4 Foolproof Tips to Pick the Best Pineapple Every Time

These spiky tropical fruits got their name from the English due to resembling a pine cone. While they’re available year-round, peak season pineapples are available March through July. If you find yourself drawn to the pile of tropical beauties at the grocery store, you don’t want to wind up disappointed to come home and cut into an unripe, bitter pineapple. Here are our best tips to find the juiciest, most delicious fruit in the bunch.

How to Pick a Pineapple

In case you didn’t know, you can’t actually ripen a pineapple once it’s picked. That’s right, choosing a pineapple at it’s peak is essential. Here are your best bets for ensuring the pineapple is actually ripe and ready to eat before you buy it.

Smell It

Take a whiff of the bottom. The pineapple should have a rich, sweet, and fruity fragrance. “Usually how much pineapple you smell, the more ripe it is,” McConnell says. “The ones that aren’t ripe don’t smell like pineapple at all.” If the smell is overpowering or emits a fermented smell, it’s probably too far gone to eat. Basically, if it smells good, it will taste good.

Note the Color

Pineapples that are more yellow overall than green are usually an indicator of a ripe fruit. If the pineapple is very dark yellow or on the verge of looking orange, it’s probably overripe. Also, the leaves should be crisp and green rather than brown or yellow.

Observe Size and Weight

An average size pineapple weighs between 2 and 5 pounds. If it feels heavy for its size (similar to how you’d check a watermelon), it’s a good pineapple. If it feels light or hollow, it’s not good.

Touch It

You’ll want to pick a pineapple that is firm, but not too firm. It should be slightly soft to the touch when putting gentle pressure on the fruit. Avoid skin that has many soft spots or is mushy to touch.

Tug on a Leaf

A go-to method that always works for McConnell—pulling on the leaves. “If you can easily pull out a pineapple leaf from the top it’s ready,” she says.

What to Do with an Underripe Pineapple

So you bought a pineapple and it’s not ripe after all. While it won’t get any sweeter, you can store it at room temperature for a couple days to help reduce some of the acidity of an underripe pineapple. If the underripe pineapple is not pleasant to eat once cut, utilize by freezing chunks and adding to smoothies or toss them in a savory stir-fry recipe.

Where to Store Pineapples

Your uncut, ripe pineapple will stay fresh for up to 3 days sitting on the countertop. To extend the life, refrigerated it for up a couple more days. Once you’ve cut the pineapple, make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.