 The pineapple which originated in Brazil, is not a fruit in the ordinary sense of the word. It is a multiple organ that forms when the fruits or berries, the indented eyes of a hundred or more separate flowers, coalesce together. Its high sugar content and lush flavor make it one of the most popular tropical fruits. Early Spanish explorers named this fruit pina because it is shaped like a pinecone. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and often appears in household art motifs. Start noticing these pineapples and you’ll soon see them on everything from brass door knockers to light textures.
Health Benefits: Unlike most fruit, pineapple contains negligible vitamins A and C. It is remarkable for its high percentage of the important trace mineral manganese, which is an essential component of digestive enzymes for proteins and carbohydrates.
Use: If a pineapple is acidic and not pleasingly sweet, do not eat it. Ripe pineapple is at peak for a day, and then rapidly deteriorates. You can improve its overall flavor by storing the pineapple upside down for a day or two before cutting it. As its sugar is more concentrated at the base, inversion enables the sugars in the stem end to develop. Once cut, or if purchased cut, use within a day or two.
Buying: A sweet, fragrant aroma is the single most important key to selecting a ripe pineapple. If there is little or no aroma, do not buy it. A ripe pineapple smells sweet, especially at its base, and feels firm when squeezed. Also look for glossy, golden orange skin; a small, compact, and fresh looking (rather than dried) leafy crown; a fruit that is heavy for its size, and eyes that are fat and almost hollow. An over-mature pineapple is soft and mushy.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia |
