How to Tell If a Pineapple Is Ripe (and Sweet) Before Buying It

A pineapple farmer shares tips for picking a pineapple that’s ready to eat.

Knowing how to tell if a pineapple is ripe is not easy.

Unlike with some fruitlikefresh tomatoesor bananasthe texture of a pineapple is not always a reliable ripeness indicator.

So, how do you know when a pineapple is ready to eat?

We asked a pineapple farmer to explain how to choose a good pineapple every time.

Smell the Bottom

Unripe pineapples lack aroma, says pineapple farmer Emanuela Vinciguerra.

On the other hand, fully ripe and sweet pineapples have a unique and easily detectable smell.

When there’s a “sweet smell,” Vinciguerra adds, there’s a “sweet taste.”

A sweet smell can also indicate that the pineapple won’t be as acidic.

A lot of the acidic notes will have mellowed with ripeness, allowing fruity nuances to shine.

Some varieties of pineapples appear green whether they are ripe or not.

However, a mostly green pineapple can be a sign that it’s underripe.

“When at least one side has yellow color…that’s the best tip,” says Vinciguerra.

Don’t cut your pineapple until it has lost most, if not all, of its green.

If your pineapple feels heavy when you hold it, it’s probably ripe.

“For pineapple, it’s not really the feel,” Vinciguerra says.

“Even when it’s really ripe, it’skind ofhard.”

But don’t take the squeeze test completely off the table.

Ripe pineapples should feel firm but not hard.

If it’s rock solid, then it’s not ripe.

But as a pineapple ripens, the leaves change.

Pulling a leaf until it detaches should “not be a struggle.

It should come off easily,” Vinciguerra adds.

If the color is brown-gray, then it’s rotten.

The surface might also feel slimy when overripe or rotten.

(For a ripe pineapple, you want a smooth and shiny surface.)

To try this, put your pineapple in a paper bag and add an apple or a banana.

Leave it on the counter at room temperature, and check the pineapple in one to two days.

Vinciguerra recommends keeping pineapples on a counter and out of the fridge until they start to degrade.

When the fruit has turned all yellow, that’s when tostore a pineapplein the fridge.

Keep a whole pineapple uncovered in the crisper drawer until you’re ready to eat it.

Forcut pineapple, place the fruit in covered food containers.

Vinciguerra suggests eating refrigerated pineapple within a tight windowthree to five days maximum.

Frozen pineapple will keep longerup to a year if stored properly.

You may have to try this for yourself and see what you think.