How to Choose a Sweet Pineapple

The pineapple is a sweet tropical fruit rich in vitamins and minerals. Because of its juiciness, it is often used in salads, desserts, and juices. The enzyme bromelain it contains helps soften meat, so pineapple can be added to marinades.

The flesh of the fruit contains 58 percent of the daily norm of vitamin C and a variety of antioxidants. However, despite its bright taste and usefulness, you should not go overboard with it: scientists believe that the excessive consumption of pineapple can cause allergies and stomach upsets. Doctors do not recommend eating it while taking antibiotics from the amoxicillin group without consultation.

When unripe, pineapple is difficult to peel, and its pulp will irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth. Alas, this fruit cannot ripen in its cut form, so it is important to choose a ripe fruit.

How to choose a pineapple? The main way is to grab it by the top inflorescences and try to pull out a couple of leaves from the center of the sultana. If they pull out easily, the fruit is ripe, if not – it means it is not ripe. A good pineapple has an even oval shape and weighs on average about 2 kg. The skin should be bright yellow or orange with streaks of green or brown. It necessarily has scales with so-called eyes, which are already dried up. On top of the fruit is a sultan, a lush cap of green. In color, the leaves should be green; if they are a little weathered, that’s good. When a lot of brown color is present, it means that the fruit has been kept warm to mature.