Before choosing, study the label and pay attention to the manufacturer, since often it is he who can guarantee the quality of the supplied product. The best pineapples are sold by such world leaders as:
Delicious juicy fruit a pineapple on our table – this is no longer exotic. You can buy pineapple in every supermarket, but it’s not always possible to choose the right ripe, juicy and sweet fruit, so many people prefer to take canned fruit instead of fresh fruit. But how can a semi-finished product compare with tasty and aromatic fresh fruit?! We bring to your attention interesting educational instructions on choosing pineapple, especially since this fruit is considered one of the most useful for losing weight, an eternal problem of our time. If you still doubt whether it tastes so good fresh pineapple, as canned, we offer you tips on how to choose the right pineapple.
How to choose a ripe pineapple
Contrary to popular belief that pineapples grow on trees, in fact, plantations with these fruits look like an ordinary field of cabbage - after all, this exotic fruit grows in exactly the same way. The world's main importers of pineapples are Paraguay, Thailand, the USA, South America and the Philippines, so when choosing a fruit, you can find out from the label how long it took and where the fruit arrived to our shores. Obviously, pineapples come to us green, since they are picked unripe and transported to us by sea, since this is the cheapest way to transport fruit.
It is better if the pineapples were picked ripe and brought by air, but the cost of such fruits is an order of magnitude higher than the cost of green fruits. That is why often two identical pineapples from the same manufacturer can have different prices. It is better to choose a more expensive fruit, since there is a guarantee that you will receive a ripe one. juicy pineapple without chemical treatment, with delicate aromatic pulp.
Before choosing, study the label and pay attention to the manufacturer, since often it is he who can guarantee the quality of the supplied product. The best pineapples are sold by such world leaders as Dole, United Fruit and Chiquita. Such suppliers attach a branded label to each item of goods indicating the place and time of collection, as well as the expiration date, since reputable companies always guarantee quality and are responsible for it. At the same time, if there are copies of nonames on the store shelf, without any identification marks, choosing one is like choosing a pig in a poke.
Before you finally select a pineapple, it is important to inspect it from all sides so that there are no dents on it, since bacteria from the soil could easily get inside the fruit and this could harm your health. It would not be entirely correct to choose such a fruit.
If the pineapple has a slightly greenish appearance, then this indicates that it was picked green and will ripen for a few more days, so you can choose such a fruit, if you will not eat it on this day, after 3-4 days. room temperature it will ripen and be tasty and aromatic.
Lightly slap the pineapple with your palm so that you hear a dull sound - this indicates that the fruit is juicy inside - and the juicier the pineapple, the riper its pulp; for green fruits it is drier and less juicy.
To select the ripest and juiciest pineapple, lightly tug on the top leaf. If the top leaves can be easily rotated 360 degrees, then it is completely ripe and ready to eat.
The rind should be elastic, but not hard, and have an even golden color, and when pressed, slightly spring back, which indicates that the pineapple was already picked at the ripe stage.
Interestingly, the aroma of pineapple can often serve as a sign of its ripeness and readiness to go to your table. If the pineapple you have chosen has a too sweet and heavy smell, this indicates that it is overripe, which has already entered the fermentation stage in the fruit. An unripe pineapple will have a slight grassy aroma - the fruit will be unsweetened and not juicy. So before choosing a pineapple, just smell it.
Delicious and healthy pineapple It’s no longer a curiosity on our table, but many are still frightened by its exoticism. In fact, looking for ripe, high-quality fruit in a store or market is not at all difficult if you know how. Choosing the right pineapple, easily peeling and cutting it when serving, and also storing it for future use will be possible without any problems if you take into account a few simple recommendations.
The main "tip" is the price
As trivial as it sounds, first of all you should pay attention to how much a pineapple costs. How to choose the right fresh and ripe fruit can be determined by the price the seller asks for it.
In order to deliver these fruits fresh to the shelves, their transportation is usually carried out by plane, and this is not cheap for the supplier. Accordingly, the price of a good pineapple will be at the same level.
In the event that the importer chose to order transportation of pineapples by sea, they may cost a little less. However, then you need to take into account that this method of transportation takes considerable time. While on the road, the fruits may well become overripe. Therefore, if the seller focuses exclusively on the favorable price of pineapples, you should examine them very carefully before succumbing to his persuasion and buying.
