How to Make Pineapple Juice
Pick the right pineapple., Cut off the stem., Peel the pineapple., Remove the eyes., Place your knife to the left of one diagonal line of eyes., Pick up your knife and place it to the right of the same diagonal line., Work your way down., Turn the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick the right pineapple.
If your pineapple is under ripe it will be sour.
If it is overripe, it may be way too sweet.
Picking the right pineapple is the most important step for making delicious pineapple juice.
Smell the pineapple.
A sweet scent is generally considered the most important aspect of choosing a ripe pineapple.
If it has no scent, it's not ripe.
Avoid pineapples that smell fermented.
Although you want the pineapple to smell sweet, you do not want it to be so ripe that the sweet smell has an alcoholic or vinegar-like taint to it.
Look at the pineapple's color.
It will often reflect a golden-yellow color, but a green pineapple is not necessarily unripe.
Be aware that some pineapples are considered ripe when green.
Place more emphasis on the pineapple's healthy appearance.
Avoid pineapples with wrinkled skin, reddish-brown skin, cracks or leaks, mold, or brown withering leaves.
You want the pineapple to be firm, but soft enough that it gives very slightly when you press down on it.
While you can use frozen or canned pineapple, fresh pineapples usually produce a better tasting juice. -
Step 2: Cut off the stem.
Set the pineapple on your cutting board.
You will need a very sharp chef’s knife to peel a pineapple well.
Lay it on its side.
Place your knife one-fourth inch (0.6cm) below the leaves.
Slice until you reach the leaves.
Turn the pineapple and repeat until you have cut the top of the pineapple and many of the leaves away in a circle.
Lift them up through the center leaves and discard them.
You can use the remaining center leaves to hold the pineapple steady as you cut it.
Some cooks suggest cutting the entire top off.
You can do this also, but you should be careful not to let your hand slip from the top of the pineapple.
Cutting the pineapple releases a lot of slippery juice. , Start at the top of the pineapple and slice through the outside peel until you reach the bottom.
You can cut in a slight outward facing arc in order to save more pineapple fruit.
Turn the pineapple clockwise about two to four inches (five to 10cm) and repeat.
Turn, slice and repeat until you have removed the peel and only the eyes remain.
Place the pineapple on its side and cut the bottom off horizontally.
Discard the skin of the pineapple in your compost or the garbage can. , Hold the pineapple vertically and notice how the eyes are arranged in diagonal lines.
Removing just the eyes will reserve the largest amount of fruit. , Cut in at a 45-degree angle just underneath the eyes. , Cut in at a 45-degree angle in the opposite direction.
When you slice this groove into the pineapple, the line of eyes will come free, keeping most of the sweet flesh on the rind. , Continue cutting from the top diagonal line to the bottom diagonal line, creating long parallel grooves in the pineapple’s flesh.
It will start to look like a spiral. , When you have worked your way around the pineapple, you will have a beautiful spiral pattern and bright yellow flesh., Cut the center core of the pineapple away in a vertical slice.
Discard the core.
This part of the pineapple is tough and fibrous.
It is also not very sweet. , Cutting your pineapple slices into chunks will help with blending it into juice later.
It doesn’t really matter what size chunks you cut, but aim for about 1-inch chunks or smaller. -
Step 3: Peel the pineapple.
-
Step 4: Remove the eyes.
-
Step 5: Place your knife to the left of one diagonal line of eyes.
-
Step 6: Pick up your knife and place it to the right of the same diagonal line.
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Step 7: Work your way down.
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Step 8: Turn the pineapple a quarter turn a repeat.
-
Step 9: Cut the pineapple into fourths vertically.
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Step 10: Chunk the pineapple.
Detailed Guide
If your pineapple is under ripe it will be sour.
If it is overripe, it may be way too sweet.
Picking the right pineapple is the most important step for making delicious pineapple juice.
Smell the pineapple.
A sweet scent is generally considered the most important aspect of choosing a ripe pineapple.
If it has no scent, it's not ripe.
Avoid pineapples that smell fermented.
Although you want the pineapple to smell sweet, you do not want it to be so ripe that the sweet smell has an alcoholic or vinegar-like taint to it.
Look at the pineapple's color.
It will often reflect a golden-yellow color, but a green pineapple is not necessarily unripe.
Be aware that some pineapples are considered ripe when green.
Place more emphasis on the pineapple's healthy appearance.
Avoid pineapples with wrinkled skin, reddish-brown skin, cracks or leaks, mold, or brown withering leaves.
You want the pineapple to be firm, but soft enough that it gives very slightly when you press down on it.
While you can use frozen or canned pineapple, fresh pineapples usually produce a better tasting juice.
Set the pineapple on your cutting board.
You will need a very sharp chef’s knife to peel a pineapple well.
Lay it on its side.
Place your knife one-fourth inch (0.6cm) below the leaves.
Slice until you reach the leaves.
Turn the pineapple and repeat until you have cut the top of the pineapple and many of the leaves away in a circle.
Lift them up through the center leaves and discard them.
You can use the remaining center leaves to hold the pineapple steady as you cut it.
Some cooks suggest cutting the entire top off.
You can do this also, but you should be careful not to let your hand slip from the top of the pineapple.
Cutting the pineapple releases a lot of slippery juice. , Start at the top of the pineapple and slice through the outside peel until you reach the bottom.
You can cut in a slight outward facing arc in order to save more pineapple fruit.
Turn the pineapple clockwise about two to four inches (five to 10cm) and repeat.
Turn, slice and repeat until you have removed the peel and only the eyes remain.
Place the pineapple on its side and cut the bottom off horizontally.
Discard the skin of the pineapple in your compost or the garbage can. , Hold the pineapple vertically and notice how the eyes are arranged in diagonal lines.
Removing just the eyes will reserve the largest amount of fruit. , Cut in at a 45-degree angle just underneath the eyes. , Cut in at a 45-degree angle in the opposite direction.
When you slice this groove into the pineapple, the line of eyes will come free, keeping most of the sweet flesh on the rind. , Continue cutting from the top diagonal line to the bottom diagonal line, creating long parallel grooves in the pineapple’s flesh.
It will start to look like a spiral. , When you have worked your way around the pineapple, you will have a beautiful spiral pattern and bright yellow flesh., Cut the center core of the pineapple away in a vertical slice.
Discard the core.
This part of the pineapple is tough and fibrous.
It is also not very sweet. , Cutting your pineapple slices into chunks will help with blending it into juice later.
It doesn’t really matter what size chunks you cut, but aim for about 1-inch chunks or smaller.
About the Author
William Young
Writer and educator with a focus on practical organization knowledge.
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