Cutting a pineapple may seem intimidating, considering all the spikes and leaves and the tough exterior of the fruit, but most people simply hack away until they reach the edible fruit, or simply avoid trying entirely. Unfortunately, many people end up throwing out quite a bit of the delicious, juicy meat of this tropical fruit because they don’t know how to cut a pineapple.
If you want to get the most out of your pineapples in the future, follow these simple steps for cutting your pineapple in the most efficient way. [1]
How To Cut a Pineapple?
Cutting a pineapple is all about conserving as much edible fruit as possible while eliminating the unripe or hardened portions (usually pale yellow or white). Also, there are the “eyes” in the fruit, beneath the skin, which are hard and unpleasant to eat. In an effort to eliminate these eyes, many people waste up to 20% of the pineapple’s fruit. Next time you are seeking a refreshing burst of summer in your diet, you need to know how to cut a pineapple! [2]
Pineapples have exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
All you need is a cutting board and a large, sharp knife, as well as your pineapple!
Step 1
Slice off the top of the pineapple, about an inch below the point where the leaves begin. (While this may be the prettiest part of the fruit, it isn’t edible. However, you can plant the top of a pineapple in the soil, and another pineapple tree will grow!)
Step 2
Slice off the bottom of the pineapple.
Step 3
Stand the fruit up and gently slice down the sides of the pineapple, removing the spiky outer skin and some of the hard outer flesh. This is where so many people waste their pineapple fruit, by slicing off deep cuts of pineapple in order to remove the internal spikes (protruding from the eyeholes).
Step 4
When looking at the pineapple, you will notice that the eyeholes often fall into a line, typically on a diagonal. With your knife, cut a diagonal beneath a row of these eyes (maybe 4-5 at a time). Then, cut the opposite diagonal to remove a wedge of the fruit containing the eyeholes.
Step 5
Continue this process around the entire pineapple, removing wedges of inedible eyeholes, but leaving the majority of the fruit intact.
Step 6
Now, lay the pineapple down on its side and cut it into slices. Depending on the size of your pineapple, you will get anywhere from 10-14 average-sized slices.
Step 7
Once you have these pineapple slices, use a circular cookie-cutter to remove the woody core from each slice. This will typically be about 1-2 inches in diameter.
Step 8
You can slice the remaining pineapple rings further, or serve them as they are, confident that you managed to extract as much pineapple as possible, while still eliminating all of the inedible parts of the fruit!
