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How to choose the right pineapple. How to choose a ripe juicy pineapple How to choose the right pineapple

We all know what a pineapple looks like. The fruit is covered with a thick skin, behind which lies yellow aromatic pulp, and on top there are green hard leaves. When choosing a pineapple, try to take a good look at it. Pay special attention to the following factors:

pleasant subtle aroma from the skin. If the fruit is healthy, its smell is barely noticeable. The pungent smell of sweetness indicates that the fruit has most likely already begun to deteriorate;
beautiful green tops. There should be no inclusions or signs of rotting on the leaves. Try to tear off one leaf from the entire top; on a ripe pineapple it comes off without much effort. Few people know, but the tops of the fruit rotate around its own axis. Just pick up a pineapple, hold it with one hand, and rotate the tops with the other hand. If it turns well, this indicates the obvious ripeness of the fruit. Don't hesitate to buy it;

Rotate the tops very carefully, without applying force. Otherwise, it may separate from the fetus.

elastic crust. Many people mistakenly assume that a ripe pineapple must have a hard skin, but this is not entirely true. The skin is dark in color, smooth, shrinks a little when squeezed, but is springy. If the fruit cannot be squeezed, it is probably not yet ripe. When your fingers sink into the pulp, the pineapple has already begun to rot;
pulp. Tap the fruit and evaluate the sound. If the sound is empty, then the pulp is bad. A dull sound, on the contrary, is a sign of ripeness.

When you have assessed the fruit in all respects, weigh it. Do not take small pineapples; remember that the normal weight of the fruit is from 1 to 2 kg. Be sure to pay attention to the price of the fruit. A low price or promotion should alert you; it’s better not to buy such pineapples. If the fruits are of proper quality, no one will sell them for nothing. Do not forget to wash the fruit under running water before eating. Cut the fruit and enjoy its sweet and juicy taste.

How to store pineapple after purchase

If you have a few pieces of aromatic pulp left, put them in the refrigerator. The temperature in it should not be below zero degrees. The most optimal temperature range for storage is considered to be from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.

At a lower temperature, the pulp instantly loses its taste and becomes soft. At elevated temperatures, rotting of the pulp develops faster. Pieces of fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you leave a pineapple on the table, it will barely last two days. If more time has passed and you forgot to remove the fruit, throw it in a bucket, because eating such a fruit is unsafe for health and there is a high probability of getting food poisoning.

You only need to store already cut pineapple slices under film or wrap them in paper. Moisture must not be allowed to get into the flesh, otherwise rotting will quickly develop.

You can transfer the pineapple chunks to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Line the bottom of the container with paper towels in several layers.

Choose your fruit carefully; never grab the first fruit you come across. Even if you choose an unripe fruit, it’s okay: leave it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and it will ripen. It is not advisable to eat unripe pineapples; they do not taste as sweet, and they have much less benefits than ripe ones.

Exotic fruits are picked unripe so that they do not spoil during transportation. But not all the fruits have time to ripen. To avoid buying a green fruit, it is important to know how to choose a pineapple. Ripe fruits contain a large amount of useful substances. Unripe or overripe pineapples are not only not tasty, but also harmful.

When choosing, you need to focus on the appearance of the fruit, but size and color do not always matter. These parameters may vary depending on the variety.

inspect visually;
check by touch;
tap the fruit;
twist the tops;
weigh the fruit.

It is important to evaluate the smell, color of the peel and condition of the tops. There should be no visible damage.

Cost may affect the quality of the fruit. Too low a price indicates questionable quality. The cost is affected by the type of fruit transportation. If pineapples are delivered by plane, then their price is higher, but in this case the fruit is picked ripe.

Transportation by ship takes longer, so to prevent the fruit from spoiling, it is picked unripe. It’s not a fact that it will be delivered to the store already ripe. Before purchasing, it is better to find out where the fruit is from and how it was delivered. If such information is provided by the manager of the shopping center.

Select the fruit you like, then proceed to inspect it:

First of all, evaluate the appearance. There should be no damage, scratches or stains. The color of the scales may be green, but this is not a sign that the fruit is not ripe. Colors from greenish to yellow are allowed. It is important that the color is uniform and the scales are even.
Inspect the tops. It should be green with dried edges. Ripe pineapple leaves are easily pulled out. There is another way to check - twist the tops, but carefully. In a sweet and ripe fruit, it easily rotates around its axis.
Press down on the fruit. It should be soft to the touch, but should not leave any dents. The crust is elastic.
Pat the fruit as you would when choosing a watermelon. There should be a dull sound - this is a sign of ripeness.
Determine the weight. The pineapple should be heavy, in which case it will be juicy. If the fruit is light, then it has lost moisture and, therefore, began to dry out. You should refuse the purchase.

