Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids

About Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids

The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit with a tough, spiky skin and a spray of stiff green leaves crowning sweet, tangy golden flesh. Native to South America, it grows not on a tree but low to the ground on a leafy plant, and each fruit is actually many small berries fused together around a fibrous central core. Popular types range from the ultra-sweet, low-acid Extra Sweet (MD-2) pineapples that fill most grocery stores to Queen and Sugarloaf varieties.

Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese and contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, gives fresh pineapple its pleasant tingle, keeps gelatin from setting, and works as a natural meat tenderizer. It is eaten fresh in spears and rings, blended into smoothies, juice, and tropical drinks like pina coladas, grilled until caramelized, simmered into jam, and added to salsas, sweet-and-sour stir-fries, glazed ham, and of course pizza.

Because pineapple does not ripen further once picked, choose one that smells sweet at the base and feels heavy for its size, steering clear of any sour or fermented aroma. Keep a whole pineapple at room temperature for a day or two, then refrigerate it, and store cut fruit chilled in an airtight container.

Source: USDA FoodData Central & FooDB. Values are per 100 g, edible portion.