Q&A for How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe

No, for pineapples the ripening process halts after being picked. So if you get one that is too green there is not much you can do.

Yes. Pineapple has a natural enzyme that breaks down protein, and it only takes a short time to tenderize meat this way.

Yes you can! This is the most common way to plant pineapples. Check out How to Grow a Pineapple for more detailed information.

Yes, but if it is already golden yellow you should use it within the next few days or it will rot.

The pineapple won't ripen, so your best bet is to use it in something sweet, such as a smoothie/milkshake, a baked dessert with sugar or as part of a sweet and sour dish. It will also compost well.

Yes, if you cook it right, it will soften and caramelize, making it sweeter and better to eat.

It ripens the same way other crops do. However, pineapples do not ripen any further after harvest, despite some color changes that make people think they are ripening.

Yes. Pineapple can flatten your tummy, prevent stomach distention and help your body burn a few extra calories. It contains one very important enzyme: bromelain, which is found in the stem and within the juice of a pineapple.

Once the pineapple is picked from the plant, it cannot ripen any further but you can see if you can make a smoothie or something out of it that will compensate for the unripe flavor, such as a cake.

Hard to tell for certain. Look at the stems, are they cut or chewed? Animals like fruit just as much as we humans do, so it's possible that a bear, raccoon or some other animal found your tasty pineapple too irresistible. I suspect that if it were an animal you would have probably found pieces laying about where the animal was feasting. If no residue was found, I'd suspect it was a human pineapple thief.

Yes you can! Shake it vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds and then bring it up to your ear to listen. If you hear a faint rattling, it is not yet ripe. Pick up another and try again.

Snap it off the stem. Hold the top in one hand, the fruit in the other and push them toward each other while gently twisting to remove the top from the fruit.

Use a melon baller utensil, available at most big box stores in the kitchen area.

Yes, definitely. Once you smell the bottom and it smells sweet, it's ready to eat.

Your pineapple should be a bit green and a bit yellow, if your pineapple is fully yellow, then it's overripe.