How Do You Know When A Pineapple Is Ripe?

Nothing beats fresh pineapple.  But how do you know when it's ripe?

The dilemma starts at the store for most people:  Which pineapple should I buy?  Well, first off - you should never buy a pineapple that is fully green - as they will not ripe well for you at home under normal conditions.  But at the same time you don't want one that is fully yellow, either.  Remember - the higher the level of yellow is to the top leaves, the sweeter that pineapple is going to be.  And - avoid a brown color all together;  Brown is the color that that yellow is going to turn.  Those are only good for the garbage.

Pineapples should also "smell like a pineapple";  No smell, it's not ripe.  Too much smell - it's starting to ferment and you don't want to buy it.

A pineapple should be firm and not soft.  It will give slightly, but it should not be squishy.

There is a myth that a pineapple is ripe when the inner most leaves at the top come out loosely.  While it's true that the leaves "give" more as the pineapple ripens, usually at the point that they do "give" - it's already too late.

So, once you get that pineapple home and you know it's ripe, how do you slice it you ask?  That's the topic of another post.