At the same time, the statement “expensive means good” is also not always true. It is possible that the seller simply inflated the price for a very mediocre product.
The conclusion is obvious: the price will serve as a good hint on how to choose the right one ripe pineapple, however, you should not blindly focus only on it. It wouldn’t hurt to study the fruit further.
How to determine the ripeness of a pineapple by smell
You can determine whether a pineapple is suitable for eating by smell, holding the fruit at arm's length. Unripe fruit will not smell at all. But the aroma of a good ripe pineapple should be pleasant, delicate, slightly sweet.
If the fruit smells too rich, even cloying, it is most likely overripe. Long-term storage it is not subject to. It is better to choose another pineapple if you do not intend to serve it immediately after purchase. In addition, it is possible that the fruit has begun to ferment - in this case, it is not suitable for food at all.
How to choose the right pineapple
Criteria for choosing this exotic fruit are not at all limited by price and smell. There are other secrets on how to determine the ripeness of a pineapple.
It is worth carefully examining the fruit you like. The scales of a ripe pineapple usually have a brownish, yellowish or orange-gray tint. A greenish color may indicate that the pineapple is not ripe (however, not always). There should also be no whitish spots between the scales of the fruit - this is how mold manifests itself. A high-quality fruit will have scales that are elastic and dense, but at the same time slightly soft to the touch. They will be too hard for green fruit. If they are fairly soft and easily pressed inward, the pineapple is most likely rotten.
Another way to identify a ripe pineapple is similar to choosing a ripe watermelon. Simply lightly pat the fruit with your palm. A ripe fruit with juicy pulp will make a dull sound. An “empty” sound will indicate that the pineapple is dry.
Besides, fresh fruit has beautiful green leaves. If you lightly pull one of them, it should easily separate from the rod. The leaf of a green pineapple will hold on tightly, but on a rotten one it will pull the tail of the fruit along with it. You can also carefully try to turn the tail in a circle, but not too much (if the fruit is ripe, the tail can be easily torn off). If it fits tightly, it means it is a green pineapple.
Ideally, the type of its pulp can tell you how to choose the right fruit. If possible, it is better to ask the seller to make a small incision. The flesh of a ripe pineapple will have a rich golden color. In unripe fruit, its shade will be pale.
How to store pineapple
Having figured out how to choose the right ripe pineapple, it doesn’t hurt to learn a little about the rules for storing it.
If the purchased fruit turns out to be unripe, it doesn’t matter. Pineapple can easily ripen at home. You just have to keep it in a dry place at room temperature. Two to three days will be enough for the fruit to ripen.
Ripe pineapple should be stored in the refrigerator. There is an opinion that in this case the fruit inevitably loses its beneficial and taste qualities, However, this is not quite true. And there is no choice left: if stored in other conditions, the ripe fruit will simply spoil. Therefore, it is best to put a pineapple bought for future use in a paper bag and place it in the compartment of the refrigerator intended for storing fruit. The bag is needed to prevent other products on the shelves from acquiring a pineapple aroma. Periodically, the fruit will need to be turned over so that it does not start to rot. You can keep ripe fruit in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
If you want to save the pineapple for longer long time, it is recommended to first peel it and cut it into small pieces and then freeze it. Fruit prepared in this way may be in freezer up to three months.
How to peel a pineapple
There are also some peculiarities in how a pineapple should be peeled. “How to choose this fruit correctly?” - is not the only question that sometimes perplexes.
The easiest way to peel is to simply cut the fruit into round “pucks” using a sharp knife, and then peel each of them. It is also advisable to remove the middle from each circle - it is inedible.
However, many people do not like this option due to the fact that it loses quite a lot of tasty and healthy juice. To avoid this, it is advised to carefully cut off the spiky shell from the fruit, then remove the core with a special knife and only then cut the flesh into circles. However, this method requires not only the presence special devices, but also experience.
Thai way to peel a pineapple
The most effective way to peel a pineapple is considered to be Thai. First, you should cut off the lower part of the fruit so that it can be conveniently placed on a board or plate. Then, holding the pineapple by the upper leaves, you need to carefully cut the skin from the fruit into thin slices, moving the narrow and sharp knife top down. If at the same time “eyes” remain here and there, it’s not a problem. After cutting off the skin, you should carefully remove all other dense growths with a knife - if you look closely, you will see that they lie on continuously curved lines. Holding the fruit by a bunch of leaves, you need to make small cuts just above and below this line at a slight angle to the “eye”. After this, you can carefully remove the “wedge” with the remaining thorns. The same should be done with the remaining growths.
