The best-tasting parts of the pineapple are on the very edge of the fruit, so it is very important to get the cut right. First, wash the pineapple. Use a sharp chef's knife to lop off the top and bottom of the fruit. Stand the pineapple on one end, and carefully make thin slices down the sides until you have removed all of the prickly skin.[1] Leave as much flesh as possible on the pineapple, and do not worry about removing the "eyes" or brown spots. Once you have removed the stem, the crown, and the skin: cut the pineapple into large circles, or chop it into chunks.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Choosing a Pineapple

  1. 1
    Smell the pineapple. Smell from the bottom to get the most accurate aroma. The pineapple must smell sweet and fresh. If you detect an odor that suggests fermentation or there is no sweetness present, skip that pineapple.[2]
  2. 2
    Look at the pineapple. Some green on the sides of a pineapple is OK, but the entire pineapple should not be green. A good pineapple is typically golden on the bottom. Avoid pineapples with visible bruising.
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  3. 3
    Press on the pineapple. The pineapple should be firm. It will give a little to firm pressure.[3] If the pineapple feels soft and mushy, then it is overripe. The pineapple should be heavy for its size.[4]
  4. 4
    Check the crown. Pull off one of the middle leaves. If it comes off easily, the pineapple is good to go.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Peeling the Pineapple

  1. 1
    Place the pineapple on its side. Use a cutting board or other cutting surface.
  2. 2
    Cut the crown and the stem off. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut them both off about a half inch into the pineapple.[5]
  3. 3
    Stand the pineapple up on one end. Slice the skin off the sides, going from top to bottom.[6] Cut as thinly as possible. Leave as much flesh as you can remaining on the pineapple; the sweetest part of the pineapple is the most outer flesh.[7]
    • Following the contour of the fruit will help prevent loss of flesh where the pineapple bulges in the middle.
    • Do not remove the eyes (brown spots) while cutting away the skin, or you will lose too much of the good flesh.
    • Cut off the skin in 14 in (0.64 cm) slices to remove all of the spines.[8]
    • About 6 cuts should be enough to remove the skin from each side of the fruit.[9]
  4. 4
    Remove the eye spots. Eye spots will all line up in diagonal rows on the pineapple. Cut a V-shaped groove along the diagonal line to remove each set of eye spots.[10] The remaining flesh is ready for cutting now.
    • You will lose a bit more of the good pineapple flesh by removing the eyes this way, but it takes significantly less time than removing each eye one by one.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Cutting the Pineapple

  1. 1
    Cut pineapple circles. Lay the peeled pineapple on its side and cut slices around 3/4" inch thick. This will leave you with whole circles of pineapple. You can stick a fork into the thick core to hold the circle.
    • The core is tough, but edible and healthy.
    • You can turn the circles into rings by cutting out the core. This can be done with ease using a round pastry or dough cutter.
  2. 2
    Cut the pineapple into chunks. Stand the pineapple up and cut it into quarters length-wise. Cut the core from each quarter of pineapple, and then cut each quarter in half length-wise again. Lay each of the strips down and slice them into chunks.[11]
    • One pineapple will yield around 4 cups of chunks.
  3. 3
    Add the pineapple to your recipe or meal. It is delicious eaten as it is with nothing added or you can add yogurt, whipped cream, crushed nuts, etc. Or use it to make pineapple upside-down cake, as an addition to a meat dish or as a decoration atop a dessert.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why does fresh pineapple make the tongue feel so strange?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The chemicals in the pineapple burn the proteins in your tongue. In other words, when you eat pineapples, the pineapple eats you right back.
  • Question
    Should I add water when storing it in the refrigerator?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No, since pineapple has its own juice, it will stay moist as long as you keep it in an air tight container. If you put it in water it will dilute the juice and the flavor will be weaker. Kind of like when ice melts in soda.
  • Question
    Can I cut and clean only half, and keep the other half wrapped in the refrigerator to cut a few days later?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes. Wrap it carefully.
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Warnings

  • Exercise the usual caution when using a knife. Make sure that the base of the pineapple is stable before slicing off the fruit skin.
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Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp kitchen knife
  • Pastry/dough cutter if coring pineapple rings

References

  1. https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/kitchen-secrets/a20654260/how-to-cut-a-pineapple/
  2. http://www.eatliverun.com/how-to-cut-a-pineapple/
  3. Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.
  4. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-tell-if-a-pineapple-is-ripe
  5. Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.
  6. Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.
  7. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_a_pineapple/
  8. Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.
  9. Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 1 March 2022.

About This Article

Randall Chambers
Co-authored by:
Personal Chef
This article was co-authored by Randall Chambers. Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute. This article has been viewed 1,745,532 times.
15 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 45
Updated: March 4, 2022
Views: 1,745,532
Article SummaryX

To cut a pineapple, first lay it on its side and cut off the top and bottom with a sharp knife. Then, stand the pineapple up on one end and rotate it as you slice the skin off. Once the skin is off, remove the brown eye spots from the pineapple by cutting them out in wedges with the knife. Finally, lay the pineapple on its side again and slice it into thin circles or chunks, whichever you prefer.

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