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The Fastest Way to Check If a Pineapple Is Ripe

Once you learn these tips, you’ll never buy an unripe pineapple again.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Vibrant, green leaves are a key indicator of a ripe pineapple.
Vibrant, green leaves are a key indicator of a ripe pineapple. | Jennifer A Smith/GettyImages

Summer is a great excuse to eat more pineapple. Whether you use it as a topping on the controversial Hawaiian pizza or shake it into a piña colada, the tropical fruit makes a fantastic addition to many foods and drinks. But it can be annoying to cut into a pineapple only to realize it’s not ripe. Luckily, there are a few ways to tell if the fruit is ready to eat before buying it.

  1. Shopping for Pineapple? Check the Leaves
  2. Other Ways to Tell If Your Pineapple Is Ripe
  3. The Best Way to Prepare Pineapple

Shopping for Pineapple? Check the Leaves

You can start by checking the pineapple’s crown, or the leaves at the top of the fruit. Taste of Home advises gently pulling on one of the center leaves; if it doesn’t come out easily, the fruit isn’t ready to be consumed. Like many other fruits, such as avocados and bananas, unripe pineapples are tough and difficult to slice and eat—which is why they’re less likely to give up their leaves. You can also check the fruit’s ripeness simply by looking at the crown. More often than not, bright green leaves indicate maturity, while brown leaves may signal the pineapple is in fact overripe.

Other Ways to Tell If Your Pineapple Is Ripe

Martha Stewart magazine recommends taking note of a pineapple’s color, texture, weight, and smell before buying it. The best fruit should be yellow and heavy, with a syrupy, sweet smell emanating from its bottom. You’ll also want to give the pineapple a gentle squeeze, as a ripe one should be slightly soft to the touch. Pineapples don’t mature after being picked like other fruits, so make sure to check for ripeness before purchasing. 

The Best Way to Prepare Pineapple

No matter how delicious the final product is, pineapples can be tedious to cut. Most people carve them by cutting off the fruit’s top and bottom, removing its skin, and slicing around its core. If you want to save time, there’s a simpler way to prepare it. Since the fruit is made of individual segmented berries that have fused together, all you have to do is cut off its top and pull out the fruitlets attached to each spike. This method makes pineapples easy and fun to eat.

Blueberries are another fruit that’s not so easy to assess for ripeness. You can always try the viral TikTok float test to check.

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