How To Cut A Pineapple

Learn how to cut a pineapple in just a few easy steps with this step-by-step instructional photo and video guide. Fresh pineapple is great to use in cooking, grilling, desserts, or just have it as a snack.

Fresh cut pineapple is great to have as a snack or to add to recipes like Pineapple Fried Rice and Pineapple Salsa.

cup fresh pineapple chunks on a cutting board with part of a knife visible.

Table of Contents

Growing up, topical fruit like pineapples, coconuts, mangoes, and others, always seemed like an exotic treat. We didn’t buy them often and only when it was in season so it was a special occasion when mom brought home a pineapple. I’d feast of fresh pineapple slices all week long and it was wonderful.

Sweet, juicy, and slightly tangy pineapple is always a welcome addition to sweet and savory recipes. As good as it is for snacking, a burst of sweet and tangy flavors is perfect in a salsa, tropical fruit salad, in fish tacos, added to teriyaki chicken, or grilled with chicken. Recipes where to add this special fruit are truly endless.

Many people are intimidated by the tough exterior of this fruit like the spiky skin and sharp stalk. Even though it looks aggressive, don’t worry, a pineapple is actually very easy to cut and quite harmless. You will be able to get to the most desired sweetness inside within a few minutes.

whole pineapple on a wooden cutting board with a knife next to it.

How To Tell If Pineapple Is Ripe

There are three factors you want to look at and that’s the color, the feel, and the smell. Color of the pineapple and the tenderness is a little tougher to distinguish but the smell is a great indicator.

Always try to choose a pineapple that is ripe, right now, at the store. Unlike many other fruit, pineapples do not continue to ripen after it’s been picked. So if it’s cut too soon, you won’t get it much more ripe at home.

When it comes to the color, stay away from those that have too much green or too dark and orange. Those are either not ripe or over-ripe. The color you want to see is more of evenly golden yellow throughout.

There is a couple of things you can look for when feeling the pineapple. If it’s hard as a rock, it is not ripe and it you feel soft and squishy patches, then it’s started to over-ripen.

The smell is the best indicator whether the pineapple is ripe. Smell the bottom of the fruit and if it has a sweet and fruity aroma that you’re familiar with, that’s the one you want to get. If you don’t smell much at all or it’s starting to smell like it will turn into wine soon (fermented), then it’s not ripe or over-ripe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

collage of two images of pineapple with top and bottom cut off and cutting off the skin.

Step 1: Lay the pineapple on its side and use a large, sharp knife to cut the top and the bottom off. Make a cut about 1/2 inch or a little less off the top and the bottom.

Step 2: Stand it up on the bottom cut side and slice the outer skin layer off. Start at the top and cut down along the shape of the pineapple. Try not to cut too deep so you can save as much of the sweet flesh as possible. Slice off the “eyes” that are deep and brown. Tiny lighter ones are fine to leave.

pineapple without the top, bottom, and skin on the cutting board with cut-off pieces behind.

collage of two images of starting to cut and pineapple halves without the skin on the board.

Step 3: Keep the pineapple standing and slice it lengthwise down the middle to create two halves. Cut each half, lengthwise, down the middle to create quarters.

Step 4: Locate the thick core at the corner of each quarter and slice it off.

Step 5: Chop the pineapple quarters into 1-inch chunks. You can make them thicker or thinner as you wish. If planning on making salsa or fruit salad, dice it into small pieces.

collage of two images of cutting off center and cutting pineapple quarter into chunk with a knife.

Different Cuts Of Pineapple

Rings: If you want to make ring slices then the cutting method is a little different. Follow step 1 and 2 but instead of cutting in half, slice it width-wise, into circles.

Then, use a cookie cuter that is about 1 or 1 1/2 inches in diameter to cut out the core from each slice. Cut each ring in half if you wish to create ring halves.

Dice: if you want to do a small dice of pineapple for salsa or other toppings, don’t cut the pineapple quarters into chunks. Instead, follow 1 through 4 and then slice the pineapple quarters into long strips first, and then into a small dice.

The ingredients for pineapple salsa are placed on a wooden cutting board.

Storing Instructions

Whole pineapple

You don’t have to cut the pineapple the second you bring in from the store but try to do it within a day or two. It will be just fine left on the counter for a day but if you want to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator. You can keep the pineapple in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cutting.

Sliced pineapple:

You should store cut pineapple in the refrigerator right away. Place slices or chunks of freshly cut fruit into an air-tight food storage container and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.

Freezing:

To freeze fresh cut pineapple, sped it on a parchment paper covered large rimmed baking sheet. Make sure to spread it in one even layer and try to leave a little space between the chunks. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for 2-3 hours. (Set the timer so you don’t forget it.)

After that, you can portion the pineapple chunks into freezer zip-top bags or store it in one large bag. Make sure to label, get as much air out as you can, seal, and place back into the freezer.

Pineapple chunks are placed in two ziplock baggies.

FAQs

How to use fresh pineapple in savory recipes?

Add diced pineapple to teriyaki sauce and make chicken teriyaki with it.
Pineapple Grilled Chicken Kebabs are wonderful as an easy grilled dinner.
Use it in the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice.
Add it to various fish tacos or chicken tacos for a sweet and juicy burst of flavor.

How to use fresh pineapple in sweet recipes?

Make tropical fruit salad or add it to the classic fruit salad.
Fruit salsa is wonderful with some diced fresh pineapple added. It also works as a sweet dip.
Use it as a fresh topping for cupcakes, cakes, and cheesecake.
Use it in or to garnish your favorite cocktails like Pineapple Martini or Pina Colada.

What is the best knife to use to cut the pineapple?

Knife: I recommend a larger chef’s knife. So even if you use a smaller, like a 7″ knife, using a 9″ might be easier cut the large pineapple.
Cutting board: when it comes to cutting boards, use wood or plastic only! Do not ever use glass or other hard cutting boards. They dull your knives and can cause the knife to slip.
Pineapple corer: if you cut a whole pineapple into rings very often, then investing into a pineapple corer may be worth it. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money. Simply cut a whole skinned pineapple into rings and use a cookie cutter to cut out the centers.

Some More How To Posts To Check Out

How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

How to Bread Down a Whole Chicken

Breaking Down a Whole Beef Tenderloin

How To Clean a Squid

How To Freeze Meatballs

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