Peel a Pineapple

Purchasing a whole pineapple is a cost effective way to get your Vitamin C. Pineapple juice and fruit can be used as a meat tenderizer or a sauce for deserts, as well as eaten fresh.[1] Peeling a pineapple may seem daunting because of its thick skin; however, you can follow this method to remove the skin and eyes before slicing.

Steps

Choosing Your Pineapple

  1. Pick up the pineapple. Sniff the base. It should smell slightly sweet.
  2. Press the pineapple skin with your fingers. It should yield slight pressure to show that it is ripe.[2]
  3. Wash the pineapple skin and let it dry before you prepare it. You will discard most of the surface, so you don’t need to scrub it very hard.

Peeling the Skin

  1. Set the pineapple on your cutting board. You will need a very sharp chef’s knife to peel a pineapple well.
  2. Lay it on its side. Place your knife one-fourth inch (0.6cm) below the leaves. Slice until you reach the leaves.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Removing the Eyes and Finishing Up

  1. 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.
  2. Place your knife to the left of one diagonal line of eyes. Cut in at a 45-degree angle just underneath the eyes.
  3. 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.
  4. Work from the top diagonal line to the bottom diagonal line, cutting long parallel grooves in the pineapple’s flesh. It will start to look like a spiral.
  5. 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.[3]
  6. Cut the pineapple into fourths vertically. Cut the center core of the pineapple away in a vertical slice. It is hard and not very sweet.
  7. Slice the remaining pineapple as desired.[4]

Tips

  • Peeling a pineapple requires practice; however, it can be done quickly once you develop a pattern of removing the eyes. Most tropical countries that grow pineapple slice it in this manner.

Things You'll Need

  • Pineapple
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting or chopping board

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple
  2. ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-chef-basics-the-best-and-easiest-way-to-peel-and-cut-a-pineapple/article8927324/
  3. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViaOUTC3rY
  4. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_a_pineapple/

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