How to Cut a Pineapple: A Step-by Step Guide

Whether simply sliced for a fruit plate, blended into soft serve, grilled for a salsa, or used to top a pineapple upside-down cake or homemade Hawaiian pizza, fresh pineapple is pretty irresistible. While you can purchase canned or frozen pineapple for many uses, nothing beats the real thing — and buying a whole fruit is much more economical than relying on pre-cut.

You can find fresh pineapple at most grocery stores year-round, but its peak season runs from March to July. Though this spiky fruit might look a little daunting on the outside, you can’t judge a fruit by its cover, and breaking down a pineapple is indeed much easier than it looks. All you need is a cutting board, a sharp knife, and an optional peeler for removing the “eyes” (the little brown spots leftover from the rind on a peeled yellow pineapple). 

When shopping for a pineapple, choose one that feels heavy for its size with a sweet aroma. Although some green on the exterior is fine, you’re looking for mostly golden yellow skin, which indicates ripeness; avoid brown pineapples, which will be overly ripe, as well as ones that have bruises, withered skin, or yellowed leaves.

If you’re cutting pineapple for a cocktail garnish or you’d like to leave the inedible rind attached for a fruit plate, you can skip trimming the peel and eyes. Simply trim the top leaves and bottom, slice the pineapple into quarters, core it, then cut into wedges. Otherwise, use this guide to slice up a pineapple like a pro.