A small pineapple prepared in this way can be served as a decoration. However, in order to make it convenient to eat this fruit, you need to work a little more and cut it.
How to cut a pineapple
To effectively serve the unpeeled fruit, it is recommended to divide it lengthwise into four parts. All the pulp should be carefully cut out of each in one piece, leaving an area with leaves on top.
The quarters must be carefully removed and the hard fibrous core removed. After this, the processed pieces of pulp need to be placed back into the “boats” made of skin, carefully placed on a dish and placed on the table. Pineapple served in this way looks very impressive, and the pieces of pulp are completely ready to eat.
If you know, when going to buy a pineapple, how to choose, properly peel and cut this fruit, then at any feast it will certainly not go unnoticed.
This representative of the citrus family has long become a favorite delicacy of many people, both in in kind, and as an ingredient fruit salads and cakes. Everyone likes him sweet, pleasant taste. But many housewives buy canned pineapple, fearing the acquisition of a bad fruit and not wanting to deal with cleaning and chopping it. And it’s completely in vain, since they deprive themselves of the beneficial properties of pineapple. Buying a good ripe pineapple is not that difficult. For this, there are some characteristic signs that will tell you how to choose the right pineapple. Now we will tell you about them.
How to choose the right pineapple by its color. The first thing you should pay attention to is the color. A ripe pineapple should be a bright golden yellow color with dark green leaves. Brown leaves may indicate that the pineapple is overripe. If the pineapple itself is slightly green at the top, this is also acceptable. You should not buy a completely green pineapple, which, according to the seller, will ripen within a couple of days at your home. Even if you wait for it to fully ripen in your kitchen, it will still be significantly inferior in taste to “normal” pineapples. If the pineapple has a dark brown or reddish tint, it means it is overripe. Feel the pineapple.Fresh and ripe pineapples should feel firm and elastic to the touch. If under the pressure of your fingers the fruit seems too soft to you, do not buy it.
Do not buy pineapples that have been damaged, have mold, or have traces of sticky juice leaking out.
How to choose the right pineapple by smell.
Sniff the bottom of the pineapple. This is another way to choose ripe delicious pineapple. If it has a fresh, sweetish smell, it means it’s in front of you. good pineapple. A barely noticeable smell may indicate that the fruits were picked too early and did not have time to ripen. The smell of fermentation indicates that the pineapple is already overripe.
There is a misconception that the ripeness of a pineapple can be determined by the sound that is obtained from hitting it with your hand, as can be done for a watermelon or melon. You should only focus on appearance and the smell of pineapple.
Another popular misconception is that large pineapples are the tastiest. In practice, it turns out that the largest pineapples are the least sweet.
Also, do not assume that leaves that come off easily are a sign of a ripe pineapple. This is usually typical for rotten pineapples, and instead of a tasty and sweet fruit, you may end up with a sour and unpleasant one, which you will soon throw in the trash.
After some practice, you will be able to accurately determine how to choose a good ripe pineapple at the market or in the supermarket. Good luck with your choice!
Pineapples on the shelves of modern stores are not a rare occurrence. However, few people have any idea about how and where pineapples grow. This fruit is not only tasty and healthy, but also unique, because it grows directly on the ground. And the fact that pineapple is a herb is a revelation to some people.
Many people believe that pineapples ripen on palm trees. But this is a misconception. Pineapples - perennial herbaceous plant. Has long sharp leaves. The fruits are formed in the central part on the stalk. An elegant cone is a collection of small fruits (fruit), each formed from its own flower.
Pineapple fruits have beneficial properties:
- rich in vitamins A, C, B;
- capable of thinning the blood;
- promote growth and strengthening of bones;
- inhibit pathogenic intestinal flora.
Pineapples are pollinated during the flowering period by hummingbirds and butterflies. Fruits growing from such ovaries have small seeds under the skin, which significantly reduces the taste of the product. Therefore, plantation owners strive to keep pollinators away from their properties.
