How to Peel and Cut a Pineapple? Ever wondered how? I guess the easiest way is to cut the skin thick from top to bottom.

In South East Asia and other parts of the world, pineapple are peeled thinly and eyes are removed following a spiral direction, then cut in half until you have 8 to 10 individual pieces. This is how my mom taught me how to peel and cut a pineapple.

I believe in the old days, they cut it that way not for looks but not to waste so much flesh. To me it’s both.

Peeled and sliced pineapples on a red plate. A knife and the top of the pineapple on the table too.

Pineapple season is here and they are very sweet, juicy and cheap.

I was in my kitchen, a few feet away from the pineapple and I can smell how sweet it is. This is the best time to make Pineapple Fried Rice.

I usually buy one or two pineapples to see if they are sweet. If they are, I buy more.

I peel and cut them into small pieces or chunks. Then I store the cut pineapples in sealed containers or bags and placed in the freezer for future use.

I use frozen pineapples for delicious smoothie drinks, sweet and sour sauce, pineapple embutido, chicken with pineapple and more.

A fork holding a pineapple while sliced into bite-size on a plate. A red plate full of sliced pineapples.

How do you know if the pineapple is ripe

If the skin is green, it is definitely not ripe. Once it turns yellow and you can smell that sweet fruity fragrance then you know it is ready to be peeled.

Can you eat the core of the pineapple

Yes, it might be hard to some people but you can always save it for smoothie drinks. It can also be boiled together with the peel and eyes to make pineapple juice. As you can see, nothing goes to waste.

Video

Want to learn how to peel and cut a pineapple - watch my video!

A collage showing how to peel a whole pineapple, removing the eyes and core, applying salt, slicing it vertically into pieces and finally slicing it into bite-size.

Recipe

How to Peel and Cut a Pineapple

You can easily peel a ripe pineapple by cutting the skin thick, that will also remove the eyes. But if you want the spiral look, it can be tricky but you'll get the hang of it.

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 452kcal

Ingredients

1 Pineapple ripe

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple. Cut the base straight so it can stand upright or vertically when peelling it.
Cut the skin thinly from top to bottom. Check the top and bottom of the pineapple and remove any remaining skin.
Remove the eyes in a spiral direction. Either lay the pineapple in a cutting board or by holding it with one hand. I find it easier to hold the pineapple while removing the eyes.
To remove the eyes, hold the pineapple sideways starting from the top. Starting at the top, put the knife close to the side of the eyes and remove 2 to 3 eyes at the same time. With the knife slightly slanted, make the first cut. The cut should look like a “V”. On the other side, do the same cut. Follow the spiral direction and remove the remaining eyes from top to bottom.
Repeat the same process until all eyes are removed.
Sprinkle salt on the whole pineapple and rub it lightly with your hands. Then wash the pineapple with water.
Stand the pineapple upright and cut it in half from top to bottom.
Take a piece and cut it in half until you end up with 4 pieces. Repeat the same process for the other half.
For each individual piece, slightly cut a ¼ of an inch on both corner sides on an angle. Again like a “V” shape.
Then remove ½ inch of the core – the hard part. Note: I am saving and freezing the pieces I am trimming for future smoothie drinks.)
Transfer pineapple in a serving plate or tray and serve cold.

Nutrition