Peeling pineapple yourself can make you more satisfied. You'll enjoy a more juicy and flavorful fruit than if you bought canned pineapple, and you'll be able to determine the shape of the cut yourself. Once the bottom and top of the pineapple are removed, slice off the thick skin. Next, remove the pineapple eyes and enjoy the fresh fruit!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Cutting off the Pineapple Tip
Step 1. Place the ripe pineapple on the cutting board
Pineapples are ripe when they are yellow instead of green. Squeeze the pineapple gently to feel if your fingers can squeeze the fruit easily. Next, smell the base of the fruit to check if the pineapple smells nice and sweet. If no aroma comes out, it means the pineapple is not ripe.
If using a plastic cutting board, place a napkin under it so it doesn't slide around when you cut the pineapple
Step 2. Lay the pineapple and slice the crown 1 cm below the leaf
Hold the pineapple on the cutting board with your non-dominant hand. Keep your fingers bent to prevent accidentally cutting the knife. Carefully cut the end of the pineapple with a large knife. Pineapple leaves are called crowns.
Use a serrated kitchen knife or bread knife
Tip:
Set aside the pineapple crown if you want to use it as a garnish on a fruit platter. You can place it in the center of the plate and place chopped pineapple and other fresh fruit around it.
Step 3. Trim the bottom so that the pineapple can be erected evenly
Rotate the pineapple 180 degrees and hold it in your non-dominant hand. Slice the base of the pineapple about 1 centimeter from the bottom.
Now, the pineapple can be erected flat and stuck to the bottom. With this position, you can peel the skin on the sides more easily
Part 2 of 3: Slicing the Skin on the Side of the Pineapple
Step 1. Place the pineapple in a standing position and place the knife on the top edge of the skin
Hold the pineapple in a standing position on the cutting board and keep it still. Place a large knife over the top of the pineapple where the cut fruit meets the skin.
It doesn't matter which part of the base or tip of the pineapple you place on top
Step 2. Slice the sides of the pineapple from top to bottom to remove the skin
Move the knife back and forth to help move the knife as it slices down the skin. Try not to get too much on the flesh of the fruit.
So that you don't waste too much of the pineapple flesh, slice the skin about 0.5 centimeters thick
Tip:
Since pineapples have a curved shape at the top and bottom, move the knife to follow its natural curve as you slice.
Step 3. Slice all the skin on the pineapple
Rotate the pineapple as needed so you can slice the skin on the other side. Keep turning and peeling the pineapple until all the skin is removed.
- Even though the pineapple has finished peeling, there are still pineapple eyes all over the fruit.
- Remove the skin or combine it with compost.
Part 3 of 3: Removing Pineapple Eyes
Step 1. Look for rows of pineapple eyes on the fruit
Keep the pineapple upright on the cutting board and look closely at its prickly eyes. The pineapple eyes will be in a diagonal line so you can easily remove them.
While you can leave them sticking together, the prickly eyes of the pineapple can make you uncomfortable when you eat the fruit
Step 2. Make diagonal slices next to the rows of pineapple eyes
Use a small fruit paring knife to slice the pineapple at a 45-degree angle. Make long diagonal slices next to 2 to 3 pineapple eyes.
You can make an incision above or below the eye
Step 3. Make another diagonal slice on the opposite side of the pineapple eye
Move the knife and place it on the other side of the eye, then make another slice at a 45 degree angle. By doing this, you will create a V-shaped trench with a pineapple eye in the middle.
Variation:
If you don't want diagonal ditches in the pineapple, use a paring knife to remove each eye. This makes the fruit more whole, but takes longer.
Step 4. Take the pineapple eye and throw it away
If you cut diagonal lines that intersect, the V-shaped wedges with the pineapple eyes inside should be easy to remove. Pull it out.
You can remove these eye slices, or cut the pineapple between the eyes and keep them
Step 5. Continue making diagonal slices across the pineapple
Make another slice under the eye row you just created. When you've sliced all the eyes on one side, turn the fruit and make a wedge on the other side.
The pineapple will have a spiral shape from where you removed the eye
Step 6. Cut the pineapple into rounds or pegs
To make a round cut, place the pineapple flat and slice the fruit to the desired thickness. Use a small, round bread cutter to remove the tough center of the fruit in each round slice you make. If you prefer peg-shaped pieces, slice the pineapple into 4 pieces. After that, remove the hard center of each pineapple slice.