Warm climate and sunshine are important conditions, without which the fruit will not ripen. In order to retain moisture under the rays of the scorching sun, the leaves of the fruit are covered with a thick, hard skin, and their area is reduced due to narrowing.
How to choose a ripe pineapple: 5 ways
The hard scales covering the pineapple are capable of retaining its juice.
Side shoots grow from the axils of the leaves, which can be planted. If these parts are removed, the plant begins to bear fruit again. Usually, after the second harvest is harvested, the pineapples are uprooted and new ones are planted in their place.
Residents of Southeast Asia and the Philippines use the leaves of this exotic plant to produce fabrics and ship ropes.
Where can you find pineapples, list of countries
Pineapple is considered to be a tropical fruit. Its historical homeland is South America, or more precisely Paraguay. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, this plant spread throughout South America. Moreover, its fruits were not only used for food, but also wine was made from them.
After Columbus's second voyage, pineapples came to Europe. Over time, the unique fruits were transported to other warm regions, where they are still successfully grown. These include the islands of Hawaii and the Philippines, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and African countries. Thailand is the world leader in pineapple exports. They grow this fruit in the USA, Southern and Central Europe, but exclusively in greenhouses.
In Russia there are no suitable conditions for cultivating pineapples. Even in the Krasnodar Territory, such fruits can only be grown in greenhouses.
Growing pineapple indoors
Growing small exotic fruit It’s quite possible to do it at home, right in your room. But for this, it would be useful to have an idea of the methods of propagating pineapples. There are three of them:
At home, it is more advisable to use the third method. The growing process is quite long, so you need to be patient.
- First of all, you should prepare the top of the fruit for planting. The cutting of the lower leaves must be done in such a way that approximately 3 cm remains from the cutting.
- The workpiece is placed in a dry room with good ventilation. There it is left for 3-4 days to dry.
- After drying, the top should be lowered into a transparent container with water to a depth of 4-5 cm. It is important to take care to protect the pineapple from drafts and drying out until rooting.
- Every second day, the water in the jar must be changed.
- To grow pineapple successfully, it is necessary to maintain the same temperature in the room all the time.
- The plant can be planted in the ground after the first roots appear. The diameter of the planting pot and the top of the pineapple should be approximately the same size.
- The planting container must be equipped with special holes. A 2-3 cm layer of expanded clay is placed at the very bottom. After planting, the pineapple should be watered generously and placed in a well-lit place.
- To obtain the desired result, the planted plant must be watered frequently and abundantly. But if mold or a rotten smell appears in the pot, the soil should be completely changed.
- In order to bring the growing conditions as close as possible to natural ones, it is necessary to create something like a greenhouse by covering the plant with a transparent jar.
When growing pineapples, it is important to adhere to temperature regime. In summer the most optimal temperature 28-30 degrees, in winter – 22-24 degrees. The pot is placed not on the windowsill, but on a table by the window or a special flower stand. IN winter period care must be taken to illuminate the pineapple with a fluorescent lamp. Every time after 10-14 days it is recommended to feed the plant with a complex of liquid mineral fertilizers.
If you strictly follow all the rules for caring for this amazing plant, then after 3-4 years it will provide you with the opportunity to enjoy its unusual taste.
Pineapple season
In tropical countries, the pineapple season lasts all year. This fruit can be purchased in our stores. How fresh a fruit is can be determined by its smell, which should be pronounced and sweet. The ripe fruit has an elastic shell and the top is bright green. An overripe fruit exudes a sour smell, has a withered top and a brown color. This fruit is soft to the touch. Too hard and green scales indicate that the fruit is unripe.
At first glance, the pineapple plantation is an unattractive picture. A very ordinary field with some small exotic plantings. However, growing this fruit takes a lot of work. For us, pineapple represents not only delicious product, but also a treasure trove useful substances and microelements that can have a positive effect on the body.
Video about where pineapples grow
Exotic fruits have long ceased to be a curiosity in Russian stores. On the shelves you can find not only mangoes, coconuts, kiwis, but also such unusual fruits like pomelo, papaya, passion fruit, pitahaya, lychee, feijoa and many others. But despite the fact that many overseas fruits and vegetables are no longer uncommon in our stores, we have not learned how to choose them correctly.
