How can you tell if a pineapple is ripe?

This post was sourced from submitted reader questions and posted by wikiHow Editorial Staff, based on our article: Picking the Best Pineapple & Knowing When It’s Ready to Eat .

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wikiHow Editorial Team

04/09/25 6:39pm

Want to enjoy a juicy, sweet pineapple? There are several different ways you can tell if a pineapple is ripe and ready to dig into.

Color: Pineapples turn from green or brown to golden-yellow when they're ripe.
Firmness: Gently press on the pineapple with your fingers. If it's firm, but just soft enough to bend under your fingers, that's a good sign it's ripe.
Spike Flatness: If the spikes are flat against the pineapple, that's a sign that the fruit is ripe.
Smell: Sniff the bottom of the pineapple. If it's sweet, it's likely ripe!
Weight: Pineapples get heavier with juice when they're ripe and ready to eat.
Plucking Leaves: If you're able to pluck the leaves off easily, the pineapple is ripe.

Have tips for how to tell if a pineapple is ripe? Share them in the comments below!

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Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

04/21/25 4:55pm

The easiest way to tell if a pineapple is ripe would be to try to pull one of the leaves out. The color of the pineapple doesn’t matter. Simply try to pull on one of the leaves - if it comes out easily, the pineapple is ripe and ready to eat.

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