For the past couple of weeks my family had been in the mood for fresh pineapple, so I happily obliged. I have the pineapple pieces ready by the time the kids get home from school. They make a great snack. This week, I cut one open and to my disappointment, it was all bruised. There was no way I could tell when I picked it that it was going to be bruised inside. When pineapple is ripe, it should have more yellow color than green throughout. Who would have thought I'd pick the wrong one!
If that ever happens to you–do not throw it away. Remember that bruised doesn’t mean bad, it’s just the texture is off. So here is what I did: I made my own topping for ice cream. It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks, but, trust me, it won’t last that long!
Pineapple topping
4 cups diced pineapple
1 cup sugar
Bring pineapple and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium, cook until thickened. It will take close to an hour. As it cooks, it will exude lots of juice, so don’t let that worry you.
Yield: 2 cups
To cut a whole pineapple:
Use a sharp knife, cut off crown and bottom. Place it upright on a cutting board. Remove the skin and eyes by cutting in to strips from top to bottom, following the contour of the fruit. Cut into quarters lengthwise then slice off the core. Cut each quarter into bite-sized chunks or as small as the recipe requires.
Usually pineapple is not perfectly ripe when buying, so let it sit at room temperature for a few days. Once ripe, eat right away or keep in a fridge for up to five days.
