How to cut a pineapple

[Kitchen Witch]

How to cut a pineapple



TYPES OF PINEAPPLES:

Smooth Cayenne: The Smooth Cayenne, a cone-shaped Hawaiian pineapple that weighs three to five pounds, is the most popular (and is considered by many to be the best tasting). It is widely marketed both fresh and canned. Smooth Cayennes for the fresh market are also grown in Mexico and Central America.

Red Spanish: Next in popularity is Red Spanish, which is similar in weight to Smooth Cayenne but has a squarish shape, and a tougher shell that protects it better during shipping. Grown in the Caribbean, most are sold fresh.

Sugar Loaf: Sugar Loaf is a large pineapple--it weighs from five to 10 pounds--that is imported from Mexico, mostly in fresh form.




This popular tropical fruit is used in a variety of dishes such as cakes and desserts. It is also eaten fresh when peeled and cut properly. It can be very tricky to prepare if you don’t know what you are doing. Its skin is harder than most fruits so you have to peel it with a knife instead of a fruit peeler.

When choosing a pineapple, always look for vibrant green leaves and a golden skin color. To ensure that it is ripe, the skin itself should smell like a pineapple. Make sure you wash the pineapple first before cutting it.

You need a cutting knife, a chopping board, and a potato peeler to cut the pineapple.



Steps in Cutting a Pineapple


Step 1. Take your pineapple and lay it down the chopping board, holding it firmly.

Step 2. Cut off the stalk carefully with your cutting knife.

Step 3. Cut off the top and bottom parts of the pineapple.

Step 4. Hold the pineapple upright and cut off each side until all the skin is off.

Step 5. Scoop the “eyes” from the flesh of the pineapple using the cutting knife or a peeler.

Step 6. Lay the pineapple down again and slice it into discs. The thickness is up to your preference.

Step 7. Take your pineapple slices and carefully cut off the round, hard center. You may also serve the pineapple chopped into bite sized cubes or wedges. Arrange the pineapple pieces on a dinner plate and serve them chilled.



To make a serving "boat": Peel and trim as above, but leave the leafy crown on the pineapple, cutting through it when you quarter the pineapple lengthwise. Then, after you separate the flesh from the skin of the pineapple quarter, replace the flesh on the rind and make crosswise cuts to divide the fruit into bite-sized pieces.




PYROTECHNIC PINEAPPLE

1 ripe pineapple
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 ounces Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or dark rum
1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Sit the pineapple on its side and slice it in half, starting at the bottom and slicing all the way up through the leafy section. Chisel out the core of each half. Discard. Then cut around the fleshy sections with a knife (as you would a grapefruit). Remove flesh with a spoon and cut into small chunks. Reserve both the flesh and the rinds.

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add pineapple chunks, but none of the juice, and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir occasionally for 30 seconds, or until it has dissolved. Repeat the same process, a tablespoon at a time, with the remaining sugar.
Pour in Grand Marnier, let it heat up for 10 seconds, then ignite.
Place a single scoop of ice cream in each of the hollowed-out pineapple shells and pour half the contents of pan overtop each. Serve immediately with two spoons per couple.



PINEAPPLE KABOBS

Fresh pineapple
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine honey, butter and cinnamon. Pare and cut fresh pineapple into long wedges. Grill over medium heat 15 minutes basting with sauce. Turn frequently.