Pineapples don’t want to help you. They’re covered in spikes. Their leaves are kind of sharp. Their skin is thick. You could say that pineapples are...aggressively introverted. Knowing anything about the fruit, let alone how to tell if a pineapple is ripe, seems like a doomed endeavor from the start. But inside, it’s a different scene entirely. Ripe pineapple is perfectly sweet, slightly tangy, and somehow packed with warm, sunny energy. (Sorry for sounding like a hippie or someone who believes in crystals, but it’s true.) But how can you tell what's going on with all that other stuff in the way?

Knowing how to tell if a pineapple is ripe is actually pretty simple—you just need to follow a simple three-step process. If it sounds like we’re trying to sell you on a weight-loss product or a new credit card, we’re not. We’re trying to find you a perfect pineapple. Here’s what to pay attention to.

The Color

When you think of pineapples, you probably think about a greenish-yellow fruit. But the exterior of a pineapple changes from a green-gray to yellow as it ripens, so as a general rule, the more yellow a pineapple’s exterior is, the riper the fruit will be. You want a pineapple that is consistently golden-yellow from top to bottom, but not getting into dark orange territory—that's gone too far. One interesting thing about pineapple is that it actually doesn't ripen much after it's been plucked from the tree, which means that the greener, less-ripe ones you see at the grocery store, well, they ain't getting any riper.

The Feel

Even when pineapples are perfectly yellow, they still have spikes. Sorry. We can’t do anything about that, but touching them still helps figure out if they’re ripe or not. The difference in texture won’t be as drastic as a ripe vs. unripe avocado, but a ripe pineapple will feel very slightly soft when you squeeze it. A rock-hard pineapple isn’t the one you want.

The Smell

Yeah, this is probably the one you already know. If the color and feel are to your liking, give the base of the pineapple a sniff. If the bottom of it smells ripe, fruity, sweet, and bright, that thing is probably good to go. But take warning: if it starts to smell funky and fermented, like vinegar, the pineapple has gone a bit too far. (Not that fermented pineapple is a bad thing per se; we just want it to happen on purpose, not by accident.)

Grab a ripe pineapple and put it on top of these short ribs, why dontcha?

How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe

Braised Short Ribs with a Pretty Great Bacon-Pineapple Situation on Top

Braising might sound like a fancy restaurant technique, but really it's really straightforward. You're just slow-cooking tough cuts of meat in liquid until tender, and once you've mastered this method you'll be able to braise just about anything. While a lot of recipes call for braising in stock, we say skip the sodium-laden store-bought stuff or the trouble of making your own and go with a simple but delicious combo of soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and brown sugar. We wouldn't steer you wrong.
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