Pineapples are synonymous with the tropics, good weather and fun times at the beach. The fruit has almost become a symbol of a good vacation and is often associated with islands such as Hawaii and Costa Rica, which grow more than half of the pineapples consumed in the world.
Because pineapples are not grown worldwide, they are often picked when they are not quite ripe and shipped off to colder climates.
So, by the time it shows up in your supermarket, it might still not be quite ripe. So, how do you quickly ripen a pineapple?
Well, lucky for you, we have a bunch of methods that you can use to speed up the process, so continue reading below for super helpful tips.
How Do You Know When Pineapples are Ripe?
An unripe pineapple will be hard to cut, will be very sour and will be for the most part be inedible.
There are a couple ways to tell if a pineapple is ripe, so keep reading to find out.
They Have a Sweet Smell
Pineapples give off a powerful sweet aroma when they are ripe. Before you even see the fruit, you will smell it, especially if you are in a warm climate. If you have a ripe pineapple in your kitchen, you will smell it as soon as you enter.
Check the Pineapple’s Skin
The second way to know a ripe pineapple is by its skin color. Ripe pineapples are generally golden yellow or a combination of bright orange and yellow. Using color however, is not a foolproof method, as some varieties will still look greenish towards the bottom when they are ripe.
Feel The Pineapple to See If It’s Ripe
A better way to tell a ripe pineapple is through touch. Note that both green and ripe pineapples will have spikes, but a ripe pineapple will feel soft if you press on it. A green pineapple will be hard and almost rock like.
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3 Best Ways to Ripen Pineapples Quickly
Green pineapples are not recommended for consumption. Not only are they generally sour, they can be toxic. Unripe pineapples can cause itching of the tongue and throat, and can trigger effects similar to those of taking a laxative.
Because of this, it is extremely important to ensure that pineapples are at least halfway ripe before consuming them. So, how do you go about ripening them quickly?
Ripen Pineapples by Placing Them in Warm Temperature
Keeping fruits of any kind at room or warm temperatures generally fast track the ripening process. This is also true for pineapples. To help the process along, keep the pineapples close to other fruits that produce ethylene, like bananas or apples.
This should speed up the process by at least a day or two. If you’re looking to enjoy the fruit in a much faster time frame, then continue reading for more efficient methods.
Place the Pineapple in a Paper Bag with a Banana or Apple
The trusted paper bag method that works to ripen papaya, also works for pineapples. Simply take the unripe fruit, put it in the bag and place it in a warm location. Avoid closing the bag completely as oxygen helps the process along.
To kick things up a notch, place a ripe banana or other ethylene producing fruit into the bag. This should advance the process and you could have ripe pineapples in as little as a day.
Storing the pineapple upside down is also thought to help distribute the sugars evenly and help in the ripening process.
Ripen Pineapples in a Container with Rice
If you happen to have a container that’s large enough and enough of the product on hand, then you can bury the pineapple along with an ethylene producing fruit in rice. The rice will trap the ethylene gas and prevent it from escaping, which will in turn speed up the ripening process by one to two days.
While this will require quite a bit of rice, the rice will still be edible after the pineapple ripens.
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