tips for buying a pineapple

How to Pick a Ripe Pineapple Every time

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how to pick a ripe pineapple

Here’s how to pick a ripe pineapple every time! We use a lot of fresh pineapple and buy them often. The first thing I look for is a pineapple with loose leaves at the top.

  • 1) Just grab a top center leaf and pull–if the leaf comes out easily, then it’s looking good. (if you can’t find a pineapple with loose leaves…then pass ’em by and try again another day)
  • 2) If the pineapple has a little bit of give when you push on it, that’s a good sign…not too mushy, but not hard as a brick!
  • 3) if you put it to your nose, and it smells pineapple-y…that’s a good sign.
  • 4) And I like a nice golden color too, especially around the bottom…but that doesn’t guarantee ripeness…so bank on steps 1 through 3 first, but especially step 1 –loose leaves! If the leaves are stuck and the whole pineapple wants to be picked up when you pull on the top sprouts…then it’s not a keeper.

A pineapple will not ripen and mature after it is picked, so buying an unripe pineapple at the store and bringing it home to ripen will not work–choosing the best pineapple when you buy it is key to pineapple success. A pineapple will get softer as it gets old, but old isn’t the same as ripe!

Fresh pineapple is great in fruit salads and as a refreshing snack, it’s super healthy and well worth bringing home every now and then. We still used canned pineapple –especially on pizzas! –but for freshness and flavor, a nice ripe pineapple from the produce section can’t be beat!

Hope those tips help you pick a ripe pineapple, and for some practical pineapple application, here’s a Pineapple Sandwich that is popular in Germany: Toast Hawaii

Fancy Toast Hawaii
Fancy Toast Hawaii made with a bagel and Gruyere cheese

Thanks for Watching our Pineapple Video!

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Toast Hawaii – How to Make this German Favorite

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toast hawaii

Toast Hawaii is an open-faced sandwich popular in Germany. It is traditionally comprised of lightly toasted white bread which is then buttered and topped with thinly sliced ham, a pineapple slice, a cheese slice, and a maraschino cherry, so it’s really a deluxe toasted cheese sandwich. Check out the video below to see how me and CG first put together a traditional Toast Hawaii and then we build a fancy-pants version of the German favorite.

Both versions were alright…fancy-pants was definitely my favorite, but overall, pineapple plays too big a role in this sandwich for my tastes; I think pineapple should stay where it belongs –on the bottom of an upside down cake, or on a pizza; of course, there was a time when I didn’t think it belonged on a pizza…and then I ran into the right pineapple pizza. So give a version of Toast Hawaii a try and see what you think.

A traditional Toast Hawaii sandwich
A traditional German Toast Hawaii sandwich

I prefer a sandwich with a top and a bottom, something I can wrap my hands around, especially a pressed sandwich grilled on the top and the bottom, which is why a Cuban sandwich is so good. I often make sandwiches and then toast them in a skillet with a heavy pan on top pressing down, which is a great cheat for a toasted sandwich. A sandwich grill press is also a good option, and I’ve seen these often in thrift stores, or you can check current prices for a sandwich press on amazon.

How to Choose a Ripe Pineapple

  • 1) Just grab a top center leaf and pull–if the leaf comes out easily, then it’s looking good. (if you can’t find a pineapple with loose leaves…then pass ’em by and try again another day)
  • 2) If the pineapple has a little bit of give when you push on it, that’s a good sign…not too mushy, but not hard as a brick!
  • 3) if you put it to your nose, and it smells pineapple-y…that’s a good sign.
  • 4) And I like a nice golden color too, especially around the bottom…but that doesn’t guarantee ripeness…so bank on steps 1 through 3 first, but especially step 1 –loose leaves! If the leaves are stuck and the whole pineapple wants to be picked up when you pull on the top sprouts…then it’s not a keeper.

For a sandwich twist that I can get behind, try a banh mi style hamburger recipe. It’s a burger with a Vietnamese twist, but if want a sandwich with plenty of pizzazz and no pineapple, it fits the bill.

burger banh mi

Thanks for Watching our Pineapple Video!

Click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you like what CG and I do, support us on Patreon, or throw us a tip in our Paypal Tip Jar. We’ll happily enjoy a coffee on the road – Thanks! We appreciate all the support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

We include affiliate links for products on our website. Making a purchase after clicking on our links and we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program. It provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

Share and Enjoy !

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