Learn how to cut a pineapple the easy way for a simple pull-apart pineapple – using the ‘peeling pineapple’ hack. All you need is a sharp knife and a ripe pineapple and away you go!
You may have seen this handy pineapple hack surfaced online earlier this year, showing people pulling apart a pineapple one segment at a time, super easy-peasy, and perfect for snacking!
Within this post, I’ll be taking you through the method for this ‘pull-apart pineapple’. This includes tips and tricks on making this method work best. As a frugal bonus, I’ll even show you how to grow a pineapple top (crown) at home!
Because of the hard skin (and tough core), ‘the best way to cut a pineapple’ is fairly elusive/argued. The chopping can easily become tricky and messy! This easy pineapple hack allows you to bypass all of that – granted you do it right, that is!
So, what is the key to making this ‘peeling pineapple’ hack actually work? According to my many experiments, it’s all to do with using a super ripe pineapple!
How To Tell If A Pineapple Is Ripe
There are a few tips/tricks that you can use to tell if a pineapple is ripe. Here are just a few of the methods that I use.
1. By Scent: Like several types of fruit, scent can be important when selecting for ripeness. A ripe pineapple should smell sweet and fruity near the stem/’butt’ end (not the spiky crown end). Avoid pineapples that have little to no scent or even smell slightly fermented/alcoholic.
2. By Feel: Another trick is to gently squeeze the pineapple and see if it has a slight give. If it’s too firm, it’s not yet ripe enough.
3. By Color: When choosing pineapples, you’ll often notice that they range from fairly green with a yellow tint, to being almost entirely amber/yellow. As a general rule, pineapples with a lot of green aren’t as ripe. However, it’s worth noting that some say that pineapples that are an amber color are likely overripe – but this isn’t always the case. In fact, I use one that has no green at all, and yet it isn’t overripe.
Chef’s Note: You’ll likely notice that pineapples are always more yellow at their stem end. This is because that is where the fruit first absorbed nutrients and was ‘fed’ with sugars. When the yellowing spreads further up the fruit, this usually makes for a sweeter overall pineapple.
What To Avoid
Avoid pineapples that have unhealthy browning/wilting leaves, have begun turning brown, have become wrinkled, or have any signs of leaks/mold on them.
Top Tips For Using This Pineapple Hack
For this particular pull apart pineapple hack, it’s best to use a very ripe pineapple (but not overripe). That way, it’s easier to manually separate/pull apart each ‘eye,’ which is an individual fruit. And if you’re going to be peeling a pineapple, you want it to be simple!
How/Why Does this peeling pineapple hack work?
You may not know this, but pineapple is actually made up of multiple fruits. While it comes to us in a pretty individual ‘package,’ pineapples are actually considered a berry – or rather lots of individual berries that have joined together to create a single larger fruit. Thus, each ‘eye’ of the pineapple is actually an individual fruit. These fruits then connect to the inner stem, holding them together.
However, if you remove the pineapple crown, you’re able to manually push on each ‘eye’ (fruit) to loosen it from the surrounding fruit and then peel the pineapple of each fruit, one by one.
It’s not always foolproof, and it does take choosing the ‘right’ pineapple – but when it works, it’s so worth it!
How To Peel A Pineapple (Create A Pull-Apart Pineapple)
Though this method is ‘virtually’ knife free, you will need one to get the process started. I like to use a fairly small pairing knife.
Step 1: Roll the pineapple on your kitchen counter. Be firm, but not too firm as you want to break up the various fruits inside to make them easier to pull apart.
I’m not sure how helpful it is to do this before removing the crown vs. before and after or just after. So, for the sake of making things easiest for myself, I do both.
Step 2: Remove the pineapple top (crown). You can do this by grabbing it at the base and pulling, though sometimes this can be tricky. Alternatively, use your small knife and, rather than simply chopping all the way around the top, press it in-between the eyes going all the way around the pineapple, and it should then be easy to pull apart.
You could also chop the entire top off, but then you’ll have to deal with removing individual fruits (the eyes) that are cut in half, to begin with, which could make things trickier.
Step 3: You can optionally roll the pineapple over the surface again to loosen the fruit. Then, it’s time to pull it apart. Rather than simply pulling on the individual pieces, I’ve found it easy to push lightly at the base of each eye to separate it from its’ surrounding pieces and then pull it to remove it.
Repeat this step until you’ve removed as much as you want or have done so with the entire pineapple and enjoy immediately or store for later.
How To Store
Store any open pineapple/pineapple chunks in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days. Some leave theirs for up to 5 days, but I find that it can become a stomach irritant after 2 days (3 at most).
Note* even in an airtight container, it may start turning brown. To avoid this, you can squeeze a little orange/lemon juice over the pieces before storing them. You can also store the pieces in the juice for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: semi-freeze the pieces until solid in a single layer on a large tray before moving the pieces into an airtight bag/container for storing. Eat within 6-7 months.
Note* You can also freeze pineapple in juice, though I’ve found that it loses a little flavor that way.
