Today, few buyers know how to choose a pineapple. Imagination draws a juicy and sweet fruit that smells of tropics. However, expectations do not always coincide with reality. Since exotic fruits are brought from far away, poor-quality specimens often appear on the shelves: unripe or overripe, dried out or rotten inside. But such a pleasure is not cheap. We suggest you find out on what grounds you can determine the ripeness and quality of pineapple in the store.
How to determine the ripeness of pineapple: step by step instructions
Ripe pineapple has a pleasant sweet taste with a slight sourness. It contains a huge amount of vitamins and enzymes. Such a fruit not only brings pleasure, but also helps to lose weight. But the unripe fruit is too acidic, knits the tongue and “bites” the corners of the mouth, causing digestive upset. In overripe fruit, too little good: it is absolutely tasteless and almost devoid of vitamins.
Fortunately, you can determine the ripeness of pineapple by appearance, weight and aroma. The instructions presented below will help you not to make a mistake when buying.
Step 1. Inspect the Sultan (top)
In ripe pineapple, the sultan has a dark green color, and the tips of the shoots are slightly dried out. If the color is too bright, then the fruit has not yet ripened. In stale fruit, the tail is yellow-brown, dry, almost crumbles in the hands.
Try to gently twist the sultan (just do not tear). If it works, then the pineapple is ripe. Unripe fruits keep the tail tight because they are still picked green.
But the "splendor" of the Sultan still does not mean anything. In some varieties it is wide, while in others it is small and prickly.
Step 2. Evaluate the appearance of the peel
A delicious pineapple has a golden, tan or yellow-green skin color. The stripes between the scales are brownish. There are no large dark spots on the peel. Ponytails on the scales are dry and easily broken off. The peduncle is also dry, with no signs of rot and mold.
In unripe fruit, the peel usually has a brighter green tint. Ponytails on scales do not break off, but bend. Overripe fruit gives a brown tint to the skin.
Step 3. Press on the scales.
As solid as coconut? So the pineapple inside is still green. In a ripe fruit, the scales react to pressing, they seem resilient to the touch. But if dents remain on the skin after pressure, then the fetus has already begun to rot.
Step 4. Hold the fruit in your hands.
A good pineapple will be weighty. As, however, and unripe. But if the fruit is suspiciously light, then its flesh is too dry. Perhaps the correct storage and transportation conditions were not met or the fetus lay in the store for too long.
Step 5. Tap the pineapple
Here the same principle applies as when choosing a watermelon. A “muffled” sound indicates the ripeness of the fetus, and an “empty” sound indicates the drying of the pulp. Unripe pineapples when tapped sound loudly.
Step 6. Inhale the fragrance
Fresh pineapple has a light tropical trail with caramel notes. But if the smell “hits” your nose, perhaps the fruit has already oversaturated. Unripe fruit almost does not smell.
What are the signs of a spoiled pineapple?
If an overripe fruit can be eaten at least theoretically, then a spoiled one - no.
Never buy fruit from the store where you notice the following symptoms:
- The peel is dull, has a grayish tint.
- The top falls off.
- The smell is sharp, gives away alcohol or acid.
- There are mold fragments on the stalk, and whitish specks, cracks or smudges in the bands between the scales.
- Some parts of the skin are damaged by pressure.
Spoiled pineapple can cause food poisoning. Even if you cut out rotten areas, then do not protect your body by 100%, since bacteria and fungi have already spread throughout the pulp.
How does price affect pineapple quality?
Why are some pineapples in the store much more expensive than others, although outwardly there is no difference? The thing is transportation. Exotic fruits are brought from afar in one of two ways:
- on the ship;
- by plane.
In the first case, the fruits are picked from the plantation still green. They ripen already in the hold of the ship. True, not to the end. During transportation, the loss of some vitamins is inevitable; fruits can dry out or rot.
In an airplane, ripe fruit arrives at the store in 1-2 days. They have a wonderful taste, the pulp is fresh and juicy. True, with this method of transportation, the price is higher. Only the buyer decides which pineapple to choose: expensive and fresh or budget, but with flaws to taste.
