Last Updated August 20th, 2018 at 10:32 am by Lisa
Pineapple bowls or pineapple boats as they are known, are so pretty to serve fresh pineapple chunks, or for dishes like tropical coconut rice, teriyaki or huli huli chicken…
You can do this, step-by-step, it is EASY and looks so impressive! There are lot’s of fun ways to use a pineapple bowl, the first is just as a fruit bowl…
How To Make Pineapple Bowls:
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- Using a large knife cut the pineapple lengthwise and through the leaves into 2 halves.
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- Use a small serrated paring knife, cut around the edge of the pineapple leaving about 3/4” of the outside of the pineapple.
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- Next, remove center core by cutting down both sides of the core (it is tough) at a slight angle.
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- Remove the pineapple core, and discard as it is inedible.
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- Slice the pineapple into chunks down each side, careful not to cut through the pineapple skin.
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- Use a large serving spoon, scoop out the pineapple chunks, save the juice ~ drink it or make a smoothie!
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- Place pineapple chunks back into the bowl and serve. OR….
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- Make Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken and serve dinner in your pineapple bowls!
6 Tips On How To Pick A Ripe Pineapple:
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- Pineapples in Lima, Peru trip 2018.
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- Pineapples in a farmers market I visited in Havana, Cuba 2016.
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- Pineapples piled in a shopping cart, Lima Peru trip 2018.
TIP: First, smell the bottom for sweetness. This is the first tell-tale sign to determine how sweet and ripe your pineapple will be. Sugar comes from the bottom of the fruit, where it migrates to the top as it ripens. The bottom of the pineapple is where it should be most fragrant, so put your nose there (not on the crown).
TIP: If it smells sweet, like pineapple juice, it is ripe. If you smell nothing, that means there is insufficient sugar and the fruit will not be sweet ( it has been harvested too early). Pineapples ripen very little after they have been harvested, so you don’t want to pick one that is underripe, hoping it will get ripen later. Unfortunately, it won’t.
TIP: Next, Look for a yellow golden color. As the fruit starts to ripen, starting from the bottom, the higher the yellow rises toward the crown, the more sugar (and sweetness) it will have! Yellow on the bottom and green on the top will yield inconsistency in sweetness (i.e., some parts sweet, other parts not). Ideally, you want the yellow color to rise all the way to the crown, which means the sugar is distributed evenly through the fruit.
TIP: The greener the pineapple, the earlier they were picked.
TIP: Use the “Press Test.” A sweet (and ripe) pineapple will yield slightly to pressure.
TIP: Make sure to avoid overripe pineapples: they usually have reddish-brownish skins and dark dried leaves that crumble when you touch them and have a fermented smell. Pass on that pineapple, it will taste off, and be mushy and overripe inside.
More of my Pineapple recipes you will love…
- Pineapple Coconut French MadeleinesHawaiian
- Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Pineapple Rice Bowls
- Pineapple-Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Grilled Pineapple Rum Glazed Beef Kabobs
- Kahlua Pineapple Spiral-Cut Glazed Ham
And take a look at these 7 Recipes You Can (And Should) Eat Out of a Pineapple!
- 1 large fresh pineapple
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Using a large knife cut the pineapple lengthwise and through the leaves into 2 halves.
-
Use a small serrated paring knife, cut around the edge of the pineapple leaving about 3/4” of the outside of the pineapple.
-
Next, remove center core by cutting down both sides of the core at a slight angle.
-
Remove the center core of the pineapple.
-
Slice the pineapple into chunks.
-
Use a large serving spoon, scoop out the pineapple chunks, save the juice ~ drink it or make a smoothie!
-
Place pineapple chunks back into the bowl.
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Keep chilled in the fridge and serve within a day.
TIP: First, smell the bottom for sweetness. This is the first tell-tale sign to determine how sweet and ripe your pineapple will be. Sugar comes from the bottom of the fruit, where it migrates to the top as it ripens. The bottom of the pineapple is where it should be most fragrant, so put your nose there (not on the crown).
TIP: If it smells sweet, like pineapple juice, it is ripe. If you smell nothing, that means there is insufficient sugar and the fruit will not be sweet ( it has been harvested too early). Pineapples ripen very little after they have been harvested, so you don't want to pick one that is underripe, hoping it will get ripen later. Unfortunately, it won't.
TIP: Next, Look for a yellow golden color. As the fruit starts to ripen, starting from the bottom, the higher the yellow rises toward the crown, the more sugar (and sweetness) it will have! Yellow on the bottom and green on the top will yield inconsistency in sweetness (i.e., some parts sweet, other parts not). Ideally, you want the yellow color to rise all the way to the crown, which means the sugar is distributed evenly through the fruit.
TIP: The greener the pineapple, the earlier they were picked.
TIP: Use the "Press Test." A sweet (and ripe) pineapple will yield slightly to pressure.
TIP: Make sure to avoid overripe pineapples. they usually have reddish-brownish skins and dark dried leaves that crumble when you touch them and have a fermented smell. Pass on that pineapple, it will taste off, and be mushy and overripe inside.
I have always loved warm tropical places for vacation and a relaxing island vibe. When we can’t stick our toes in the sand the next best thing is to bring the islands home to us.
All The Best Dishes,
Lisa
XO
I did a dry run of this in hopes of having a pineapple boat at Easter brunch and it was so much easier than I thought and turned out beautifully! Thank you for this great how-to Lisa!