Alternative:Pineapple
| Ingredients | Fruit
The pineapple is a very sweet tropical fruit. It can be up to 1 foot tall. Pineapple is commonly eaten fresh, in desserts, or cooked as part of a sauce or glaze.
When buying fresh pineapple, choose a good-smelling fruit that feels solid. The topmost leaves should be a bit loose (meaning ripe) and not browning (meaning too old). There should not be a yeasty smell at the bottom.
When buying canned pineapple, choose pineapple packed in juice. Name-brand pineapple is sweeter, and thus better suited for eating without added sugar. The cheaper store-brand pineapple is fine for baking.
Carving a fresh pineapple
- Twist out the top. The top may be planted if you want a 4' (1.2m) diameter thorny bush that requires a couple years of frost-free weather. You'd also get a tall stalk, covered in lovely blue flowers, that turns into a pineapple.
- Slice away the skin. The best tasting pineapple is right under the surface, so don't cut too deeply.
- Carve out the "eyes". These flower holes contain enzymes that can cause mouth irritation; they digest you a little bit. (pineapples can get revenge)
- Slice the pineapple the long way. Make 6 to 12 (8 is easy) wedges with the core along one edge of each wedge.
- Cut the core away from each wedge.
- Chop up the wedges as desired. The bottom part is sweetest and most likely to be spoiled.
Seasonality
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| Pineapple | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Pineapples have their peak season near the end of spring. In some locations, like Hawaii, they are available all year round.
