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How to Make Cutting Pineapples as Easy-Breezy as a Walk on the Beach

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If how to cut a pineapple has you completely stumped, you’re not alone. This tropical delicacy is a crowd-pleaser, but its prickly skin and tough core has the potential to challenge everyone’s knife-wielding skills. The good news: Cutting a pineapple is a lot easier than you think.

So if you’re in the market for new ideas on how to cut a pineapple easy, you’ve come to the right place. FirstForWomen.com teamed up with Claudia Sidoti, head chef for HelloFresh, for tips on how to cut up a pineapple like a ninja.

How to Cut a Pineapple Properly

More than a few fruit-lovers have chopped, diced, and sliced their way through countless pineapples in an attempt to figure out how to cut a pineapple with a knife. Unfortunately, this often results in some epic fails.

Most people don’t know the techniques for how to cut open a pineapple are actually quite simple, once you’ve mastered them. That’s where Sidoti comes in.

This savvy chef knows a knows a thing or two about how to cut a whole pineapple. After years of perfecting her skill, she has come with the following steps on how to cut a fresh pineapple.

  1. Place the pineapple on its side on your cutting board.
  2. With a sharp cook’s knife, slice off the crown and about a half-inch from the top of the pineapple.
  3. Stand the pineapple upright on the cutting board. Use the knife to to carefully cut away the skin, from top to bottom, following the shape of the pineapple. The outer edge of the pineapple is the sweetest part, so you want to keep as much of that as you can.
  4. Slice the bottom half-inch of the pineapple.

Now you’re ready to take your pineapple-cutting skills to the next level!

How to Cut a Pineapple Into Rings

how to cut pineapple fancy

(Photo Credit: Hello Fresh)

Pineapple upside down cake is a classic American dessert that combines rich, moist cake with pineapple rings and cherries on top. But to make this traditional dessert, you need to know how to cut a whole pineapple into rings.

  1. Lay the pineapple horizontally on your cutting board, and use a sharp cook’s knife to remove the top by slicing about a quarter-inch below the base of the leaves.
  2. Stand upright and peel the skin, slicing down from the top of the fruit. The sweetest parts of the pineapple are closest to the skin, just behind the brown “eyes” left behind after you’ve sliced off the skin. To preserve all that flavor, try not to hack too much fruit as you cut the skin.
  3. Once you’ve peeled the pineapple, place it on its side to chop off the base. and cut fruit into rings by slicing straight down width-wise, thickness to taste.
  4. The fiber-rich core is edible, but lots of people remove it because it isn’t very sweet—and it’s tough to chew. If you’re one of them, use a small paring knife to cut it from each ring.

How to Cut a Pineapple Into Chunks

how to cut pineapple chunks

(Photo Credit: Hello Fresh)

While not as fancy as pineapple rings, knowing how to cut up a pineapple into chunks is a basic culinary skill you can master at home.

  1. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters.
  2. Cut out the tough core, then cut each quarter lengthwise again.
  3. Cut crosswise into chunks.

How to Cut a Pineapple Hack

The internet is your “go-to” for hacks on how to cut a fresh pineapple. From ideas on how to cut a fancy pineapple to how to cut a pineapple boat, you’ll find plenty of inspiration on YouTube and Pinterest. Here are a few hacks to help you learn how to cut a whole pineapple.

How to Cut a Pineapple a Fancy Way

how to cut pineapple rings

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

  1. Cut the pineapple in half.
  2. Then halve that half.
  3. Slice chunks and separate from the peel.
  4. Stagger the slices, and you end up with a gorgeous-looking pineapple that is ready to serve — no plates or platters required!

Typically, you only need a sharp knife for cutting a pineapple. But if you buy pineapples often, you may want to invest in a corer and slicer. These tools can help you cut the fruit in seconds and get rid of that chewy middle part that no one wants to eat. There are several brands available, but they all perform the same task: They help you learn how to cut a pineapple the easy way.

How to Use a Corer

  1. Make sure you have a flat surface and cut off the top of the pineapple.
  2. Press the corer into the center of the pineapple until it grips the fruit.
  3. Twist the corer’s handle clockwise while pushing it down. You’ll notice it is making a spiral slice through the pineapple.
  4. Once the corer reaches the bottom, pull it out, and slide the rings off. Now you have pineapple rings that you can cut into chunks.

If you’re planning a summer party, pineapple boats filled with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries make the perfect tropical dessert. One pineapple makes two boats.

How to Cut a Pineapple Boat

  1. Using a large cook’s knife, slide the pineapple in half (including the fronds at the top).
  2. Remove the core from each half.
  3. Remove the fruit from the skin of each half and cut into chunks.
  4. Place the pineapple chunks, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries back into the boat and serve.

This post was written by Sara Lindberg.

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