How to Grill Pineapples – purchasing and cutting
Grilled pineapple is one of life's great grilling pleasures. When you grill pineapples, they are soft, crunchy, juicy, sweet, tart, aromatic, colorful and easy if done correctly. I always include grilled pineapples in my grilling classes for that refreshing “Ah Ha!” moment for all of the new grillers in class. Grilled pineapple is a great addition to many recipe, drinks, side dishes and appetizers but by far the most appealing taste come from grilling pineapples.
In this first of two article on “How to Grill Pineapples – purchasing and cutting”, there are several tips I will share with you on how to prepare your pineapples for the grill from wikiHowthat will having you rushing to the store to pick one up for the grill.
How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe
from wikiHow
How do you tell when a pineapple is ripe and tasty? Many of us have experienced the rapidly deteriorating pineapple or the under ripe pineapple. If you want to get it right, there are some little tricks guaranteed to help you choose the right pineapple each time.
Steps
- Be alert for two key elements of a ripe pineapple: freshness and deterioration. You are looking for a fresh pineapple, not a rotting one. The stem is the area of the pineapple that feeds sugar to the fruit. It is from here that the pineapple changes color.
- Look at the pineapple. It should reflect a golden yellow color. The minimum area for this should be on the eyes at the base of the fruit. Never purchase a pineapple that is fully green as it will not ripen well. The higher the color rises up the pineapple, the sweeter it will be.
- Be aware that some pineapples are considered to be ripe when green. This is the claim of those promoting them; you be the judge by testing them when green. The varieties that claim this include the Central American pineapple and some Hawaiian pineapples.
- Smell the pineapple. If it smells sweet, then it's ready. If it has no scent, it's not ripe. If it smells fermented, it's overripe!
- Touch the pineapple gently. It should be firm to a gentle press and only yield slightly. If it's soft or spongy, don't buy it.
- Beware the myth! It is an urban myth that a pineapple is ripe when a leaf can be removed from the crown easily. It is proof of nothing in terms of ripeness.[1] If a leaf does come out easily, the pineapple is rotten (which should be evident already) and if you can pick the scales off a pineapple, that's a bad sign because it means that the interior has gone soft, and will be sour and unpleasant.
- Don't buy or eat a deteriorating pineapple. A deteriorating pineapple will be a reddish, bronze color or it may even be green. It will smell as if it is fermenting, like vinegar. It will also be mushy when pushed gently and it will likely have wrinkled skin. Other clear indications include mold, oozing sticky juices, cracks in the skin and leaves turning brown and dropping off. It's only good for the compost heap at this stage.
- Avoid any pineapple that appears bruised or withered or has browning leaves.
Ripening a pineapple
- If you've purchased a pineapple that isn't ripe enough yet, try these steps:
- Stand the pineapple upside down on the kitchen counter.
- Wait for it to develop a golden hue and a good smell. This method works by encouraging the sugar to flow toward the top of the pineapple.[2]
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Cut a Pineapple
from wikiHow
Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are best eaten fresh. It is healthier to cut a pineapple at home rather than resorting to the pre-cut variety available in a can with additives and preservatives. Get fresh with a pineapple!
Steps
- Choose a good quality pineapple. Use your sense of smell––the pineapple must smell highly aromatic, namely sweet and fresh. If you detect an odor that suggests fermentation or there is no sweetness present, skip that pineapple. Prefer pineapples that are heavy for their size and avoid pineapples that are bruised or mushy to the touch.
- Place the pineapple on its side.
- Cut the crown and the stem off the pineapple.
- Stand the pineapple up on one end. Slice the skin off the sides, going from top to bottom. Leave as much flesh as possible remaining on the pineapple––by following the contour of the fruit, this will help to prevent loss of flesh where the pineapple bulges in the middle.
- Remove the eye spots. Eye spots are on a diagonal on the pineapple. Cut a V-shaped groove along the diagonal line and remove a set of eye spots each cut. The remaining flesh is ready for cutting now.
- Cut the pineapple. The type of cut depends on how you want to use the pineapple. You can choose from any of these cuts:
- Cut pineapple circles. Simply cut the pineapple circle slices in a width suited for your needs. Core each circle slice after cutting; this can be done with ease using a round pastry or dough cutter.
- Cut the pineapple into halves, then quarters for cubes or wedges. For each quarter, cut off the core before segmenting into chunks, then cut the chunks to size.
- Add the pineapple to your recipe or meal. It is delicious eaten as it is with nothing added or you can add yogurt, whipped cream, crushed nuts, etc. Or use it to make pineapple upside-down cake, as an addition to a meat dish or as a decoration atop a dessert.
Tips
- The white fibrous matter in the core tastes bitter but some people like this taste. It is safe to eat, and healthy (it contains antioxidants), but it may not be to your texture because it's generally tough, although the actual taste is mild and quite appealing.
- Pineapples are low in fat and cholesterol free. They contain vitamin C and trace essential nutrients. And they are brimful of great fiber.
- Pineapples contain bromelin; this is an enzyme that breaks down protein. This makes pineapple juice great for marinating tough meat but don't marinate for too long or the meat will fall apart. Bromelin also stops gelatin from setting, so if you want to make gelatin desserts using pineapple, either cook it first or used the canned version, as both processes destroy bromelin. Warnings
- Exercise the usual caution when using a knife. Make sure that the base of the pineapple is stable before slicing off the fruit skin.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Cut a Pineapple. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Next time we will grill our pineapple with a delightful blend of butter, honey, and cinnamon over a bed of coals.
