CUTTING A FRESH PINEAPPLE
Cut off the top and the bottom of the pineapple; discard.
Stand the pineapple on its end, then using a sharp knife going from top to bottom, run the knife between the prickly outer peel and the yellow fruit beneath it. Do this around the entire pineapple. When done, go back and redo the spots you missed, this time cutting a little deeper into the pineapple, so that there are no brown ‘eyes’ visible.
Now, cut the pineapple in half from top to bottom.
Lay each half flat side facing upward. You’ll see that in the center of each half, running from end to end is a hard core that is colored a little differently than the rest of the fruit, about an inch wide. Slide the knife along the edge, from end to end, cutting into the fruit at a slant going beneath the core. Do the same with the other side of the core, then lift core out. Cut the piece that remains in half from end to end, then crosswise into wedges the thickness you desire.
I don’t throw the core away any more. I slice it into thin wedges and keep them in a bowl on the counter and throughout the day eat them. Sure they’re more fibrous than desirable, but they’re still tasty and the fiber is good for you. Then for the recipe I have the primo piece of fruit that I will thoroughly enjoy.
ANIMAL-FREE SOUS-CHEF™ 