More recently, such an exotic fruit as pineapple was a curiosity for all of us. As soon as he appeared on store shelves, huge lines lined up behind him - everyone certainly wanted to try an incredibly delicious tropical fruit. Children were indescribable delight, having received such a treat as a gift. Today, the situation has changed dramatically, fruits and vegetables from other continents have long been a rarity. We not only know their taste and learned how to cook many delicious dishes, but also appreciated the benefits of these products. But do we all know how to store pineapple at home correctly?
Exotic guests
The tropics are generous with their gifts, their fruits are the richest storehouse of vitamins and all kinds of usefulness for our body. The lack of which, we, residents of cooler regions, especially feel in the winter. The desire to pamper yourself and loved ones with something unusual and tasty is growing ahead of the winter holidays. Overseas fruits can be bought in advance to avoid unnecessary fuss on the eve. But how to store pineapple at home until the New Year and at the same time save all its benefits? Not everyone knows this.
The road to your home
Most exotic fruits come to us unripe. They are transported by sea vessels, but they are not particularly speedy, and customs clearance in ports takes more than one day. Fruits are a very delicate product; if you delay delivery for a while, they will simply go bad. Therefore, the solution can be one - to pick the fruits green, and the ripening process will occur during the trip. But how to keep pineapple at home and at the same time give it the opportunity to mature, every lover of exotic should know.
Pineapples are sold slightly greenish, so you should buy them a few days before the upcoming holiday. This will allow the fetus to reach normal maturity, and this is the only way it can be tasty and healthy. In order for the fruit to ripen and not deteriorate, you should know how to store pineapple at home correctly.
Ripe fruits
If you want to choose the most ripe pineapple, you need to be guided by its color and the condition of the green leaves on the top. There should not be a lot of them, and the top ones will have a yellowish tint - this is a guarantee that the fruit has matured and will be tasty. The pulp of ripe pineapple itself is sunny yellow and has a pleasant aroma. But with the color of the peel you need to be careful - the dark or green color of the scales does not mean that the fruit has not ripened. It may well be ripe, the color is more dependent on the variety. Ripe fruits often have a yellowish, straw or reddish-brown peel. We figured out the choice of ripe pineapple, now let's move on to how to store pineapple at home correctly and how to choose a quality product when buying.
Fruit in the store
Massively imported exotic mainly before the holidays. There are a lot of pineapples, but they are all slightly greenish. Therefore, if you decide to buy one of them, you should learn a little about how to choose a good fruit and how to store pineapple at home, so that it is ripe for the holiday.
First of all, pay attention to the appearance. Fruits should not be injured, have dark spots or hints of mold or anything like that. The surface of the pineapple should not be soft. Leaflets are lethargic, and the skin is dull and faded. This is a sign that storage conditions have been violated and this product is spoiled. Refuse such a purchase, even if the price is very attractive.
We bought pineapple
How to store pineapple at home? If you bought fully ripened - no more than 3-4 days, at room temperature. At the same time, it should not be placed in places of cold and high humidity. Often, out of habit, we put fruits in the refrigerator - this is a mistake, because the fruit will quickly lose its quality and deteriorate. It is better to leave it directly on the kitchen table or window sill, it will serve as an excellent decoration and will feel great.
How to store pineapple at home if it is greenish? There are several proven methods, and we will dwell on each of them in more detail.
Option one
Store in the same way as a ripe fruit - room temperature, low humidity and plenty of air. To make it sweet, turn it upside down. With such storage, the pineapple will not ripen quickly, the term is about a week, so plan a purchase in advance or speed up the aging process.
Second option
How to store pineapple at home until the New Year, if there is little time left, and the fruit is still completely green? There is a way - to speed up the process in a natural way. Pineapple ripening is affected by ethylene. Arrange other fruits around the exotic guest - ordinary pears and apples, oranges and bananas - the process will go much faster.
Third option
Here is another way to store pineapple at home. There are only 2-3 days left until the New Year, and pineapple as if only plucked? Not a problem - all the same fruits will come to the rescue, but the pineapple should be wrapped in several layers of paper. Check ripening every day: gently pull on a leaf in the center of the top - if it is easily pulled out, it means the fruit has ripened, it's time to remove the paper, otherwise it will ripen.
If there is very little time before the start of the holiday, try to choose the most ripe fruit when buying.
For the future
If it happened that the pineapple remained unclaimed, and the shelf life is coming to an end - do not worry. Pineapple is a versatile product, it is suitable for preparing many dishes. Your task is to prevent it from deteriorating and properly prepare for further storage.
Candied fruit
It can be used in the preparation of desserts or just as a “delicious” for tea. This is one of the best ways to store, in this state all the useful properties are fully preserved. For candied fruit, cut the fruit into slices or slices, place in a thick sugar syrup for a couple of days, and after that take it out and dry it in a dark cool place.
Freezing
Cooking candied fruits will take time, because if there is very little pineapple left, you can freeze it. Cut into cubes, lay in one layer on a dish and send to the freezer. After the cubes are folded into a bag and put away. They can be used in the preparation of desserts, drinks and for decorating a variety of dishes.