Our Produce Pick of the Week!
While Annabelle is off running another marathon, (Go Annabelle!) I am going to go to the market and pick up a pineapple.
I used to be intimidated by whole pineapples, and instead relied on the canned variety on the rare occasion that I used them, but not anymore. Now I embrace them. Not too closely though, they can be a bit prickly. It is also quite common to find a bag or two of pineapple pieces in my freezer.
Pineapples are native to South America, and are now grown in tropical regions throughout the world. There are many varieties, the “Smooth Cayenne” is the one you are most likely to find in stores here in the US. I found it interesting to learn that the pineapple is actually between 100 and 200 seedless fruitlets which fuse together as they grow to form one large fruit. This explains a lot about their appearance. They do not sweeten once picked, though the skin will continue to change color from yellow-green to brown and it will soften. They do not ship well once ripe, so unless you live in or are visiting a region where pineapples are grown, you will not experience all that a pineapple can be. How sad. Perhaps we should organize an AT: Your Life field trip to an organic pineapple plantation.
Pineapples are a good source of Manganese and Vitamin C. They can be used in both savory and sweet dishes and are used extensively in many tropical cuisines. Pineapples contain several enzymes that digest proteins. This can be used to your advantage by using the juice in a marinade to tenderize meat. However, it will also break down the protein in gelatin so it won’t set, and react with the casein in milk and cream to create a bitter taste, so pineapple needs to be cooked to deactivate the enzymes in these applications.
Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality in many cultures. This week, let’s welcome the pineapple to our plates and glasses.
-Teresa
. You may want to avoid the seedy area. Generally a good idea in most aspects of life.