Part 1: ripening raw pineapple
1, judging the maturity of pineapple by smelling it. The common methods to judge whether most fruits are ripe are not suitable for pineapple. Smell the bottom of the pineapple: the obvious sweetness means that the pineapple is ripe, and nothing means that the pineapple is still raw. Frozen pineapple will never give off a strong fruity smell, so put it at room temperature for a while before smelling it. Pineapple with yellow skin is more likely to ripen than pineapple with green skin, but this method is not 100% accurate. Some pineapple skins are all green, but the flesh is ripe. Some pineapple skins are golden yellow or orange red, but the flesh is hard and astringent, and the taste is very poor.
2. Pineapples will become soft, but not sweet. Once the pineapple is picked, it will not continue to ripen. Pineapples placed on the kitchen stove will become softer and juicier, but the sweetness will not increase. The sweetness of whole pineapple is converted from starch in plant stems. Once the starch source is cut off, no new sugar will be produced in pineapple. Pineapples with green skins usually change color.
Sometimes the longer you leave it, the more sour the pineapple becomes.
3. Place the pineapple upside down (try it if you are interested). If there is still a little residual starch in the pineapple that can be converted into sugar, then this part of starch is hidden at the bottom of the pineapple. Theoretically speaking, putting pineapple upside down is beneficial to the diffusion of sugar, but it is difficult to judge the effect of actual operation, but this method is still worth a try. The color of pineapple skin also changes from bottom to top, although this has nothing to do with the maturity of pineapple after picking.
If it is difficult for the pineapple to stand upside down, twist off the top leaves and stand the bare end on a wet kitchen paper towel.
4. Put the pineapple at room temperature. Pineapples will soften in a day or two. If stored for too long, most pineapples will ferment quickly. If the pineapple is still raw when it is picked, it will not taste delicious even if it is left for a day or two. Read on and find out how to improve the taste of raw pineapple.
If you don't want to eat pineapple for the time being, put it in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days.
Part 2: Eat immature pineapple.
1 Be careful when eating raw pineapples. The newly formed raw pineapple may also contain toxins. Eating such pineapples will irritate your throat and cause severe diarrhea. Having said that, most of the pineapples in the market are blue in color, but they are at least partially ripe. Even ripe pineapples can make your mouth tingle or cause bleeding. The following methods can avoid this situation.
2. Cut the pineapple. Remove the head and tail of the pineapple and stand on the cutting board. Cut off the skin and pineapple eyes, and then cut the pulp into rings or pieces.
3. Roast pineapple on the barbecue grill. Roasting can turn the sugar in pineapple into caramel, and make the pineapple which is light and not yet fully ripe taste sweeter. High temperature will also neutralize bromelain. It is this enzyme that causes tingling and bleeding in the mouth.
4. Bake the pineapple slices in the oven. This method is similar to roasting pineapple on a barbecue grill, which can make pineapple sweet and delicious. If the pineapple is particularly raw and sour, sprinkle some brown sugar before baking.
5. Cook pineapple on low heat. Although this method can't convert the sugar in pineapple into caramel, slow cooking with small fire can neutralize all bromelain. If you feel a pain in your mouth when eating raw pineapple, you can treat the pineapple in this way before eating: pour the pineapple pieces into the milk pot together with the juice from cutting the pineapple.
Add enough water to the pot to cover the pineapple.
Boil the water with a medium-high torch.
Turn down the fire and cook slowly 10 minutes.
Strain off the water and let the pineapple cool.
6. Sprinkle sugar on the cut pineapple. If the pineapple doesn't taste sweet, sprinkle sugar on the pineapple in a lump or circle. Pineapples sprinkled with sugar can be eaten immediately, or covered in a container and stored in the refrigerator.
Tip Pineapples don't need to be put in paper bags or with other fruits. This method can be used to ripen pears, bananas and apples, but it has no effect on pineapples. The pineapple may turn yellow faster, but the taste will not change at all.
Pineapples ripened in summer are sweeter and have lower acidity than those ripened in winter.
Warning that storing pineapples in the refrigerator will slow down the softening and yellowing of pineapples. Refrigeration may even lead to pulp decomposition and dark color. However, this usually only happens after a few weeks of refrigeration. If you only plan to refrigerate the pineapple for two or three days, don't worry.