How To Juice A Pineapple

Here I will show you the two best ways to get all the luscious juice from your pineapple. Fresh pineapple juice is delicious all by itself but also is an excellent mixer for cocktails. Fresh pineapple juice in recipes adds a tropical twist and a natural sweetness without added sugars or preservatives. For best results use an electric juice machine. The second way is to use a blender.

How to Know When a Pineapple is Ripe

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Take a look at the color of the pineapple. It should turn a goldish-yellow color. This is when you know it is ripe. I have found that a completely golden pineapple is too far gone, or ready, ASAP. Take notice of the crown. The leaves should be fresh and green, not brown.

Next, smell the base of the pineapple. If there is no scent of tropical notes wafting in your face, it's probably still not ripe. A perfectly ripe pineapple has a lovely tropical aroma.

Feel the pineapple. If there are any mushy points, it's probably rotten and overripe on the inside.

Often, at the grocery store, the pineapples are firm and green. This will give you a few days to watch your pineapple get ripe so that you will soon have the sweetest fruit and juice. Plan ahead. Unripe pineapples will have a sour taste and are not suitable for consumption.

How do I ripen my pineapple?

Let your pineapple sit on the counter in a cool dark place at room temperature. The kitchen counter is a perfect spot! Lay the pineapple on its side and rotate it every day.

How to Cut a Pineapple

Fresh Pineapple Juice with a Juicer

• Using a sharp knife on a cutting board, Peel and core the pineapple.
• Cut into pineapple chunks, add to the juicer per appliance instructions and your fresh juice is ready to drink over ice cubes.

Check out the video at the bottom of this article for a quick tutorial to see how easy it is. This is my favorite way to juice a pineapple. I have two electric juicers and purchased them both at thrift stores for less than $15 in their original boxes. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to have a juicer but you might have to shop around.

There is loads of flesh in a pineapple, so this method of using a juicer is the preferred way to separate the juice from the pulp. You can eat the pulp or freeze it into popsicles. There are times when I don't want any pulp in the juice, such as when making my Coco Lopez Authentic Pina Coladas!

Is the Pineapple Core edible?

Yes. However, you don't want to put the core in your juicer. It's very firm and can tear up and wear down your appliance blades. You can also use a unique tool that cores the pineapple but for the sake of this article, I'm just using a knife here to demonstrate. If you want to make perfect round pineapple rings, you will need to use a pineapple corer.

I like to cut the core into long strips and freeze them. Later, I slide the strips into my bottle of water and I have pineapple essence water! This is the most refreshing tropical fruit juice. You can also use them as a stirrer in your pina colada. The pineapple core is edible and contains a concentration of nutrients.

Is Pineapple a Natural Blood Thinner?

Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which has some blood-thinning properties. It can help prevent blood clotting by interfering with the aggregation of platelets in the blood. It's not as powerful as aspirin or prescription medications but I wanted to mention this in case a person is already on a blood thinner, not to overdo it with consuming too much pineapple juice and over-thinning the blood along with those medications.

Pineapple is high in Vitamin C and great for the immune system.

How to Juice a Pineapple without a Juicer

The Blender. There are blenders that are so high-speed they also juice. They will pulverize the heck out of the entire thing (don't put that skin in there though! :)) I have a BlendTec blender and I've had it for over a decade. This blender is more like a power tool than a kitchen appliance. It is amazing and worth every penny we paid for it.

The result is a thick creamy juice. Great for cooking or smoothies but not my favorite for cocktails. You can filter this through a mesh strainer which can be tedious. Pineapple pairs great with smoothies too. It would be delicious in a Sweet Potato Smoothie.

Using a regular old-fashioned blender or food processor to juice the pineapple

• Peel and core the pineapple.
• Chop the pineapple into the smallest cubes possible.
• Add water to the blender with the pineapple.
• Strain with a mesh strainer.

Yes, you can still juice, it's just going to take you more time and effort. You will also need to add some water to the pineapple to move it through the processing. Dice your pineapple up in small pieces as much as possible before adding it to your blender. I usually add a little water no matter which method I use so it's perfectly okay to add.

At last, you can use a cheesecloth-lined colander or a mesh strainer and do it in small batches.

Should I add sugar to the fresh pineapple juice?

No. Unless your recipe calls for it, you shouldn't need to. If you juiced a perfectly ripe pineapple- it is already sweet. Pineapple juice is fairly high in natural sugars. You may find a pineapple juice recipe but if it is a perfect pineapple, no other ingredients are necessary.

How to store fresh pineapple juice

If you can, pour the pineapple juice into a clean glass pitcher with a lid or glass jar. Keep refrigerated and use the juice within 3 days. You will get an average of 1 ½ cups of juice from each pineapple.

Be "A Good Pineapple"

My husband has always told our daughters, "You're such a good pineapple." I don't know where he got that phrase from but whenever I see pineapples, I think about my daughters. I found this sign a few years ago for my youngest and I hope you like it too.

Watch the video tutorial below to see how easy it is to make fresh pineapple juice!