One of the most famous in Russia exotic fruits is pineapple, which will be discussed in this article. Of course, many people prefer to buy canned pineapples that are already cut into slices or pieces. But fresh fruit always contains more nutrients than canned food. Let's try to figure it out how to choose the right pineapple to buy really ripe and high-quality fruit.
To begin with, it is worth noting an important fact. Most overseas fruits arriving in our stores are picked not yet ripened. They will sing along the way from the plantation to our table. In the store there may be a fruit of normal ripeness, or under-ripe or over-ripe. Therefore, you need to be especially careful when purchasing exotic fruits.
So, you came to the store to buy a pineapple. What features should you pay attention to when choosing this unusual fruit?
- IN pineapple tops there should be no dry leaves, it should be green, dense and thick. Try to pull one of the leaves; if it pulls out without problems, then the fruit is ripe.
- pay attention to pineapple peel. It should have a uniform color without spots.
How to choose the right pineapple and determine which one is ripe - basic rules and fruit ripening season
If there are spots, the fruit is overripe. In addition, the crust should be fairly hard with uniformly sized flakes. Only such fruit will be truly ripe. Too soft a crust is a sign that the fruit has begun to deteriorate. A green rind means the pineapple is not ripe.
- When choosing a pineapple, just like when choosing a watermelon, you need tap the fruit. A dull sound will mean that the fruit is ripe, but if there is an empty sound, the fruit is already overripe.
- Smell of pineapple should be pleasant and easy. A strong aroma coming from the fruit, especially if you have not yet cut it, may mean that the pineapple has already fermented.
- At home, cut the fruit and look at it the color of its flesh. The flesh of a ripe pineapple has a rich yellow color; if the flesh is pale, the fruit is not ripe.
- If you see different pineapples in the store price, then most likely they were delivered different ways. Expensive fruits are sent by plane, and cheaper fruits are shipped by sea. IN in this case It would be best to choose a more expensive fruit; it will most likely be really tasty and ripe.
After you cut the pineapple at home, you need to store it at room temperature, since this overseas fruit does not like the cold. In the refrigerator, it can quickly lose its aroma.
Ripe and tasty pineapple will decorate any holiday table, and will also go well with other products in salads and hot dishes. We wish you a happy shopping!
HOW TO CHOOSE PINEAPPLE correctly, tips for choosing pineapples and other useful articles.
Today, a wide variety of fruits from tropical countries are sold in almost any store. One of the most famous and beloved exotic fruits in our country is pineapple. But often the fruit that seemed so beautiful and appetizing on the store counter turns out to be sour and unpleasant to the taste, or worse, rotten. The fruit goes into the trash bin, the mood is spoiled... In order not to be disappointed in the purchase at home, you need to know how to choose the right pineapple, after eating which our body will receive a portion of vitamins and nutrients, and we ourselves will enjoy the delicious taste of a ripe, juicy and aromatic tropical fruit. In fact, it’s not so difficult to find the right one in a store from a mass of similar-looking pineapples—ripe and tasty—if you follow a few simple recommendations. So, how to choose a ripe pineapple? Read in this note.
Criteria for choosing a ripe pineapple
Let's examine the crust
The pineapple should have the correct oval shape, and its rind should be slightly soft, but strong and elastic. Press the side of the pineapple with your finger - it should spring slightly, but if the dent does not rise, the fruit has begun to deteriorate or is already rotten.
A high-quality fruit has scales of the same size, a hard rind, and its color is uniform and without spots. The presence of dark spots eloquently indicates that the fruit is very overripe.
Also set aside fruit that has wrinkled skin, smudges or cracks on the surface.
Depending on the variety, the color of the pineapple rind can be brown, golden brown, orange-gray or yellow-green. Many people believe that fruit with a green color is unripe, but this is not entirely true. Pineapple, the rind of which has a greenish tint, can also be juicy and tasty. And if you come across such a pineapple, check it for ripeness using the other methods given here.
Pineapple scale
The scales of a high-quality pineapple are elastic, and if you press on them, they will not press inward. The small tails that are at the end of the scales should break off easily. Bend, limp tails indicate improper storage of the product.
Bottom of pineapple
When choosing, do not forget to turn the pineapple over and look at its bottom: it should be completely dry, without green shoots.
The tops will tell you about the ripeness of a pineapple.
Inspect the tops: it’s good if they are thick and green. Dry and yellow tops are a spoiling fruit.