You need to navigate the following parameters:

thick and green tops that are easily separated from the top;
the skin is uniform in color, without signs of rotting;
the fruit is a little soft, but the rind is elastic;
subtle fruity aroma.

If you buy half a pineapple, you should pay attention to the color of the pulp. It should be bright yellow with an olive tint. If juice is released from the fruit, then it is definitely sweet and ripe. The pulp should be moderately sweet, with a little sourness.

Is it possible to determine ripeness and taste by the smell of the fruit?

Ripe pineapple is not only tasty, but also has a pleasant aroma. The smell can indicate the degree of ripeness of the fruit. The aroma should be light, slightly sweet. A too rich smell indicates that the fruit is overripe.

A fruit that has no smell at all is not worth buying. He is green.

Spoiled pineapples, which ones should you not buy?

You must refuse to purchase in the following cases:

unpleasant odor;
pale flesh;
uneven color of the peel;
yellow and dried leaves;
brown spots, areas of rot or mold on the peel;
the fruit is soft to the touch, when pressed, dents remain;
When tapping, an empty sound is heard.

Under no circumstances should you buy a pineapple without looking at it. This exotic fruit is brought from afar, so the likelihood that it will be green or rotten is very high. Make a purchasing decision only after a thorough examination of the fruit and checking all the characteristics.

Rules for storing and cleaning pineapple

Even a ripe and juicy fruit can lose its excellent taste and aroma if storage rules are not followed. How to store pineapple? The optimal temperature is 7-10˚ C. It can be stored at room temperature, but not in the refrigerator. At temperatures below 7˚ C, the taste of the fruit is lost. It becomes watery and doesn't smell as nice.

Note. Even if you purchased a slightly green pineapple, at room temperature it will ripen, become softer and sweeter.

At a temperature of 15-25˚ C, pineapple will quickly wither and spoil. It cannot be stored for more than 2 days. If it is too hot indoors and outdoors, then you should put the fruit in the refrigerator in the compartment for fruits and vegetables, after wrapping it in paper.

How long should the fruit be stored? It is advisable to eat pineapple within 12 days. Every day it becomes riper, so the taste may deteriorate. If brown spots appear on the rind during storage, the fruit is not suitable for consumption.

Peeled or cut pineapple can only be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. To prevent the taste from deteriorating, the fruit must be wrapped in cling film. Pineapples absorb odors from the refrigerator, so spoiled fruits or vegetables should not be stored nearby. Exotic fruit must be stored separately.

It is important not only to be able to select and store a pineapple, but also to peel it. There are 2 cleaning methods.

Most popular:

Trim the ends of the fruit, then peel the fruit. Cut off the skin in a thin layer, since the sweetest and juiciest pulp is located near it.
Remove the eyes.
Cut the fruit in half and then cut each piece in half.
Cut out the core. It is not suitable for use.
The pulp can be cut in any way you wish.

Before cutting, you need to wash the pineapple. Use a sharp knife for cleaning.

The second cleaning method is less popular, but it will take less time. It is necessary to remove the ends and then cut the fruit into circles. It is necessary to peel and remove the core during consumption.

Nowadays, fruits from exotic countries on the tables of residents of our country no longer surprise anyone. On New Year's Eve, pineapples are especially popular.

These tasty fruits are picked unripe at home so that they do not spoil during transportation. But not all of them have time to reach ripeness before hitting store shelves. Therefore, it is important to know the appearance of a ripe pineapple and be able to choose it.

How to choose a ripe and sweet pineapple

Specimens that have not yet reached maturity have an unpleasant sour taste. Eating such a product leads to stomach pain or indigestion. There are many varieties of pineapple in nature. They differ in the appearance of the fruit and size. Therefore, when choosing an option, other criteria are taken into account.

To determine ripeness, each specimen is assessed according to the following parameters:

external signs;
fruit weight;
sound made when tapping;
aroma.

Determining ripeness by leaf rosette

When choosing an exotic product, it is carefully inspected. A good pineapple will have no blemishes, bruises, scratches or other damage on its skin. A yellow-red or yellow-brown peel is considered a sign of ripeness. If the skin is covered with spots and wrinkled, then the specimen is already overripe. A greenish tint on the skin and underdeveloped eyes indicate immaturity.

