Cutting a Whole Pineapple

I had a weekend filled with lots of fun events: a fish fry, a play, and St. Norbert alumni event. Despite my wonderful weekend, I had a "first!" I cut up a whole pineapple.

After stopping at Sendik's to pick up a few things for the week, I saw pineapple listed at $2.99 a piece. As the containers of already-cut pineapple tend to sell for about $5, I knew this was a good deal. As I looked at the pile of pineapples, I remembered that my most recent Bon Appetit issue had a "how-to" page where they described the proper steps to cut up a pineapple. I am not kidding when I say cutting up fruit (or squash) often intimidates me. So, I bought a pineapple and cut it up (according to the "rules") to go with our dinner and to eat throughout the week. I only ate a little bit last night, but it tasted delicious and was well worth the $3.

I decided to look up some information on pineapples and here is what I learned from another Bon Appetit article:

• Although pineapple appears to be a single fruit, it is actually 100s of fruit-lets
• A pineapple won't get any riper after it is picked...it will only get softer
• A pineapple's natural enzymes can work as a meat tenderizer and is useful in marinades

So, pineapple brought me a new victory in the kitchen and some new knowledge. Needless to say, I am thankful for the pineapple.