Paying Homage to the Regal Pineapple

Fresh pineapples are just spectacular looking. With a crown of sharp, pointy leaves and a kind of prehistoric outer skin, it’s hard to imagine how anybody ever thought to eat them in the first place. But, of course, looks are deceiving, because pineapples are second only to bananas in popularity among the tropical fruits.

Because preparing fresh pineapple is a bit labor-intensive for many people, we have gotten used to using it from a can or a jar, but fresh pineapple is so much sweeter tasting that it’s well worth the effort.

Pineapple originated in South America and spread to the Caribbean, where Columbus found it during a voyage in 1493. The Spaniards thought it looked like pine cones (pin~a), hence the name. European explorers then carried pineapples to China and the Philippines, and in the 1800s, it was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, where it has now become the principal crop. Hawaiian pineapple growers were actually the first to can the fruit. In fact, with the possible exception of the place where they make chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and give out free samples, a trip to the pineapple plantations is one of the most interesting tours available on Oahu.

Nutritionally, pineapple is richest in vitamin C and manganese. Two-thirds of a cup has 49 calories and 25% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C. Pineapple juice, which is very concentrated and almost sickeningly sweet, has about 130 calories per cup and will give you 50% of your daily vitamin C requirements.

Even though you can get fresh pineapple year-round, the peak of the season runs from March through June. Like melons, pineapples don’t get any sweeter after harvest, even though they will get softer and riper if left at room temperature for a day or two.

Selecting a perfect pineapple has been the subject of a lot of myths. It doesn’t help too much to look at the color, or to thump it to see if it is solid, or to pull off one of the leaves to see how easily it comes out.

The most reliable method for selecting the best tasting pineapple is to look for a tag or a label that indicates the fruit was jet-shipped from Hawaii, even though these tend to be more expensive. Pineapples that have come by boat or truck from Latin America or Central America are often picked when still green, and they may be very tough and not very sweet.

The size of the pineapple doesn’t really affect the taste, but the larger the pineapple, the more edible flesh there will be. It should feel heavy for its size, the leaves should be green, and it shouldn’t be full of bruises or soft spots. A really good pineapple will actually smell like the tropics.

Because these fruits thrive in the tropics, they can actually be damaged by the cold, so use them as quickly as possible. If you have kept your pineapple out for a day or two to soften up, you can transfer it to the refrigerator for three to five days. Just make sure you put it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t dry out. Once you cut up pineapple, you can keep it in an airtight container for about a week.

Pineapples, like papayas, contain an enzyme that digests protein. This is good and bad news. The good news is that by marinating meat or poultry with fresh pineapple, you can tenderize and flavor it. However, you can’t use fresh pineapple in gelatin molds because they will never get firm.

You also don’t want to mix fresh pineapple with cottage cheese or yogurt until just before you serve it because the enzyme (bromelin) will change the flavor and consistency. Once pineapple has been heated, the enzyme is inactivated, so canned pineapple will not have the same effect.

If you’re into gadgets, there are special pineapple cutters you can buy that will remove the central core and make it easy to produce pineapple rings. But it’s not that difficult (although a little messy) to just cut it up with a sharp knife.

Start by cutting off the crown of leaves. Then slice downward just under the skin, being careful to follow the round shape of the fruit so you don’t lose a lot of it. Do this all the way around until the skin is off. Then you can cut it in half, remove the core and cut the remaining fruit into cubes. Save the top for decoration.

There is no shortage of ways to serve pineapple. Here’s a recipe for Pineapple Gazpacho Soup from the “Wellness Lowfat Cookbook” (Rebus, 1993).

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PINEAPPLE GAZPACHO SOUP

2 medium cucumbers

6 cups fresh pineapple or drained,

juice-packed chunks

One 14-ounce can plum tomatoes

with their liquid

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Wash, halve and seed the cucumbers, cutting them into chunks. Process cucumbers and pineapple in food processor or blender 45 seconds or until finely chopped. Add tomatoes and their liquid and process 15 seconds. Transfer to serving bowl.

Stem and seed the pepper, cut it into large chunks and process with the orange juice, lemon juice and mint. Add to serving bowl and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Makes 4 servings, each of which has 171 calories, 2 grams of fat, 66 milligrams of calcium, 113 milligrams vitamin C and 5 grams of fiber.

Dr. Sheldon Margen is professor of public health at UC Berkeley; Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. They are the authors of several books, including “The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition.”