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PINEAPPLES


The pineapple is a tropical fruit that is believed to have originatedin Brazil and is now grown commercially in all tropical areas with a similarclimate and soil. Hawaii, Taiwan, the Philippines, Mexico, and Central Americaare major producing areas.

The pineapple is highly prized as both a fresh and a canned fruit and cannedpineapple 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; nowtourism is number one. Today, much of our canned pineapple is processedin Taiwan and the Philippines due to the much lower labor costs in the FarEast.

Pineapples are not grown in the continental United States. They are importedfrom Mexico and Central America as well as Hawaii. On rare occasions a feware also flown in from Africa's Ivory Coast. Until a few years ago we receiveda fair supply of pineapples from Puerto Rico, but of late they have stoppedshipping fresh pineapples to the mainland. Cuba too was once an importantsource.

There are several varieties of pineapple. Those grown in Hawaii and mostof those grown in Mexico and Central America are of a variety called theSmooth Cayenne. Those grown in Cuba and Puerto Rico are usually ofthe Red Spanish variety. All varieties of pineapple are sweet andjuicy if allowed to ripen fully before being harvested. Once the fruitis severed from the plant, it ripens no further. If picked after havingreached full maturity and rushed to market without exposure to excess heator 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 overheatedin transit, they will be very soft and possibly have spots of decay.

It wasn't until jets became common transport that Hawaiian pines becameavailable in all of our larger cities. They arrive now at your favoritemarket no more than two or three days after they have been harvested. TheHawaiian pineapples that you purchase locally are no different in flavorand texture from those sold or served in Hawaii. They do, however, carryhigher price tags because of the high cost of air freight.

Not all pineapples are flown in via jet from Hawaii. Most sold in the UnitedStates arrive via truck or boat from Latin America. These Latin Americanpines look very much like the ones from Hawaii because both areas grow thesame variety. They are lower in price but usually not as sweet and juicyas the Hawaiian pineapples. As a rule, the Latin American pines are pickedwhile still too green to reach full sugar content. At best they are prettygood, but too often they cut woody and aren't sweet. Often during the wintermonths they cut black. Purchasing a Latin American pineapple is a gambleand there are at least as many losers as there are winners. Purchasing aHawaiian 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 attachpaper name tags to the crown of each pineapple and both firms ship (actuallyfly) superb fruit of comparable quality at comparable prices. These sametwo firms are the major shippers of Central American pineapples. Castle& Cooke (Dole) grows them in Honduras and Del Monte in Costa Rica. Theyalso attach paper labels to the crowns of these pineapples. If a pineappledoesn'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, thename tags are also deceptively similar. Millions of consumers have purchasedLatin American pineapples, assuming they came from Hawaii because of thelook-alike name tags. If you don't read the labels carefully, you won'tget the real thing.

The Dole name tag on the pineapples from Hawaii has the Dole logo, spellsout ROYAL HAWAIIAN-JET FRESH, and has a picture of a 747 jet plane. Anyother name tag that has the Dole logo or reads DOLE-PREMIUM but makes nomention of the source is a Honduran pineapple.

The Del Monte Hawaiian pineapples bear the familiar Del Monte name tagsthat also say: JET FRESH FROM HAWAII. Their Central American pineappleshave look-alike labels that read DEL MONTE PINEAPPLE. Here too no mentionis made of the source on the front of the label. But Costa Rica appearsin small print on the back of the label.

In some areas, retailers display or advertise the Latin American fruit asHawaiian 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 removesthe skin of and cores pineapples. While this may save time, it also wastespineapple 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 offthe green crown. Then lay it on its side on a cutting board. Slice the pineappleas you would a loaf of bread in one-inch slices. Pare each slice as youwould an apple. This method won't take much time and very little pineapplewill be wasted.

When selecting pineapples, first check out the name tag to determine thesource of the fruit. Then pick the largest one in the pile that is firmand shows some color. The Hawaiian growers claim that the shell color isnot a clue to ripeness, and the pineapples from Hawaii with green shellsare picked at maximum ripeness, but you will find that those that have atrace of gold or orange color are sweeter and juicier. Occasionally you'llsee a pineapple that has a twin crown. While this extra foliage is veryattractive, don't buy a double-topped pineapple. If it has two tops it willalso have two cores. Pulling the leaves from the crown to determine theripeness of a pineapple is an old wives' tale and is as valid as kickingthe tire of a used car.

The flesh of a fully ripe pineapple will appear to be glossy and wet. Thisis 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 below50F. Since refrigerators have a range between 34F and 38F, they are toocold for pineapples. When pines are kept under refrigeration for more thana 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 storeuncut fruit in the refrigerator

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