When I worked at the yacht club, I had to cut a lot of pineapples for dessert and breakfast displays. For months, I HATED it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get all the pineapple chunks to be the same size. Finally, one morning Chef took me aside and very slowly demoed how to properly do it. I felt a little silly then because it was a lot easier than I thought…and now, I’ve been happily cutting pineapples for three years and counting!
Pineapples are in season right now and buying the whole fruit is much for cost efficient (and delicious!) than buying a ton of cans. Look for pineapples at the store that are firm (but not like a rock) and have a sweet scent to them. Stay away from the rock hard pineapples that look pale and lifeless.
So, first cut off the top of the pineapple:
Then, using a large sharp knife, carefully shave away the prickly sides of the fruit like so:
Now, once all the prickles are gone, cut the pineapple in half:
And cut each half so you have four thick pineapple spears:
The next step can be tricky. Using your knife, cut diagonally into each spear and down to slice away the thick core. You’ll be left with flat pieces.
It might take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it! Now just slice each piece into semi-thin slices….and you’re done!
When I worked at the yacht club, I had to cut a lot of pineapples for dessert and breakfast displays. For months, I HATED it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get all the pineapple chunks to be the same size. Finally, one morning Chef took me aside and very slowly demoed how to properly do it. I felt a little silly then because it was a lot easier than I thought…and now, I’ve been happily cutting pineapples for three years and counting!
Pineapples are in season right now and buying the whole fruit is much for cost efficient (and delicious!) than buying a ton of cans. Look for pineapples at the store that are firm (but not like a rock) and have a sweet scent to them. Stay away from the rock hard pineapples that look pale and lifeless.
So, first cut off the top of the pineapple:
Then, using a large sharp knife, carefully shave away the prickly sides of the fruit like so:
Now, once all the prickles are gone, cut the pineapple in half:
And cut each half so you have four thick pineapple spears:
The next step can be tricky. Using your knife, cut diagonally into each spear and down to slice away the thick core. You’ll be left with flat pieces.
It might take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it! Now just slice each piece into semi-thin slices….and you’re done!
Now finely dice your fresh pineapple and toss it in this whole wheat carrot cake ! Delish.