A pineapple is ripe when it meets several key indicators:
- Color: The skin, especially near the bottom, should be a light to medium yellow. Some green is okay, but a mostly green pineapple is underripe, and a very dark yellow or orange one is overripe.
- Feel: The pineapple should feel heavy for its size, indicating juiciness. It should be firm but yield slightly when pressed, with a little give but not too soft.
- Smell: Smell the bottom of the pineapple. A ripe pineapple has a sweet, fruity aroma. If it has no smell, it may be underripe; if it smells fermented or too strong, it's overripe.
- Leaves: The leaves on top should be green and healthy. Some say that pulling a leaf from the center easily means the pineapple is ripe, but this is more about how recently it was harvested.
- Shape and Texture: Look for a pineapple with relatively large, round "eyes" (the segments on the skin) and a round, evenly shaped body.
- Sound: Knocking on the pineapple and hearing a dull, muffled sound rather than a hollow one is a good sign of ripeness.
Pineapples do not ripen significantly after being picked, so these signs help pick one already at peak ripeness. In summary, choose a pineapple that feels heavy, has a sweet smell at the base, a slight give when pressed, healthy green leaves, a yellowish color at the bottom, and an even round shape for the best ripe fruit.
