pineapple, but I'm pleased to be of assistance!
For the second time in as many tries, I successfully navigated the waters of selecting, preparing and enjoying a wonderful pineapple. Today's pineapple
was cut in rings; placed atop pork chops rubbed in crushed rosemary, ground mustard and black pepper; and barbequed. And enjoyed by all - the four of us nearly ate the entire thing!
Thanks again for such a great, helpful entry!
Nice to meet you. I am a name with a Japanese of waku. I cut a pineapple in how to cut same as you yesterday and ate deliciously.
I became glad to find your blog in search of the same how to cut.
I completed LINK of this article in my blog.
** Because it was hard, as for me, the English made this sentence with machine translation.
Waku, your English was good enough for me to understand. Thanks for visiting!
They do it the same way in Thailand...I love it because it isn't wasteful at all!
Michelle, I haven't made it to Thailand yet, but I agree with your sentiment. "Waste not, want not."
I love it! Just slice a disc off and eat up to the woody part in the middle. Or hack off slices avoiding the center woody bit.
Yum.
DC- or if you're like me, gnaw on the woody bit too. It's more fibrous, but still with good flavor.
Hi,
I've seen this first in Thailand, many years ago. I can't remember how they did it exactly, but if you keep the crown while cutting the diagonal, it is much easier to handle the pineapple.
greetings from Scotland
Udo
Udo, yes the crown trick is handy. I'm going to update the post to say that.
Thanks for the great way to cut a pineapple. i have always just hacked away at them till all the skin is gone but this way leaves much more meat and looks pretty damn cool too!
Daniel, looking "pretty damn cool" counts for a lot, eh.
Our church is having a luau for V.B.S and i need to know how to cut a whole pineapple. When I was a little we had a luau in Girl Scouts that was cut standing up with toothpicks stuck in each round piece, but I cannot find how it was done , can you help me? My address is 1300 Beaver Dam Rd. Madison,Ga.30650 PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patricia Cutsail, unfortunately that's not a method I've ever seen. It sounds handy for parties though. Good luck!
Ahh, so that's how it's done! My Malaysian mum always cut pineapple like this when I was a kid, but I didn't know how to do it til now. A little tricky to get the technique of doing the cuts without losing too much pineapple, but much better than slicing big chunks of flesh off with the skin and still getting the odd prickle left over.
Cammy, there's a knack to it, but all it takes is a little care.