Cylindrical in shape has a tough diamond pattern skin and spine, cactus like leaves and a sweet, yellow, tangy fibre like flesh that is quite juicy with a characteristic fragrance. Salads, platters, juice, grilled, barbecues, savoury meals and sweet and sour dishes.

Selection:
Select fruit that is plump, heavy for its size (an indicator of good juice content), with green fresh looking leaves and a distinctive sweet-tropical aroma. Pineapples do not develop their golden appearance over winter, so a green tinged pineapple can still be ripe and ready to eat.

Storage:
Best stored in refrigerator use as soon as possible. Seal in plastic or keep in air-tight container if already cut.

Preparation:
Cut a flat surface at the top and base of the pineapple. Stand upright on the base and from the top cut off the thick skin to the base taking the ‘eyes’ with the skin. Pineapple may be sliced thinly into rings or cut lengthwise into quarters, remove the hard fibrous spine, then cut into wedges.

Try these recipes that use pineapple

• All year round fruit salad
• Grilled pineapple with starfruit
• Kebabs
• Tropical pizza
• Tropical pizza fingers 
• Tropical fruit delight