Pineapple

Palatial Pineapples

The pineapple has always been known as a symbol of hospitality.  Centuries ago, pineapples were highly sought after, becoming a true symbol of prestige and social class. In fact, the pineapple, because of its rarity and expense, was such a status item that all a party hostess had to do was to display the fruit as part of a decorative centerpiece, and she would be awarded much social awe and recognition.  

Each pineapple plant only produces one pineapple per year.  Pineapples grow very slowly, and can take up to two years to reach full size, so we tend to pick and eat them when they are much smaller--but if left to their own devices they can reach up to a whopping 20lbs. If you want to speed up the ripening of a pineapple, so that you can eat it faster, then you can do it by standing it upside down (on the spiky end). The most popular pineapple sold in the United States is the Smooth Cayenne. The other three varieties sold in the United States are the Red Spanish, the Sugar Loaf, and the Golden Supreme. One cup of pineapple has 33% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C. You’ll know a pineapple is ripe if one of its top leaves can easily be pulled out. 

Did you know that the pineapple is not, strictly speaking, a fruit. Rather it is 100-200 fruitlets all fused together. Enjoy each and every succulent one!