How to Cut a Pineapple

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[Narrator] Cutting a pineapple.

Many people avoid cooking with fresh pineapple

because they feel that it's a lot of work to cut,

but it's actually really simple and well worth the effort.

To choose a ripe pineapple,

simply tug on one of the inner leaves on top.

If it releases easily, your pineapple is ripe.

Another method is to smell the bottom of the pineapple.

If it has an intense, sweet, flowery smell,

then chances are the fruit is ripe.

To begin cutting, lay the pineapple on its side

and slice off the top and bottom using a sharp knife.

Stand the pineapple back up.

Start cutting off the skin

by making vertical slices from top to bottom.

Work all the way around,

following the shape of the pineapple.

Once the skin is removed, lay the pineapple on its side

and cut off any strips left that contain eyes.

These are the hard circles that you wouldn't want to eat.

Next, we'll cut our pineapple into quarters

and cut out the hard fibrous core from each quarter.

Finally, we'll cut the quarters into spears

that are perfect for eating.

If you want diced pineapple, just cut the spears crosswise.

Look at this delicious, juicy pineapple.

(lighthearted music)