How to let the pineapple ripen at home?
Many fruits and vegetables produce ethylene gas during storage, which speeds up ripening. To let the pineapple ripen, you can do the following:
- Put the fruit in a paper bag and leave it to lie at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- Turn the fruit upside down and leave it in this position (for example, squeeze it between the wall and the stool). Then the sugars and organic acids, which are located mainly in the lower part of the pineapple, smoothly distributed throughout the pulp. This will lead to an improvement in the taste of the fruit.
Unfortunately, pineapples do not emit as much ethylene as, for example, bananas or mangoes. Therefore, if you bought a completely green fruit, you are unlikely to wait for it to fully ripen.
How to store pineapple?
Unpeeled pineapple should not be stored in the refrigerator. In the cold, it instantly loses its bright taste and tropical aroma, the flesh becomes watery. It is better to store the fruit at room temperature, for example in the kitchen on the table. Ripe pineapple lies so 3-4 days, and unripe - up to 1 week.
Sliced slices are stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They can be put on a plate and wrapped with cling film or transferred to a plastic container.
Keeping pineapple for a long time (up to 2-3 months) will help freezing. Peel the fruit and cut into small slices. Lay them on a flat dish in one layer and send in the freezer for half an hour. Then pack the frozen slices into containers. Return the fruit to the freezer again.
What are the most delicious pineapples?
Today on sale you can find dozens of varieties of pineapples, which differ in price and taste. In most cases, only the country of origin is indicated on the label, but sometimes a specific variety. If you want to learn how to choose the right delicious pineapple, focus on the descriptions below.
Brazilian
Classics of the genre. The botanical name is Ananas comosus. Brazilian pineapples are familiar to many since childhood, since they have long been supplied to the markets of Russia and other CIS countries.
They are large in size, tall and lush sultan with smooth feathers, a hard core. They have a classic sweet taste with a slight sourness. Unripe fruits cause an unpleasant tingling sensation on the tongue.
Now Ananas comosus is widely grown not only in Brazil, but also in the Hawaiian islands.
Thai
Thailand has some of the most delicious pineapples in the world. They are very sweet, with a strong caramel-tropical train. They taste a bit like canned ones. So juicy that they literally melt in your mouth.
Thai pineapples are much smaller in size than Brazilian, but weighty. The peel and top are spiky.
Varieties of the Cayenne Group
These fruits are also often supplied to the Russian market. Looks like Brazilian. They have an average weight of 1.5–3 kg.
It tastes sweet-sour, the pulp is dense. Are subject to spoilage due to various diseases and pests, so the risk of buying a tasteless fruit is quite high. Cayenne varieties are brought from South Africa, Kenya, Cuba, Puerto Rico, India, and from the Hawaiian Islands.
Spanish
One of the largest pineapples. The peel is smooth to the touch, and the sultan is tall. In the context, the fruits look almost square.
The pulp is light in color, sour and hard, with lots of fibers. But the Spanish pineapples are well tolerated transportation, so you rarely find spoiled copies on the shelves.
Varieties of the Royal
Small pineapples weighing up to 1.5 kg with a very sweet dark yellow pulp and rich aroma. They are mainly grown in South Africa and Australia.
One of the most interesting varieties is the pineapple Mauritius. It has a conical shape, deep-set eyes and a magnificent tail. Long does not spoil. The pulp is juicy, sweet, golden yellow. Mauritius contains many carotenoids that are beneficial for vision and skin.
Varieties of the Abacaxi Group
These fruits have a medium or large size (1–2.5 kg), very juicy pulp of almost white color. Valued for its sweet taste and low coarse fiber content. Mostly varieties of the Abacaxi group are grown in South America.
Thus, the above instructions will help you find the most delicious fruit in the store. You can easily determine ripeness by the appearance of the peel and top, weight and smell. Do not chase cheapness. If the fruit is suspiciously cheap, it may have been picked green for a very long time. Buy fresh pineapple, because it will charge your body with useful vitamins and will delight you with an excellent taste.