How to Cut a Pineapple

Wondering how to cut a pineapple in the most efficient way that yields as much of the fruit as possible? Adding fresh pineapples to green smoothies and desserts makes it worth your time to learn how to do it. Follow the steps below and you’ll be a pineapple chopping pro in no time!

I love adding fresh pineapples to my smoothies, such as green smoothies or this piña colada smoothie. Pineapple wedges add amazing flavor to just about every treat!

How do you pick the best pineapples? This is a common question. Got more pineapple questions? Let’s answer them and chat about the best way to cut pineapples.

How to Cut a Pineapple With a Knife

1. Cut off the top of the pineapple. Flip the pineapple so the cut-side is down and place it on a plate. Place the plate in a fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes (to allow the juices to distribute throughout the pineapple).
2. After 30 minutes, place the pineapple on its side on a cutting board and cut off the bottom of the pineapple. 
3. Remove the fibrous skin. Cut down, vertically, around the edges of the pineapple, creating thin slivers Cut off any eyes that remain.
4. Cut the pineapple into rings or chunks, depending on your preference.

Here are more detailed instructions with step-by-step photos:

Step One: Prepare the Pineapple

When a pineapple is picked and then shipped and stored on supermarket shelves, they are mostly with the crown on top. As a result, many of the fruit’s juices can sink towards the bottom. The first step, then, will be to distribute the juices throughout the fruit. You can skip this step, but it does have an impact, especially if your fruit is less juicy to begin with.

Here are the steps to prepare the pineapple:

• Cut off the top of the pineapple.
• Flip the pineapple so the cut-side is down and place it on a plate.
• Place the plate in a fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes or up to 3 days (to encourage the juices to distribute throughout the pineapple).

Step Two: Remove the Fibrous Skin

Once you’ve chopped the top off the pineapple top, it’s time to remove the fibrous skin.

• Cut off the bottom of the pineapple so it’s flat on top and bottom.
• Use a knife to cut down the sides, removing the fibrous skin in sections
• Use a paring knife to remove any eyes or brown spots in the fruit

Step Three: Cut the Pineapple

Next, you’ll want to decide how you’re going to cut the pineapple — in rings or in chunks.

If you’re planning to use the rings in some dessert, say vegan pineapple upside-down cake, then rings are the obvious choice.

If you’re planning to freeze them for use in green smoothies, chunks may be the easiest way to go. See below for both methods, including removing the inedible core.

How to Open a Pineapple Without a Knife

You can open a pineapple with minimal waste and without using a knife! Here’s how:

1. Begin with a very ripe pineapple.
2. Grab the crown by your hand and twist it until it comes off.
3. Now, hold the pineapple vertically and tap it with some force down on a cutting board. Repeat this 10 to 15 times.
4. Turn the pineapple on its side and use both your hands and roll it, pushing down on the sides of the pineapple as it rolls. Repeat this 10 to 15 times.
5. Beginning at the very ripe bottom of the pineapple, dig your finger along the sides of one of the eyes, reaching inside and pulling it out.
6. Repeat this with adjacent eyes. It gets easier as you have more room to stick your fingers inside the pineapple.

How to Cut a Pineapple 4 Ways

1. Cutting Pineapple Slices

1. Place the skinned pineapple on its side on a cutting board.
2. Cut it horizontally into equal sizes.

There, you will have several slices of pineapple, perfect to serve as snacks.

2. Cutting Pineapple Rings

Here are the steps to cutting pineapple rings:

1. Follow the steps above for cutting pineapple slices.
2. Use a small round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out the core on each slice.

3. Cutting Pineapple Chunks

Here’s how to cut the pineapple into chunks.

1. Quarter the pineapple. Cut the pineapple in half, starting at one cut-end and cutting down through the other cut-end. Then, cut each half in half.
   
2. Remove the inedible core. Stand each pineapple quarter up on the cutting board and cutting down just behind the core. Start cutting from the top of the pineapple down to the bottom. Repeat this with each of the quarters.
   
3. Create pineapple chunks. Cut each quarter in half. Line them up and then cut horizontal slices, creating even chunks.
   

4. Cutting Pineapple Spears

These are the steps to make pineapple spears:

1. Follow the steps above to quarter the pineapple and remove the core.
2. Cut the cored pineapple into long spears.
3. Serve the spears with your favorite dips or vegan yogurt.