Of course, I’m referring to a full-sized ripe pineapple and not the small one in the photo above. But I couldn’t resist using that one because it’s one of my favorite photos from a vacation in Central Philippines in 2008. So, anyway…
Filipinos have a technique for skinning and cutting pineapple that is both frugal and creative. It’s not rocket science and does not even require any special tools nor fancy knife skills. Maybe it’s time for celebrity chefs to learn something that culinary schools don’t teach. The following photos are from 2012 when a family friend, Laura, regaled us with her pineapply skinning and cutting skills.
First of all, Laura says don’t cut off the leaves. That’s where you’ll hold the fruit to avoid touching the flesh with your bare hands. Very sanitary.
Start cutting off the skin from the top of the fruit to the bottom. Follow the natural curve of the fruit and cut as close to the skin as you can manage. Turn the fruit around little by little as you cut the skin. When all the skin has been cut off, it’s time to remove the eyes.
Hold the fruit at a 45-degree angle and make a diagonal slash about three quarters of an inch deep between the eyes. The slash should also be at an angle — like the left or right arm of a letter “V”.
Make another slash on the other side of the eyes, this time cutting toward the opposite direction. In effect, the first and second slashes should meet at the bottom forming a “V”. The cut “V” with the embedded eyes should now come off easily.
Go to the next row of “eyes”, repeat, and keep going until you have all the eyes removed.
Now, you can slice the pineapple into fluted-edged rings or wedges. I like cutting out the core but a lot of this blog’s readers say that the core is totally edible.
Recipes with pineapple
P. S. Interesting fact about pineapples: Did you know that nature has so arranged the “eyes” of the pineapple in accordance with the Fibonacci sequence—eight in one direction and 13 in the opposite direction?
