Make Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice is a delicious and healthy drink. It contains bromelain, which aids digestion, making it ideal for finishing a meal.[1] Pineapple juice is also filled with vitamin C. Preparing pineapple juice is easy, but peeling and chopping the pineapple can be difficult at times. Enjoy your own homemade fresh pineapple juice free of artificial ingredients and preservatives.

Steps

Preparing the Pineapple

  1. Pick the right pineapple. If your pineapple is under ripe it will be sour. If it is overripe, it may be way too sweet. How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe is the most important step for making delicious pineapple juice.
    • Smell the pineapple. A sweet scent is generally considered the most important aspect of choosing a ripe pineapple. If it has no scent, it's not ripe.
    • Avoid pineapples that smell fermented. Although you want the pineapple to smell sweet, you do not want it to be so ripe that the sweet smell has an alcoholic or vinegar-like taint to it.
    • Look at the pineapple's color. It will often reflect a golden-yellow color, but a green pineapple is not necessarily unripe.
    • Be aware that some pineapples are considered ripe when green. Place more emphasis on the pineapple's healthy appearance.
    • Avoid pineapples with wrinkled skin, reddish-brown skin, cracks or leaks, mold, or brown withering leaves.
    • You want the pineapple to be firm, but soft enough that it gives very slightly when you press down on it.
    • While you can use frozen or canned pineapple, fresh pineapples usually produce a better tasting juice.
  2. Cut off the stem. Set the pineapple on your cutting board. You will need a very sharp chef’s knife to peel a pineapple well. Lay it on its side. Place your knife one-fourth inch (0.6cm) below the leaves. Slice until you reach the leaves. Turn the pineapple and repeat until you have cut the top of the pineapple and many of the leaves away in a circle. Lift them up through the center leaves and discard them.
    • You can use the remaining center leaves to hold the pineapple steady as you cut it.
    • Some cooks suggest cutting the entire top off. You can do this also, but you should be careful not to let your hand slip from the top of the pineapple. Cutting the pineapple releases a lot of slippery juice.
  3. Peel the pineapple. Start at the top of the pineapple and slice through the outside peel until you reach the bottom. You can cut in a slight outward facing arc in order to save more pineapple fruit. Turn the pineapple clockwise about two to four inches (five to 10cm) and repeat. Turn, slice and repeat until you have removed the peel and only the eyes remain. Place the pineapple on its side and cut the bottom off horizontally.
    • Discard the skin of the pineapple in your compost or the garbage can.
  4. Remove the eyes. Hold the pineapple vertically and notice how the eyes are arranged in diagonal lines. Removing just the eyes will reserve the largest amount of fruit.
  5. Place your knife to the left of one diagonal line of eyes. Cut in at a 45-degree angle just underneath the eyes.
  6. Pick up your knife and place it to the right of the same diagonal line. Cut in at a 45-degree angle in the opposite direction. When you slice this groove into the pineapple, the line of eyes will come free, keeping most of the sweet flesh on the rind.
  7. Work your way down. Continue cutting from the top diagonal line to the bottom diagonal line, creating long parallel grooves in the pineapple’s flesh. It will start to look like a spiral.
  8. Turn the pineapple a quarter turn a repeat. When you have worked your way around the pineapple, you will have a beautiful spiral pattern and bright yellow flesh.[2]
  9. Cut the pineapple into fourths vertically. Cut the center core of the pineapple away in a vertical slice. Discard the core. This part of the pineapple is tough and fibrous. It is also not very sweet.
  10. Chunk the pineapple. Cutting your pineapple slices into chunks will help with blending it into juice later. It doesn’t really matter what size chunks you cut, but aim for about 1-inch chunks or smaller.

