Pineapple
One of the glories of nature, the pineapple is native to Central and South America, and its prickly, diamond-patterned scaly skin ranges from yellow to green to brownish red when ripe. The flesh is juicy, sweet-tart, and acidic. It used to be that pineapples were picked green, and since they don’t sweeten much after they are picked, were often disappointing. But the new “gold” hybrids, which now represent nearly 100 percent of many Hawaiian producers’ crops, are almost always sweet and juicy, with lovely golden flesh. Which makes the pineapple among the most reliable fruit you can buy.
Buying and storing Look for fruit with a good pineapple aroma and deep-yellow or golden color that yields only slightly to gentle pressure. Underripe pineapples will decrease in acidity if left at room temperature but will not ripen or sweeten (they ripen only on the plant). Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator and use as quickly as possible.
Preparing There are a few ways to dismember a pineapple: For either one, first cut off the flower (spiky top) and a little skin at the base. Then, with a chef’s knife, cut around the perimeter and remove all of the spiny skin. Use a paring knife to dig out any eyes. At that point, cut the pineapple crosswise into round slices, or top to bottom into halves or quarters, then cut out the woody core. Alternatively, you can quarter the pineapple before removing the skin: Cut straight down from top to bottom with a chef’s knife to cut the pineapple in half; then cut each half in half again to make quarters. Use a smaller knife to cut off the woody core from each quarter (at the peak of the triangles) and then use a grapefruit or paring knife to separate the flesh from the skin by cutting between the two; cut the quarter into slices and serve.
Best cooking methods Grilling, roasting, baking, sautéing
Other fruits you can use Oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, star fruit