There is a test that must be carried out before purchasing. Rotate the tops back and forth. If it scrolls easily, it means we have a ripe and sweet fruit. The tops of a good-quality pineapple can be rotated 90-180°.
Make sure the pineapple is ripe by pulling a leaf from the top. If it pulls out easily, the pineapple is ripe. If, along with one leaf, the entire tops suddenly come off, the fruit has already begun to rot.
You can just shake the pineapple. The tops of a ripe fruit will wobble.
How to choose pineapple by smell?
Feel free to smell the pineapple, especially if you have a well-developed sense of smell. Unripe fruit has no smell or almost no smell. Ripe pineapple exudes a light, sweetish aroma. A too sharp, rich smell indicates that the fermentation process has begun in the pineapple - you definitely shouldn’t buy such a fruit.
Price of pineapple: the more expensive, the tastier?
Can a quality pineapple be relatively cheap? This question cannot be answered unambiguously. Pineapples are brought to us from distant countries with a tropical climate. They are delivered in two ways: by plane and by sea. If pineapples were transported by sea, they would cost less. But in this case, the fruits are picked while still green, and they ripen on the way. This method of transportation is cheaper, but pineapples may become overripe or lose flavor along the way. In addition, fruits transported by ships are heavily treated with chemicals to prevent them from spoiling during the long journey. Transportation by plane is much more expensive, and therefore pineapples are more expensive. But such fruits are of higher quality, more aromatic and tastier, since they are picked ripe and delivered to us in the shortest possible time. Therefore, if you see two identical pineapples on the counter, but one costs much more, then such a fruit, of course, is of higher quality and tastier.
And further…
If you buy a pineapple not in a supermarket, but in a private store or market, you can ask the seller to make a cut. When cut, a ripe fruit has a golden-yellow color, while an unripe pineapple is whitish.
You can pat the pineapple with your palm as if it were a watermelon. A dull sound indicates that the fruit is ripe and juicy. An empty sound is a sign that the fruit has dried out.
Among other things, pay attention to the weight of the fruit: a ripe pineapple should be weighty.
When buying a pineapple in a store or market, do not hesitate to smell, touch, and carefully examine the fruit you like. This is the only way you can choose a pineapple that really won’t disappoint you.
You need to know that you can suffer from unripe pineapple - it can act as a laxative. And besides, it has a pungent taste. Therefore, your task is to do everything to buy ripe fruit, whose caustic properties disappear.
Delicious, extremely juicy taste and pleasant bright aroma you will find only in ripe fruit.
Depending on the size of the “butt” (the place of attachment to the plant), you can determine how the fruit ripened, on the plant itself or on the way to the buyer. If the fruit has ripened naturally, its “butt” is small and wrinkled, and if during transportation and storage, it is wider.
Try to pull one leaf of the tops - it will easily be pulled out of a ripe fruit. If the pineapple has reached the stage of maturity, then its top (tops) should scroll.
How to choose a pineapple
Check this fact.
Pineapples, like another subtropical fruit, banana, have a peak of ripening, accompanied by the appearance of dark spots. Therefore, do not choose them with spots - there is a high risk of over-ripening and spoilage.
If the pineapple is cut, then ripeness can be determined by the color of the pulp - the richer the light yellow color, the riper. Pallor of the flesh indicates immaturity.
So, a high-quality pineapple is a ripe pineapple, at least in the so-called. consumer stage of maturity. It is clear that fruits ripened in natural conditions. Being ripped off in the so-called. removable stage of maturity, they acquire ripeness on the way to the buyer.
You can use the ability of the fruit to ripen on its own at home: if your pineapple still needs ripening, then at a temperature not lower than 8-9 degrees Celsius.
and a relative air humidity of 80-85% for a period of up to 25 days, unripe fruits can ripen well.
What should a ripe pineapple fruit look like?
Determined by color:
- The peel is a beautiful straw yellow, golden yellow color with a red or orange tint. Unripe fruits have a green skin color.
- The upper bunch of leaves (called “sultan”) is light green, yellow-green in color. The color of the topmost leaf in the bunch is yellow.
- The tips of the segments (scales) on the peel are dark brown, black.
