By Dr. Lloyd Berg, PhD.
Anytime I meet someone new and they’re made aware on my professional background, I’m usually asked the same question time after time: “how can you tell when a pineapple is ripe and ready to eat?” When I let them know the answer, the expression is usually one of surprise.
Contrary to popular belief, pineapples are at the perfect serving condition right from the store. Yes, you heard that right – yellow OR green, they are always ready to eat.
Unlike avocados or mangos, this tropical fruit is harvested when fully matured. Anticipating the days required for travel to your local store, pineapples are cut within a few days of the ripening process. Coloration does not determine ripeness and in fact is just an expression of variety or growing conditions for that particular fruit. Brown or green coloring does not mean it isn’t ripe yet – it’s just a result of the growing process. A pineapple doesn’t need to be bright yellow – it just needs to smell right!
So next time you’re thinking about making a dish with pineapple or serving it at your next dinner party, remember to buy it the day of and let your nose be your guide. We guarantee its freshness!
For more information about Chestnut Hill Farms’ Perfect Pineapple™ please contact our offices at (305) 592-6969.