PINEAPPLES

Pineapples are harvested ripe and ready to eat. Pineapples do not ripen any more after harvesting. So, every pineapple you see in a shop is already ripe. A pineapple never improves by leaving it lying around.

That depends on how fresh you bought the pineapple. A pineapple will stay good for a few weeks, but remember that it has already made a two-week boat trip. When the pineapple turns brown and the leaves can be easily pulled out of the crown, it is getting old. So eat it immediately.

A pineapple plant takes 12 to 14 months to produce mature, ripe pineapples.

A full-grown green pineapple is already ripe and tasty enough to be harvested. If the pineapple stays on the plant longer, it ripens further and becomes even more delicious. The skin then becomes yellower and the flesh softer and sweeter. But as it continues to ripen, its shelf life deteriorates visibly. And that complicates exports to Europe. Pay special attention to the pineapple NOT being brown/yellow, as it will be old.

The crown of the pineapple is actually the beginning of a new pineapple plant. Pineapples are usually packed including their characteristic crown because it looks so elegant. For the quality of the pineapple, it doesn't matter. Pineapples for processing are delivered without crowns.

Pineapple thrives best in tropical climates. Pineapple is believed to be native to South America. However, the earliest written references to pineapples come from explorers such as Columbus, who found pineapple cultivation in areas around the West Indies.
Today, pineapple cultivation is a thriving industry in many tropical regions. Besides Costa Rica, countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Brazil are among the main producers of pineapple.