Pineapple:

Pineapple belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, which originated in the
American tropics . It is a herb-like plant with long narrow
leaves. Each plant flowers and fruits only once and dies after fruiting. The
fruit looks like a spinning-top with scaly skin. Two varieties are normally
used. These are the Ripley Queen, which has rough, prickly leaves, and the
Smooth Cayenne variety with smooth leaves .
Pineapple requires well-drained, composted soil. Because the
root system of pineapples is shallow, they can be grown at
very high planting densities on hillsides or flat land
. They are grown from suckers or tops
of the mature fruits after they have been harvested.
Pineapples require plenty of attention to keep weeds
down. Mulching is a good way to keep the weeds in
check. After about 18
months, they will produce fruits. Pineapples can
also be made to fruit during the off-season
through the use of chemicals, in order to fetch
higher prices in the market.
Selection
Pineapple must be properly ripe to develop its sweet taste. When the fruit
is not ripe, it tastes acidic or sour. When selecting pineapple, choose wholesome,
freshly picked ripe fruit, not deformed, either evenly yellow-green or
yellowish at the base and greenish towards the top end of the fruit. Check
that the base is freshly harvested. The fruit should be firm all around, with
a fresh, sweet pineapple smell and not smell rotten or fermented.
Yellow–orange coloured fruits tend to be over-ripe. If the fruit has an ‘off’
or slightly fermented smell, or the base looks old, it should be rejected. The
Smooth Cayenne’s larger fruit, with smooth skin, is juicier than the Ripley
Queen, which is rough-skinned but sweeter. When choosing Smooth
Cayenne, select firm fruits that are reddish-yellow in colour. Do not cut
unless the fruit is fully ripe, as the green fruit has a poor flavour. Most 
pineapples sold in the Pacific Islands are harvested mature.

Storage
Mature fruits will change colour in storage. Stand the fruit upright in a
cool, ventilated area. Under cool conditions, pineapples will keep for two
to three days. Deterioration occurs quickly above 20°C. For
longer storage, remove tops and keep cool. Pineapple can be cut into cubes
and deep-frozen. Prepared slices and crushed pineapple can be preserved by
bottling or by stewing and then freezing.
Preparation
Remove the top and base of the fruit and cut downwards with a sharp knife.
Remove the ‘eyes’ by cutting diagonal wedges about 1/2 –3/4 cm in a spiral
around the fruit. Cut fruits in halves or quarters or into round slices.
Remove core if desired and serve.
Fresh pineapple contains a substance called bromelain that can produce a
bitter taste when pineapple is mixed with fresh pawpaw and left to stand.
Therefore the two fruits should not be mixed until just before serving.
Bromelain is made inactive by cooking.
Food value
Pineapple provides Vitamin C, dietary fibre and small amounts of minerals
and vitamins. A hundred grams of pineapple provides approximately 22 mg
of Vitamin C and 214 kJ or 52 kcal of energy . To
take advantage of the Vitamin C, pineapple is best eaten fresh.
Use
Ripe pineapple fruit is usually eaten fresh. It is also used as an ingredient in
fruit salads, drinks, cooked desserts and savoury dishes. The fruit can be
processed into juice and dried into glazed pineapple pieces.
The bromelain in pineapple allows the fruit to be used as a meat tenderiser.
Bromelain is only present in raw, fresh pineapple 
. A marinade is usually prepared by mixing cooking oil with lemon
juice and slices of pineapple. Meat is then added to the mixture and left to
stand for two hours before use.
.