After a visual inspection, the selected specimens are felt. If the flesh is dense and hard, then the pineapple is not yet ripe. When sufficiently ripe, the flesh is elastic. If you press on the peel, the dent quickly disappears. From below, the specimen, with sufficient maturity, is hard and dry. If you feel softness when pressing on the lower part, the product is already overripe.

Tapping and weight estimation

Having finished examining the appearance of the exotic, you can tap it to determine ripeness. Watermelons are selected in a similar way. Pineapples also “sound” differently at different stages of ripeness. If the fruit is ripe, the sound will be dull and full. Green specimens produce a dry, inexpressible sound when tapped. Overripe varieties have the same response.

Representatives of any variety have an oval or cylindrical shape. A good, tasty fruit will be symmetrical on all sides. His weight in normal condition is from 1 to 5 kg. At the same time, when checked, ripe fruits weigh more than it appears visually. If the specimen is large, but the weight on the scales is small, then it is overripe. Over time, some of the moisture is lost and the weight of the fetus decreases.

Important!

Smaller fruits are believed to have a sweeter taste. But this parameter is largely influenced by the characteristics of the variety.

Evaluation of the smell and appearance of the pulp

A ripe fruit of good quality without damage emits a pleasant aroma with notes of sweetness. When the smell is too rich and intense, but has not lost its pleasant sound, then the specimen is already overripe. Unripe fruit has a light, almost imperceptible aroma. You should be wary of an unpleasant yeast aroma. It speaks of internal damage or rot.

If you have the opportunity to look at the pulp and try it before purchasing the fruit, you should not miss it. The ripe fruit has a yellow-golden interior. If the flesh is pale or almost white, then the pineapple was picked too early.

Will pineapple ripen at home?

If you can’t buy ripe fruit, you can opt for the slightly green version. The exotic fruit ripens well at home. The pulp then becomes sweet, aromatic and juicy.

To achieve a positive result and bring the product to ripeness, apply simple rules:

The fruit is placed in a warm place or stored at normal room temperature. When the air in the room is cold, the pineapple ripens very slowly.
The fruit is placed so that the leaf rosette is on top. Thus, the starch located at the base of the leaves is evenly distributed throughout the pulp, saturating it with sweetness.

Most exotic fruits are picked unripe so that they do not spoil during transportation. The store needs time to sell the goods, so when buying “freshly delivered fruit” there is a risk of buying green ones. This applies to pineapple, kiwi, mango, avocado and others. If it is not possible to determine the taste, then you need to know how to choose the right ripe pineapple in the store so as not to be disappointed in it.

How to choose a ripe and sweet pineapple

Determining the ripeness of a good pineapple is quite simple. It is enough to know the basic criteria that it meets. Size and color do not always play a decisive role, since these parameters depend on the variety. Asian pineapples are smaller in size than those from Western America. Well-known producers are Costa Rica, Vietnam, Thailand, Ecuador, and the Philippines. Therefore, when choosing, it is worth considering such a value as the country of origin.

Advice! The price cannot be low, since delivery of an exotic fruit is an additional expense. If you are offered a price several times lower than usual, you should think about quality.

To ensure that your purchase does not disappoint, first of all you should pay attention to the appearance of the fruit:

Inspect for the presence or absence of any damage: dents, rot, mold, etc.;
Touch it - a good pineapple should not be too soft;
Tap on the surface and listen to the sound;
Examine the condition of the tops;
Determine color;
Weigh and roughly compare the weight with neighboring fruits.

Each criterion indicates the state of ripeness of the pineapple, so we will consider them in detail.

Tops

The color of the tops should be rich green with slightly dried tips. An easy way to determine ripeness is to pull the leaf; on a ripe pineapple it will easily be pulled out. Also, in a store or market, to check ripeness, gently twist the tops. For a ripe and sweet pineapple, it will scroll around its axis. Good density of the sultana (tops) up to 10-12 cm high also indicates ripeness.

Remember! The tops of a rotten pineapple will also be easily pulled out, so you cannot rely only on this criterion when choosing.

Appearance

Any damage, dents, or scratches on the fruit is a reason not to buy it. A tasty, ripe fruit has a dry stalk and a regular oval shape. The eyes should be flat, not protruding, yellow-brown in color with brown grooves between them. Also, the color of the peel can be brown with a greenish, golden, or reddish tint, depending on the variety. But the more yellow and less green, the riper the fruit.

Important! White grooves and brown spots on the surface indicate the beginning of mold and deterioration.

