The yellow-gold color should be present at least around the eyes of the fruit as well as around the base. While a pineapple can feasibly be ripe while fully green, there is very little way to know for sure that it is, so purchasing a fully green pineapple is risky. The higher up the pineapple the yellow-gold reaches, the more evenly flavored the pineapple.
Gently squeeze and press the bottom of the fruit. There should be no indented or squishy spots. A good pineapple that is ripe and juicy will feel heavy.
Choose the pineapple with the largest eyes. The size of the eyes indicates how long the pineapple was left to ripen on the branch. Look for a pineapple with flat eyes. Flat eyes can indicate the sweetness of the fruit.
The smell of the pineapple should be sweet, but if it is too sweet and almost has a hint of alcohol, then it is beyond its freshness. A ripe fruit will have a dull, solid sound. Unripe fruits will sound hollow.
A deteriorating pineapple will exhibit wrinkled skin and feel soft to the touch. Look for leaks or cracks in the fruit, both are strong signs of deterioration. The leaves of a deteriorating pineapple will appear brown and stiff.
Keep an eye on your pineapple to make sure it doesn’t begin to exhibit signs of deterioration as it sits. It is recommended that you purchase your pineapple on the same day you intend to eat it so as to avoid deterioration.
Wrap the pineapple in plastic before placing it in the refrigerator. Check the pineapple each day for signs of deterioration.
Use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the pineapple off, then slice off each of the sides. Once you have the outer portion of the pineapple removed, slice it to a thickness of your liking, then use a cookie cutter or knife to remove the core from the center of the slices. Store your pineapple slices in an airtight container like Tupperware to maximize its lifespan.
Once the skin and core are removed from the pineapple, store it in an airtight container like Tupperware. Leave a small amount of air in the container with the pineapple.
Use a sharp knife to peel, core and slice your pineapple. Make sure your slices are consistently about 1/2 inch (1. 25 cm) thick. Place in your dehydrator according to the manufacturer’s recommendation or at 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) until the fruit reaches a leathery state but is not sticky. It may take 12-18 hours to be fully dehydrated.
Once again, slice and core your pineapple by cutting off the top and skins. This time, cutting the pineapple into chunks instead of slices may make it easier to can. You will need to boil your pineapple in a “packing” solution to occupy the additional space in the can and keep it moisturized. You can use apple juice, white grape juice or light to medium “canning syrup” you can buy at some specialty grocery stores. [8] X Research source After boiling the pineapple in the packing solution, fill your jars, leaving an inch or so of open space at the top. Place the lids on the jars finger tight, then place it (or however many you have) in a pot with water approximately 1-2 inches taller than the top of the jar or can. Boil the jars for 25 minutes for a pint jar, 30 minutes for quarts. After removing them, the air will have been evacuated and the pineapple will be good to store.