How To Grow A Pineapple Top (Crown)
Once you’ve finished eating the fresh pineapple, you’ll be left with the skin and the pineapple top (crown). What you may not know is that you can actually grow a pineapple using this part. The best part is that you don’t even need soil for a few weeks. All you need is a drinking glass, small vase or a jar and water, to begin with – so there’s no reason not to try this now!
Top Tip: If your pineapple crown has lots of wilting/brown leaves or leaves that fall out easily, then I’d avoid using it for this method.
Stage 1: In Water
- First, you need to clean the pineapple crown and make sure that there is no fruit attached to the bottom bit at all. You only need the bit where the leaves join the pineapple and nothing more.
- Then, remove the outer leaves at the very bottom of the stem until there is around 1/2-1 inch of stem exposed.
- Place this stem into a glass or jar/small vase with water so that only the exposed stem part of the crown is in the water (so the leaves aren’t touching the water).
- Move the glass with the pineapple crown to an area away from direct sunlight but still bright and warm, and change the water every 2 days.
Stage 2: In Soil
When the pineapple top/crown has grown roots, you can move it to a pot with soil. As it keeps growing, you might have to change its ‘home’ again for a bigger one.
If you have issues with the plant actually bearing fruit, there are certain ways to try and force this – that you can Google/ask your local plant nursery about. It’s also a good idea to use fertilizer on it a few times during the warmer months.
Note: It’s important to know that this method definitely isn’t foolproof, and it takes several years for the plant to actually flower and produce fruit- though it doesn’t always produce fruit. If you live in an area where it’s not warm and sunny, it may be best to use ‘grow lights’ to help it grow – they like the temperature to be between 20-30ºC/68-86ºF.
Do you want to grow pineapples yourself? Then keep in mind that altitude matters! In Hawai’i, the best pineapples in terms of sugar content and sugar-acid balance grow at an elevation of ≈300 m/984ft.
A Few Notes On Consuming Pineapple
- Pineapples are highly acidic, so those who struggle with acid reflux may do well to avoid eating too much if any. To reduce the pineapple’s acidity, you can pair it with yogurt or another creamy dairy (or so I’ve heard), as it helps to neutralize the pH.
- Furthermore, pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which actually breaks down proteins and can cause a mouth-burning feeling – as it’s starting to break down the mouth lining. Luckily our stomachs neutralize it by breaking down the bromelain, but it can make our mouths hurt. To avoid this, you can soak pineapple in salt water overnight (then rinse well, so it doesn’t taste salty). Alternatively, cooking pineapple also breaks down the enzyme.
Related DIYs
If you try this peeling pineapple hack, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
How To Cut A Pineapple (Pull Apart/Peeling Pineapple Hack)
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple
Instructions
- Roll the pineapple on your kitchen counter. Be firm, but not too firm as you want to break up the various fruits inside to make them easier to pull apart.I'm not sure how helpful it is to do this before removing the crown vs. before and after or just after. So, for the sake of making things easiest for myself, I do both.
- Remove the pineapple top (crown). You can do this by grabbing them at the base and pulling, though sometimes this can be tricky. Alternatively, use your small knife and, rather than simply chopping all the way around the top, press it in-between the eye going all the way around the pineapple, and it should then be easy to pull apart.You could also chop the entire top off, but then you'll have to deal with removing individual fruits (the eyes) that are cut in half, to begin with, which could make things trickier.
- You can optionally roll the pineapple over the surface again to loosen the fruit. Then, it's time to pull it apart. Rather than simply pulling on the individual pieces, I've found it easy to push lightly at the base of each eye to separate it from its' surrounding pieces and then pull it to remove it.Repeat this step until you've removed as much as you want or have done so with the entire pineapple and enjoy immediately or store for later.
How To Store
- Store any open pineapple/pineapple chunks in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days. Some leave theirs for up to 5 days, but I find that it can become a stomach irritant after 2 (3 at most).Note* even in an airtight container; it may start turning brown. To avoid this, you can squeeze a little orange/lemon juice over the pieces before storing them. You can also store the pieces in juice for 3-4 days.To Freeze: semi-freeze the pieces until solid in a single layer on a large tray before moving the pieces into an airtight bag/container for storing. Eat within 6-7 months.Note* You can also freeze pineapple in juice, though I've found that it loses a little flavor that way.
Notes
- Pineapples are highly acidic, so those who struggle with acid reflux may do well to avoid eating too much if any. To reduce the pineapple’s acidity, you can pair it with yogurt or another creamy dairy (or so I’ve heard), as it helps to neutralize the pH.
- Furthermore, pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which actually breaks down proteins and can cause a mouth burning feeling – as it’s starting to break down the mouth lining. Luckily our stomachs neutralize it by breaking down the bromelain, but it can make our mouths hurt. To avoid this, you can soak pineapple in saltwater overnight (then rinse well, so it doesn’t taste salty). Alternatively, cooking pineapple also breaks down the enzyme.
- Certain varieties of pineapple may be easier to work with for pineapple peeling hack. I often buy small pineapples so have tested this with a few different sized versions with success.
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