Making Fresh Pineapple Juice in a Blender

  1. Pour your pineapple chunks into a blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may not be able to use all of the chunks at once. Fill you blender a little less than half way full with pineapple.
  2. Make it a little sweet (optional). Straight pineapple juice can be very enjoyable, but it is often a little tart. If you have ever had pineapple juice before and enjoyed it, it probably had some sugar in it. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of sugar or honey to give it a little sweetness.
  3. Add some ice (optional). If you are looking for a chilled slushier drink, add 6 to 8 ice cubs. More ice will create a thicker drink.
    • If you want your drink chilled but not slushy, simply pour the blended juice over ice and enjoy.
  4. Add water. Add 1 cup of water. If you want very think juice, just add 1/4 or 1/2 cup. Adding water will dilute the taste of the juice slightly, making it smoother and less tart.
    • You don't actually have to add any water at all, although a little bit of water at the bottom of your blender will help it juice the pineapple chunks.
  5. Blend your pineapple. At this point, you want to blend until smooth. The blending time may vary depending on your blender and the amount of water and ice you've added. Try blending for 1 minute and then stopping the blender and stir your mixture with a spoon.
    • After stirring, put the lid back on the blender and blend in 1-minute increments until smooth.
  6. Strain your juice (optional). If you tend to prefer juices without pulp, you may like to strain your pineapple juice before you drink it. Otherwise, it is perfectly fine to drink just the way it is.
  7. Serve. Pour your pineapple juice into a tall chilled glass and garnish with pineapple wedges. Pour your juice over ice and add a straw if you prefer.

Making Fresh Pineapple Juice in a Fruit Juicer

  1. Put your pineapple chunks into the top of your fruit juicer. Make sure your juicer is clean before use and always follow instructions. Load your juicer until it's full or you have run out of pineapple.
  2. Juice your pineapple. Press your chunks down with the lid of your juicer and turn the juicer on. Make sure to hold the lid down and apply gentle pressure until your pineapple chunks go through the juicer.
  3. Serve. Pour your juice from your fruit juicer and enjoy. Because fruit juicers are so efficient, your juice should come out very thin and pure with little need of straining.

Making Creative Pineapple Juice Drinks

  1. Make it a cocktail. The options are almost endless for the variety of different cocktails you can make with fresh pineapple juice. Perfect for warm summer nights, try one of these tropical fruity cocktails, or get creative and make your own!
    • To make a piña colada, add 1 oz of coconut cream to the blender. This will add a hint of coconut to your tasty drink without overwhelming it.[3] Add 2 oz of white rum to the blender. This alcohol will give the piña colada the kick you're looking for. For a virgin piña colada, you can skip this step.
    • To make a Hard Fruit Punch cocktail, pour 2 oz of Malibu rum, 3 oz of orange juice, 2 oz of pineapple and 1/2 oz of sour mix into the blender. Add a splash of grenadine. This is a great drink for parties with friends.
  2. Mix it up. Create your own exotic and tropical non-alcoholic pineapple juice drinks by adding splashes of your favorite juices. Make a half and half with pineapple juice and cranberry juice or lemonade. Play around with your favorite juices to make the perfect pineapple juice drink.
  3. Top it off. Garnish your pineapple drink with a dash of whipped cream, a dusting of sugar, or a drop of honey. You can also top it off with a maraschino cherry or thin slice of lemon, lime, or orange. Add a dash of salt or a few mint leaves. Get as creative as you want.

Tips

  • Using a blender will produce heartier juice that has more volume than what you would get from a fruit juicer. A juicer tends to filter out solids, while a blender simply blends them. The thicker juice you get from a blender can be quite enjoyable, but if you are sensitive to texture, you may prefer to strain it, or use a fruit juicer.
  • Add ice for a smoother and cooler texture.
  • Keep the lid on your blender for the entire time that it's turned on. Otherwise, you might have a mess!

Warnings

  • Always cut away from your hands and fingers.
  • Never stick anything into a blender that is turned on.
  • Always drink responsibly when making mixing with alcohol.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife and cutting board
  • Glass for serving
  • Blender or Fruit juicer

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Christine Ingram, Cooking ingredients, p. 394, (2005), ISBN 1-84477-441-4
  2. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViaOUTC3rY
  3. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pina-colada-recipe.html

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