When you press on the fruit, the surface should spring back - bend slightly and return to its shape again. If you press down and your finger easily bends the peel, there is a danger that the pineapple is already overripe. Conversely, hard as a coconut is a sign of a green, sour fruit.

Sound

To determine the ripeness of a pineapple, tap it like a watermelon - with your palm on the surface. A dull sound indicates juiciness and ripeness, and a ringing sound indicates the immaturity of the fruit.

Weight

The weight of an average ripe pineapple does not exceed 2 kg. If in the store you choose a fruit that visually appears to be lighter in weight, it means it is ripe. But it is worth considering that the actual weight depends on the variety and variety.

On a note! It is believed that a small fruit will be juicier and sweeter. But it is worth considering the variety!

Smell

Pay attention to what smell the fruit emits. You should absolutely not take it with a strong smell of fermentation or mold. Ripe pineapple emits a light, pleasant, sweetish aroma that is so familiar to everyone. If, after sniffing, you do not feel any odor, then most likely the fruit is not yet ripe and should not be taken.

There are situations when you mistakenly purchased an unripe fruit; can it ripen? Unfortunately, this is not possible! The thing is that pineapple does not contain starch, which turns into sugar over time. This happens, for example, with bananas. Therefore, the fruits are picked almost ripe.

If the seller convinces you that it is enough to hold the fruit in heat, cold, darkness, in bright light, tops up or down, or any other methods, then do not believe him, the green fruit will not ripen. Long-term storage will cause spoilage or fermentation inside, which is hazardous to health.

Important! Unripe pineapple pulp is not tasty - it aches your mouth, burns your lips, tastes sour, and can subsequently cause intestinal upset.

How to properly store pineapple at home

Cut fruit is best stored in the refrigerator, on the bottom shelf, in a drawer for vegetables and fruits. Pre-wrap it in a paper bag or cling film, so it absorbs foreign odors well. The storage period should not exceed one week.

If you plan to eat the pineapple quickly, it is not necessary to put it in the refrigerator. It is enough to take it to a cool place, for example, to a balcony, where the optimal temperature is +10 degrees. At +7 degrees, pineapple loses its beneficial properties.

When purchasing a fruit, special attention should be paid to the color and condition of the pineapple peel. A ripe fruit has a shell that is soft when pressed, but elastic (no dents should remain on the surface of the pineapple). However, the color of the peel is not an indicator of ripeness. A ripe fruit can have either a green shell with yellow splashes or a brown shell. Uncharacteristic dark spots should be avoided. Their appearance is a sure sign that the fruit is already overripe.

You can check the ripeness of a pineapple by looking at its bottom. The fruit has a base, which upon examination should be completely dry, without green shoots.

The tops should also be thoroughly inspected. It is better to give preference to fruit with thick green tops (in this case, the tips of the leaves may already be dry). A ripe pineapple leaf can be easily pulled out of the fruit - it only takes minimal effort. In this case, the remaining shoots should remain in place. To ensure the quality of the fruit, you should easily scroll its top to the side, back and forth. If the leaves move, it means the pineapple is already ripe.

The light and pleasant aroma exuded by the still unpeeled pineapple is the next sign of its ripeness. At the same time, “green” pineapple has almost no aroma, and a pungent smell, on the contrary, is a sign that the fruit has been aged. You can finally verify the quality of the fruit by patting it with your palm. A dull sound is characteristic of ripe fruit, and an “empty” sound indicates that the pineapple is most likely already dry.

Risks when buying pineapple

When purchasing an exotic fruit, it is important to immediately check whether it is ripe. The ripening process is not typical for pineapples. In the warmth of a store or apartment, the fruit will indeed become softer, but it will be tastier and, even more so, it will not be healthier. That is why it is important to choose a pineapple that not only has a soft and pliable rind, but also an elastic rind that will not leave marks when pressed with a finger.

When purchasing delicacies, it is better to give preference to small-sized fruits. Even if they were picked unripe, they were able to absorb more nutrients and become sweeter than large pineapples.

The low price of pineapple suggests that it was most likely brought by sea. This method of transportation takes a lot of time, which means that the fruit is definitely picked green. Ripe pineapples stay fresh when shipped by air. The cost of such transportation will certainly be reflected in the price.

If you want to choose a sweet, ripe pineapple, you need to carefully examine its appearance. A pleasant aroma, clean peel, thick tops and the absence of stains and dents indicate the appropriate quality of the exotic fruit.