Pineapple
When to Buy/In Season:
Available all year.
How to Select:
Firm fruit, heavy for its size, with distinct aroma and plump, glossy eyes. Color depends on variety bur green usually indicates the pineapple is unripe. A rich golden yellow between the scales of the fruit is an excellent sign. A ripe pineapple softens slightly when it’s gently squeezed, and is fragrant.
Organic Issues:
Organic growers produce most of their fruit in Spring and summer. Conventional growers control fruit production with plant hormones to stagger availability throughout the year.
Pesticide Issues:
EWG 2009 Dirty Dozen, #44
How to Store:
Pineapples sweeten at the end of their growth and do not ripen after being picked. Store at room temperature or refrigerate 1 – 2 days.
Do not use fresh pineapple in gelatin recipes because it prevents jelling.
Freezer
To Freeze Fresh Pineapple:
Select firm, ripe pineapple with full flavor and aroma. Pare and remove core and eyes. Slice, dice, crush or cut the pineapple into wedges or sticks. Pack fruit tightly into containers without sugar. Leave headspace. Seal and freeze.
Store frozen pineapple for (0F) 8 – 12 months
Cans
Commercially canned pineapple can be stored up to 12 months at room temperature
After opening, refrigerate unused fruit in a glass or plastic container. Do not store leftover canned fruit in its original can because it may affect the flavor of the fruit.
Canned pineapple works wonderfully well in gelatin recipes or as a marinade. Fresh pineapple cannot be used because of a natural enzyme called “bromelain”. The heat process used in canning pineapple destroys this enzyme, allowing canned pineapple to be used in a variety of recipes.
Drying:
See our Basics of Drying Fruit at Home
To dry pineapple, choose fully ripe pineapples with a yellowish-brown peel. Wash, peel, and core. Cut into 1/2 inch clices. Dry at 130F until leather but not sticky. WAter content of pineapple is 80%.
Dried fruit may be stored 6 – 12 months at room temperature, or indefinetly in the freezer.
Photo Source: giniger
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