How to choose a pineapple
Pineapple is one of many people's favorite tropical fruits. Its wonderful taste and benefits for the body are undeniable - as is its high price. For this reason, the choice should be as responsible as possible: not everyone can afford to replace the unsuccessful fruit purchased by festive table. But how do you know that the pineapple is already ripe and ready to eat?
Pineapple: how to choose a ripe one? The main signs of a ripe fruit
Pineapples travel a long way from warm countries before reaching the domestic market. The fruits mainly come from South America, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Thailand. They can “travel” in two ways:
- more expensive fruits “land” on the plane – due to short term delivery, such pineapples are picked sufficiently ripe;
- The cheaper fruits “arrived” by sea, which means they had time to ripen on the way - they were picked completely green.
It is rare that a seller is able to provide information about the delivery method, so you mainly rely on the cost of the product. In addition, you need to pay attention to the following signs of a ripe pineapple:
The easiest way to quickly check the ripeness of a pineapple is to turn the top crown: if the fruit is ripe, it will easily come off.
True, such a test will not be appreciated in every store, so you will have to limit yourself to less obvious methods to make sure that the fruit is sufficiently ripe.
Additionally, you should study the label (if there is one), taking into account the following information:
- variety - the most common are “Creola” and Gold. Externally, the pineapples of these varieties are identical; the difference can only be learned from the label. Gold belongs to the dessert category; these fruits are very sweet. The “Creola” variety is intended for making juices due to its sour fruits;
- manufacturer - reliable companies indicate information about harvest time and shelf life of pineapple. Chiquita, Dole and United Fruit are considered the best on the market.
When making a choice, you need to pay attention to the size of the fruit. In most cases, small fruits are sweeter than large ones, and those with thorns on the tops are tastier than smooth-leaved ones.
How to choose a pineapple? Characteristics of a Bad Fruit
You can also do the opposite by rejecting fruits that meet the “bad” criteria. The “symptoms” that something is wrong with the pineapple include the following:
- Excessive hardness of the fruit indicates unripeness, excessive softness indicates overripeness.
- Yellow leaves are found on “old” pineapples.
- Dark brown spots on the peel between the scales are an obvious sign of a very overripe fruit, perhaps even beginning to rot.
- A clearly green color on the top of the fruit means it is not ripe enough.
- The “empty” sound produced when tapping a pineapple indicates that the fruit is dry and it will not be possible to “get” juicy pulp from it.
- An obsessive intense smell indicates the overripeness of the fruit, which in its “development” has almost reached the stage of decay. An additional “symptom” is the presence of mold on the crust.
- A light herbaceous aroma is characteristic of unripe pineapples.
- The dent that forms when you press on the peel warns against purchasing an overripe fruit. In principle, such a pineapple can be eaten, but this must be done as soon as possible, before the fruit begins to rot.
No matter how hard the buyer puts in, he always has a chance of losing this “lottery.” You can accurately determine whether the fruit was ripe only at home after cutting the pineapple. The ripe fruit has juicy, rich yellow flesh with a golden tint. Unsuccessful purchase and unripe fruit The pale color of the “internals” gives it away.
Green pineapple can be placed tops down in a vase and kept for several days: in this position the ripening process is accelerated.
True, in this case the fruit will contain caustic substances that corrode the mucous membrane.
9 tricks for choosing the ripest and most delicious pineapple in the store
Pineapple is truly sweet only when it is picked when it is already ripe, and this happens extremely rarely.
A good pineapple can decorate any table. Do not underestimate this fruit: as a rule, those who do not like it have simply tasted under- or overripe fruits. It's time to correct this annoying mistake by learning to choose the right fruit. It's time to add new taste into your life!
When making purchases, every person wants the purchase to be of high quality. This is especially important for food. Let's look at how to choose a pineapple and what you should pay attention to. This thick-skinned fruit has a wonderful sweet and sour taste, a wonderful aroma, and also contains alimentary fiber, microelements and vitamins. It contains bromelain, a highly active proteolytic enzyme that helps the body absorb protein from food. Therefore, pineapple is recommended for a rich feast. Having a high nutritional value, this fruit is low in calories. In Russia it has become a traditional element New Year's table, since 30% of the total annual volume of this tropical fruit is imported into our country in December. The pineapple season lasts until April, although you can buy them throughout the year.
