How to choose pineapple: 4 proven ways

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that often decorates the New Year's table of Russians. However, it is not always easy to choose a really ripe and sweet fruit among those presented in the showcase: you can buy either an unripe fruit with a hard pulp, or an overripe one with signs of spoilage. In order not to make a mistake, it is important to pay attention to the condition of the sultan, the color of the peel, the elasticity of the pulp, the weight and aroma of the fruit. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Checking the tops

The condition of the sultan, the green tops on top of the pineapple, is one of the main indicators of fruit ripeness. In a mature fruit, the sultan should be dark green, thick, 10-12 cm long, with slightly dried or curled leaf tips. A bright green shoot indicates immaturity, and browned leaves are a sign of spoilage or rotting.

The main way to determine ripeness is to try to pull out a few top leaves from the center of the sultan. If they are easily pulled out, the fruit is ripe; if you have to make an effort, the pineapple is not ripe. However, it is important not to overdo it: the ripe pineapple shoot easily comes off with your hands, and other store visitors have probably already tried to do this before the buyer.

An alternative method is to take the plume at the base and try to turn it slightly. If it gives in, you have a ripe fruit in your hands; if not, the pineapple was cut too early.

Appearance assessment

A regular pineapple has an even oval or elongated shape and weighs on average from 1 to 2 kg. The peel should be bright yellow or orange with streaks of green or brown. Scales with so-called yellow-brown eyes are necessarily present on the surface, the tips of which have already dried out.

There should be dark green or brownish grooves between the scales. A green peel indicates the immaturity of the fruit, and a brown or maroon peel indicates its spoilage. It is important to avoid pineapples with brown spots and whitish grooves: these are signs of rot, mold, or exposure to cold.

There should be no damage, cuts, scratches or dents on the surface. The size of the peduncle also indicates the degree of maturity: if the fruit was formed naturally, it will be small and wrinkled; if the pineapple ripened during transportation, the peduncle looks more pronounced and wider.

Checking density and sound

The peel of a ripe pineapple should be firm and elastic. When pressed, the eyes should open and immediately recover. If you pressed, but the dent remained, the fruit began to deteriorate. If a pineapple is harder than a coconut and the flesh is not pressed at all, it is not ripe yet.

An additional way to determine the quality is to tap on the pineapple, as when choosing a watermelon. A dull sound or a characteristic crunch indicates the ripeness and juiciness of the fruit. A ringing, hollow sound, on the contrary, indicates immaturity.

If you pick up a fruit and do not feel the weight, it is most likely a stale fruit that has already begun to dry and lose weight. The heavier the pineapple, the more likely it is that it will be ripe and saturated with juices inside.

Determination by smell

The aroma is an important indicator of the quality and maturity of pineapple. A good tropical fruit usually has a light pleasant sweet smell, which is especially pronounced from below, at the base of the fruit. Keep the pineapple at arm's length when checking.

The lack of flavor may be a sign that the pineapple is not ripe. The green, unripe fruit has almost no smell. Too sharp, intrusive odor indicates an overripe product or the beginning of fermentation processes. If the pineapple tastes rotten, the purchase should be abandoned.: It's a spoiled fruit.

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