Compare prices for fresh pineapple across Edmonton retailers.
Pineapples are non-climacteric: they do not keep ripening after they are cut from the plant, and although the shell may turn more golden on the counter, the flesh gains no extra sweetness, so the fruit in the bin is as sweet as it will ever be. That makes selection the whole job — there is no buying a green one to bring along at home, and the way to have good pineapple later in the week is cold storage of a ripe fruit, not waiting for an underripe one to come around. The most reliable test is smell: turn the pineapple over and sniff the base, where a ripe fruit gives a full, sweet pineapple fragrance, while no smell means it was picked early and a sharp, vinegary, or fermented smell means it is going over. Back that up by weight and feel — a good pineapple is heavy for its size, firm with only the slightest give, and golden or warm yellow creeping up from the base, with fresh green leaves and no soft or dark patches. Ignore the popular trick of tugging a crown leaf to judge ripeness; it is unreliable, and the base aroma tells you far more.
A pineapple is ready to eat the moment a heavy, fragrant, slightly yielding fruit is in hand — there is nothing to wait for. A whole pineapple holds two to three days at cool room temperature, and refrigerating a ripe one buys a few extra days, but pineapple is cold-sensitive, so it is not for long cold storage: held for a stretch below about 7 °C the flesh suffers chilling injury, turning dull, water-soaked, and brown near the core. Once cut, refrigerate the pieces in an airtight container and use them within about five days. Standing the whole fruit upside down on its crown for a day before cutting is a common trick to let the heavier sugars at the base spread through the fruit, though the difference is modest.
A pineapple is past its prime when the base smells sour, boozy, or fermented rather than sweet, when the shell develops soft, darkened, water-soaked spots or leaks juice, or when the crown leaves turn brown and wilted; any fuzzy mould or a slippery, off-smelling surface means it should be discarded. Cut flesh that has gone translucent and mushy, or smells of alcohol, has begun to ferment and is no longer good for fresh eating. Fruit that is merely very ripe and a little soft but still smells sweet and clean is fine to use right away and works well in cooking, juice, or smoothies.
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