How to Cut a Pineapple

Cutting a pineapple isn’t difficult and can be done with either a knife or a pineapple cutter. Below I show you how to cut a fresh pineapple into rings, wedges, and chunks.

Pineapple is perfect for snacking, grilling, or adding to recipes.

Sweet, citrusy, and totally tropical, pineapples are as fun to eat plain as they are to add to a recipe. Because of its highly acidic nature, pineapple juice is an excellent tenderizer for meats and seafood and a tangy base for salad dressings as well as fruit syrups for desserts and cocktails.

With a little know-how, preparing a pineapple will be easy to do without any fancy kitchen tools.

How to Pick the Perfect Pineapple

• A great way to tell if a pineapple is ripe is to look for whole, heavy fruits that are unblemished, and have a little yield when squeezed.
• Golden and a little bit soft are the best way to distinguish the perfect pineapple.
• Leaves should be green (not brown or dried out).

How to Cut a Pineapple

There’s more than one way to peel and cut a pineapple, depending on how it’s going to be used.

The fastest way to cut a pineapple is to use a pineapple corer (see below).

First I’ll share how to cut it with a knife. If you eat a lot of pineapples, I highly recommend getting a Pineapple Corer. You can cut a whole pineapple in just a few minutes.

(Note: If using a pineapple corer, you do not need to remove the skin or eyes as below).

To Peel a Pineapple (image below)

1. Lay pineapple down on a cutting board & cut off the top (stalk) & bottom with a sharp knife.
2. Remove the skin with a knife.
3. With a paring knife, cut diagonally to remove the eyes or any tough parts remaining in the pineapple.

To Cut Pineapple Spears/Chunks (image below):

1. Cut pineapple in half from top to bottom. Cut it again in the middle in the same direction. (There should be four long pieces.)
2. Look closely at the flesh & there should be a distinct line in the middle running along the length of fruit. Run a sharp paring knife along this line on either side. Try to remove as much of the core & as little of the tender fruit as possible.
3. Keep cutting until the core can be removed. Do this for the remaining pieces.
4. Cut into chunks or spears.

To Cut Pineapple Rings (image below):

1. Peel as directed above. Slice into 1″ slices.
2. Use a small 1″ circle cutter to remove the core.

To Use a Pineapple Corer (image below)

1. Cut off the top (do not peel the pineapple)
2. Place the pineapple corer in the center of the pineapple, catching the fibrous core.

3. Twist the corer down the pineapple until you reach the bottom. Once you reach the bottom, hold the outside of the pineapple and lift the corer (and the fruit) out.
4. Remove the pineapple from the corer. Run a knife down one side of the pineapple and it will cut into rings.

BOWL:

1. Cut the pineapple in half from the top to the bottom, including the stalk.
2. Take a paring knife & run it around the cut half, loosening the flesh all the way around.
3. Cut slices from side to side and use a large spoon to scoop them out of the bowl. Cut the sliced pieces into chunks.

BOAT:

1. Cut pineapple in half from top to bottom, including the stalk. Remove the core with a paring knife.
2. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller.
3. Return the pineapple balls to the boat with other fruits like diced watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, blueberries, strawberries, & chopped mint.

How to Store Pineapple

Once a pineapple is cut, it doesn’t last long. Keep it in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Pineapple can be frozen after it’s been cut and makes great additions to smoothies or as a garnish for iced tea or cocktails.

Pineapple Recipes We Love