You have to smell it
To choose a good pineapple, you need to pick it up and evaluate it from top to bottom. The crown (sultan or crest) of the fruit usually has a length of up to 10 cm. What does the crown of a ripe fruit look like? It should be protruding, green, and most importantly, it can be scrolled 1-2 cm in one direction or another horizontally. Dried ends are allowed. If the pineapple is ripe, some of the leaves can be easily pulled out. If, after tearing off one leaf, others begin to fall out, it means the fruit is overripe. It is difficult to thin out the crown of an immature one.
80-90% of pineapples in Russia come from Costa Rica. The remaining 10% comes from Ecuador, the Philippines, Panama, Vietnam, and Thailand. Ripe fruits that have reached consumer maturity are delivered by air and within a day they reach the customer. But most often tropical fruits transported by sea, this takes 7-10 days. Therefore, pineapples are harvested when their shape and size correspond to the parameters of a given variety, but they are not yet fully ripe. In the holds of ships, the temperature is maintained at +8...+9°C; when it drops, there is a possibility of fruits being damaged by fungal infections, the pulp becomes watery, and when it rises, the fruits begin to rapidly ripen and rot. Pineapples picked too early do not develop enough flavor and aroma after ripening.
To choose the right ripe pineapple, smell it. If the aroma spreads within arm's reach, the fruit has most likely been scented. If you smell wine, it is overripe; the fermentation process has begun inside. Sometimes trade workers, having discovered this, wash the pineapples that are rotting inside, dry them and put them up for sale again. After this treatment, the fruit does not smell at all.
How to choose a pineapple (video)
We focus on weight and color
Pineapple varieties are divided into more or less transportable. Spanish red is one of the mature varieties, due to which it is harvested more ripe. Before a long journey, fruits are placed in boxes in one layer, carefully inspected. The stalk is treated with an antiseptic, since most often it begins to rot. Depending on the variety, pineapples weigh from 500 g to 10 kg. The weight of exported fruit is usually 0.8-2 kg. How to choose the right ripe fruit? Estimate its weight in your hand. If it is weighty, it means it is dense inside - this is a sign of ripeness. As a rule, among those fruits that were picked before full ripening, the small ones managed to absorb all the vitamins on the plantation.
How to determine the ripeness of a pineapple by its peel? Opt for fruits with grayish-orange and yellow scales. Don't be put off by the fruit that doesn't look quite ripe and has greenish areas. If the fruit exudes aroma, take it. Residents of Thailand prefer a variety of pineapple that always looks unripe, but its taste is excellent. If the fruit is green and its aroma is barely perceptible, it is not ripe. If the peel has brown spots and there is mold between the segments, the product is spoiled. This is evidenced by the wrinkled skin of the fruit. When pressing on the scales of an overripe pineapple, dents form. The unripe fruit is very hard.
When choosing a fruit, pay attention to its lower part - the stalk, it should be dense. If you find looseness and the slightest signs of mold, it means it is rotting inside. A pineapple ripened on a bush has a small and wrinkled stalk.
Pineapples growing in the wild contain many seeds up to 3 mm long. During industrial cultivation, their formation is avoided by preventing pollination: protective caps are placed on each inflorescence. Therefore, it is very rare to find seeds in these fruits. At the same time, their presence does not mean that the fruit will not be tasty.
How to choose a pineapple and peel it beautifully (video)
Unique taste
A ripe delicious pineapple is bright yellow inside. The flesh of an unripe one is pale, while that of an overripe one is pinkish. Eating unripe fruit causes intestinal upset. You can store the fruit at home at room temperature for 3-10 days. It is better not to save it when cut, as a last resort- V own juice in a refrigerator. You should not freeze it, as at a temperature of -7°C it loses its beneficial features, becomes fibrous.
After harvesting, pineapples should not be stored for more than 40 days. Not fully formed fruits with a transitional peel color are placed in chambers for 4-6 days for ripening. They can withstand a certain regime: temperature +15...+16°C, humidity - 80-85%.
The process is accelerated by the use of ethylene: 1 liter of gas per 2 m³ of chamber. It is a mistake to think that a green pineapple bought in a store can ripen at home. He can only get softer.
The most favorable conditions for storing tropical fruits are provided in supermarkets. However, even there, sometimes unscrupulous workers, wanting to sell a low-quality product, hide flaws in various ways. Pineapple is a rather expensive fruit. In order not to throw money away, do not rush, inspect it carefully.
