Preparing Fresh Pineapple

Cut up your pineapple within two days of arriving home, while it is still fresh.  You can refrigerate or freeze what you don't need right away.  Begin by wrenching off the fibrous leaf cluster on the top.  Just grab and twist.

Holding the pineapple upright, slice clear though the middle.

Use a good sharp chef's knife, it must cut through a large, firm section of the fruit.

Cut the halves into quarters.

Remove the core, and discard, unless it is a very sweet juicy pineapple, the kiddies love to chew on these, and if they are not around, cook's treat.

Switching to a sharp paring knife, slice downward on the end of the pineapple, until you get to the outer layer of the fruit.

Run the paring knife all around the edges, cutting through the center of the section you are working on.

The fruit will now be ready to slice and dice.  Turn it on a flat side and cut into ribbons.

Dice by cutting across those juicy golden ribbons.

Scrape the rinds firmly with a spoon to get every last bit of goodness out of that pineapple.

Fresh pineapple is great as a side dish, grilled (leaving it quarters or eighths)   and of course it is amazing in fresh fruit salad.  Remember not to put it in jello, as an enzyme in pineapple prevents the jello from thickening.

Freshly diced pineapple takes Hawaiian Haystacks to a whole new level.