How to Store Pineapple: 4 Easy Storage Methods

A pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit known for its sweet flavor, golden-yellow color, and unique health benefits. Pineapples contain manganese and vitamin C, which may strengthen the immune system. They also contain a mixture of proteolytic enzymes called bromelain, which breaks down proteins and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Pineapple fruits grow out of flower heads on the pineapple plant, an herbaceous perennial that grows in tropical regions. Spiky green leaves grow from the top of the pineapple. These leaves, as well as the armor-like pineapple skin, are not edible.

Pineapples are a common ingredient in desserts, smoothies, and juices, and you can chop and consume them raw.

Picking a good pineapple from the grocery store makes all the difference. Here are some tips to consider if you want to pick a perfectly ripe pineapple:

1. 1. Look at the color. A ripe pineapple should be mostly yellow on its exterior, with a little bit of brown at the crown where its leaves are. A green pineapple isn’t ripe enough, while a dark golden yellow or orange option may be overripe. Choose a pineapple with as much bright yellow skin as possible.
2. 2. Squeeze the fruit. Another way to test the ripeness of a whole pineapple is to give it a light squeeze. A fully ripe pineapple will have firm outer skin with just a bit of give, while underripe pineapples will be completely hard.
3. 3. Judge the weight. A ripe pineapple will be heavier than an unripe pineapple because there are more sugary juices in the interior flesh of the fruit.
4. 4. Smell the bottom. Smell the bottom of the pineapple to get a sense of its ripeness. It should have a sweet, fruity smell, not a sour one. No smell may indicate your pineapple is unripe.

Pineapple does not ripen after picking because the fruit can only ripen with the steady infusion of starch, which the plant sends into the fruit via the bottom. Once you sever the pineapple from the plant, that starch supply disappears.

While it’s not possible to ripen the fruit on your own, you can make an underripe pineapple a bit more appetizing. Try storing a whole pineapple in a brown paper bag at room temperature, which will help soften the fruit and make it nicer to eat.

Alternatively, toss a few bananas into the bag to speed up the softening process. Another hack is to turn an unripe pineapple upside down, which helps spread starch and sugar throughout the fruit.

An uncut, ripe pineapple will last for around three days on the countertop before it becomes inedible. You can extend the life of your uncut pineapple by an extra three days if you keep it in the fridge.

Trimmed and cut pineapple keeps for five to seven days when you store it in an airtight container in your fridge. Frozen pineapple—whether you have fresh pieces or dehydrated slices—will keep for up to a year.

There are a few ways to keep pineapple fresh for as long as possible. Here are some methods for storing the tropical fruit:

1. 1. On the countertop: Store an uncut pineapple on your kitchen countertop for up to three days. Ensure that it is not in a location with too much heat or sunlight, which will hasten its degradation.
2. 2. In the refrigerator: You can refrigerate an entire pineapple to extend its shelf life from what you’d get on the countertop. Find the warmest part of your refrigerator, and store your whole uncut pineapple there for six days. Store cut pineapple pieces or slices in the fridge in an airtight container, where it will keep for up to seven days. If you notice a burning sensation on your taste buds when you bite into it, the fruit has gone bad.
3. 3. In the freezer: If you want to store your pineapple for longer than a few days, you can cut it up and freeze it for up to a year. Simply cut your pineapple into pieces and place them in the freezer on a baking sheet with parchment paper. They should freeze solid within about two hours. Remove them from the freezer, place them in airtight freezer bags or food storage containers, and put the bag in the freezer.
4. 4. Dehydrate and bag: Make dried pineapple slices or chunks in your dehydrator, which will extend its shelf life to two to four weeks when kept at room temperature. Freezing dehydrated pineapple slices extends its shelf life to a year. To prepare the fruit for the dehydrator, slice it up into pieces no thicker than ¾ of an inch. Place your pineapple slices on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate them for twelve to sixteen hours at one-hundred and thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Store the pineapple in a vacuum-sealed bag in either your pantry or in the freezer.

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