Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a delicious and nutritious tropical fruit.
This popular fruit is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, such as enzymes that can fight inflammation and disease. Pineapple and its compounds have been linked to a variety of health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting immunity, and speeding up recovery from surgery, among others.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CHOOSING A RIPE PINEAPPLE ?
Here are 7 tips to look for choosing a ripe, delicious pineapple:
- Look at the Colour
The colour of a pineapple is generally a good indication of whether they are ripe. You should avoid pineapples that are too green as these are usually not ripe and very sour. Neither is it a good idea to choose pineapples that are completely yellow as these tend to be over-ripe. It is best to find a pineapple that is about 3/4 ripe, with the yellow colouration but some green as well.
- Look at the Eyes
Always choose pineapples with bigger eyes (diamond shaped patterns on the skin). The larger the eyes, the longer the pineapple was left to ripen naturally before being picked, so they tend to be sweeter than pineapples with smaller eyes.
- Look at the Leaves
The leaves should be green and fresh looking (a bit of brown at the tips of the leaves is fine). Avoid pineapples where the leaves look brown, dehydrated and withered.
- Look at the Body
Choose pineapples with a plump round body, rather than those that taper too much at the top. Those that taper a lot at the top will not have much pineapple flesh in the upper half after cutting away the skin, eyes and core.
- Smell the Pineapple Stem
The bottom end (stem end) of the pineapple is the most fragrant because pineapples ripen from bottom up, where nutrients are feed to it through the bottom stem. You should look out for a sweet and fragrant smell. Avoid pineapples which don’t have any smell (no ripe) or smell sourish or fermented (over ripe).
- Feel for Firmness
Lightly press the pineapple to check for firmness. It should be firm but very slightly soft. Avoid pineapples that are soft, as these are usually over ripe.
- Feel for Weight
For pineapples of comparable size, choose the heavier one as they tend to be juicier.
Good farmers hope it helps everyone find the best pineapple
Below is pictures of fresh pineapple product from Good Farmers..
