Pineapples, Fresh

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | Mar 14, 2006

I was the teaching assistant for an introductory "Science of Food" college class for a few semesters, and in the 'fruits' lab, we bought a few different kinds of fruits for the students to try, including canned and fresh pineapple. What always surprised me was 1st: quite a few of the young uns' have never had fresh pineapple; and 2nd: the students were always amazed at the difference in taste and texture of the two types. Canned pineapple is much softer and much less sweet than fresh pineapple - not that it tastes bad. In fact, it's actually quite tasty. But when you bite into a fresh pineapple, and that juice is dripping down your chin, I guarantee you'll think, "Ahhh. So that's what fresh tastes like." It's sweet, but also has a little tartness to it, and it's very firm in texture as well. There's a difference in color too, as canned pineapple is like a pale cousin to the vibrant yellow color of fresh pineapple.

And here's the best part about pineapples, the nutrition facts (from NutritionData.com). One cup (diced) has 74 calories, 2 grams of fat, 14 grams of sugar and 94% vitamin C - that's a natural antioxidant!

But I wonder how many people are like me, and walk by the pineapple in the fruits section, on your way to pick up the more popular fruits like apples, or grapes? For me, it's usually the $3.99 price tag. But, if you've overlooked pineapples in the past, how about giving it a try next time you're at the supermarket? (Extra: Instructions on how to peel a pineapple).

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