To tell if a pineapple is good (ripe and ready to eat), check the following key indicators:
- Color: Look for a pineapple with a yellowish hue covering a good portion of the fruit, especially near the base. A mostly green pineapple is usually underripe, while too much orange or dark yellow can mean overripe
- Feel: The pineapple should feel heavy for its size, indicating juiciness. It should be firm but yield slightly with gentle pressure-too hard means underripe, and too soft suggests overripeness
- Smell: Sniff the bottom of the pineapple. A ripe pineapple has a sweet, fruity aroma. No smell can mean underripe, and a sour or fermented smell means it’s overripe
- Leaves (Fronds): The leaves should look fresh and green. While pulling a leaf out easily is sometimes said to indicate ripeness, this is not a reliable test
- Sound: Knocking on the pineapple can help; a dull, muffled sound suggests the fruit is juicy and good quality, while a hollow sound may indicate it’s dry inside
In summary, a good pineapple is one that is mostly yellow, heavy, slightly soft to the touch, smells sweet at the base, and has fresh green leaves. Avoid pineapples that are rock hard, have no aroma, smell fermented, or have dry/brown leaves
