FoodFood InformationFruitTropical
The pineapple is a tropical fruit that is believed to have originated
in Brazil and is now grown commercially in all tropical areas with a similar
climate and soil. Hawaii, Taiwan, the Philippines, Mexico, and Central America
are major producing areas.
The pineapple is highly prized as both a fresh and a canned fruit and canned
pineapple juice is very popular. The Hawaiians were the first to can pineapples,
which used to be their top industry before the advent of the jet age; now
tourism is number one. Today, much of our canned pineapple is processed
in Taiwan and the Philippines due to the much lower labor costs in the Far
East.
Pineapples are not grown in the continental United States. They are imported
from Mexico and Central America as well as Hawaii. On rare occasions a few
are also flown in from Africa's Ivory Coast. Until a few years ago we received
a fair supply of pineapples from Puerto Rico, but of late they have stopped
shipping fresh pineapples to the mainland. Cuba too was once an important
source.
There are several varieties of pineapple. Those grown in Hawaii and most
of those grown in Mexico and Central America are of a variety called the
Smooth Cayenne. Those grown in Cuba and Puerto Rico are usually of
the Red Spanish variety. All varieties of pineapple are sweet and
juicy if allowed to ripen fully before being harvested. Once the fruit
is severed from the plant, it ripens no further. If picked after having
reached full maturity and rushed to market without exposure to excess heat
or chill, the pineapples will have a high sugar content and a juicy texture.
If picked when immature, they will be woody in texture and not very sweet.
If they have been chilled, they will cut black. If they have been overheated
in transit, they will be very soft and possibly have spots of decay.
It wasn't until jets became common transport that Hawaiian pines became
available in all of our larger cities. They arrive now at your favorite
market no more than two or three days after they have been harvested. The
Hawaiian pineapples that you purchase locally are no different in flavor
and texture from those sold or served in Hawaii. They do, however, carry
higher price tags because of the high cost of air freight.
Not all pineapples are flown in via jet from Hawaii. Most sold in the United
States arrive via truck or boat from Latin America. These Latin American
pines look very much like the ones from Hawaii because both areas grow the
same variety. They are lower in price but usually not as sweet and juicy
as the Hawaiian pineapples. As a rule, the Latin American pines are picked
while still too green to reach full sugar content. At best they are pretty
good, but too often they cut woody and aren't sweet. Often during the winter
months they cut black. Purchasing a Latin American pineapple is a gamble
and there are at least as many losers as there are winners. Purchasing a
Hawaiian jet pineapple, even though it is more costly, is a far safer bet.
If you select one that is firm and not bruised, it's almost a sure thing.
The two biggest shippers of Hawaiian pineapples are Castle & Cooke,
which uses the Dole label, and Del Monte, which uses the Del Monte label.
Castle & Cooke has the lion's share of the market. Both firms attach
paper name tags to the crown of each pineapple and both firms ship (actually
fly) superb fruit of comparable quality at comparable prices. These same
two firms are the major shippers of Central American pineapples. Castle
& Cooke (Dole) grows them in Honduras and Del Monte in Costa Rica. They
also attach paper labels to the crowns of these pineapples. If a pineapple
doesn't have a name tag, it is probably a product of Mexico. Unfortunately,
not only do the pineapples from Hawaii and Latin America look alike, the
name tags are also deceptively similar. Millions of consumers have purchased
Latin American pineapples, assuming they came from Hawaii because of the
look-alike name tags. If you don't read the labels carefully, you won't
get the real thing.
The Dole name tag on the pineapples from Hawaii has the Dole logo, spells
out ROYAL HAWAIIAN-JET FRESH, and has a picture of a 747 jet plane. Any
other name tag that has the Dole logo or reads DOLE-PREMIUM but makes no
mention of the source is a Honduran pineapple.
The Del Monte Hawaiian pineapples bear the familiar Del Monte name tags
that also say: JET FRESH FROM HAWAII. Their Central American pineapples
have look-alike labels that read DEL MONTE PINEAPPLE. Here too no mention
is made of the source on the front of the label. But Costa Rica appears
in small print on the back of the label.
In some areas, retailers display or advertise the Latin American fruit as
Hawaiian pineapples. Although this deception is not condoned by the growers,
labeling their fruit as to source could easily put an end to this practice.
One of the latest gadgets at the produce counter is a machine that removes
the skin of and cores pineapples. While this may save time, it also wastes
pineapple because the die cannot be adjusted to the size of each fruit.
The most economical way to prepare a fresh pineapple is first to twist off
the green crown. Then lay it on its side on a cutting board. Slice the pineapple
as you would a loaf of bread in one-inch slices. Pare each slice as you
would an apple. This method won't take much time and very little pineapple
will be wasted.
When selecting pineapples, first check out the name tag to determine the
source of the fruit. Then pick the largest one in the pile that is firm
and shows some color. The Hawaiian growers claim that the shell color is
not a clue to ripeness, and the pineapples from Hawaii with green shells
are picked at maximum ripeness, but you will find that those that have a
trace of gold or orange color are sweeter and juicier. Occasionally you'll
see a pineapple that has a twin crown. While this extra foliage is very
attractive, don't buy a double-topped pineapple. If it has two tops it will
also have two cores. Pulling the leaves from the crown to determine the
ripeness of a pineapple is an old wives' tale and is as valid as kicking
the tire of a used car.
The flesh of a fully ripe pineapple will appear to be glossy and wet. This
is a plus and not a minus. It is a sign of high sugar content and full ripeness.
Pineapples should never be stored in a place where the temperature is below
50F. Since refrigerators have a range between 34F and 38F, they are too
cold for pineapples. When pines are kept under refrigeration for more than
a few days, they may cut black.
WHEN TO BUY: Available year-round
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm fruit with a trace of orange color; "Hawaii"
"]et Fresh" on the label
HOW TO STORE: Hawaiian pines are ready to eat when purchased; never store
uncut fruit in the refrigerator
Deamer 5/97