Whether you like it in wedges or in rings, crushed or in chunks, you have to agree: Pineapple is a sweet, sweet fruit.

 

Neither a pine nor an apple, a single pineapple is actually the fruits of a hundred or more separate flowers that grow on a pineapple plant in the center of a single spike, surrounded by sharp, sword-like leaves. As they grow, the small fruits bloat with juice and expand into one another, becoming a single pineapple that typically weighs between four and nine pounds, but can reach up to 20 pounds.

Although interesting, pineapples aren’t known for the plants they grown on. They are, however, known for their distinct appearance. In fact, given the way pineapples look — covered with sharp quills and topped with spiky leaves — it’s a wonder that someone decided to try eating them at all. Luckily, someone did. And contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t a Hawaiian, as pineapples aren’t actually native to the islands, although they’re now grown there en masse — they’re Hawaii’s largest crop and industry — at the famous Dole Pineapple Plantation, which gives daily tours of its pineapple crops via its train, the Pineapple Express.

Instead, pineapples are thought to have originated in Brazil or Paraguay. Christopher Columbus discovered them in 1493 in the Caribbean, where they were a favorite of natives who’d brought them there from South America, and then promptly took them back with him to Europe. There, they quickly became a favorite table decoration and dessert for royals like King Louis XIV of France, who famously cut himself on his first pineapple when he ignorantly bit into it without first peeling it.

It’s because they’re simultaneously so sweet and so sharp — in the West Indies, Indians used them as a sign of “sweet” hospitality and also as “sharp” and spiky barriers designed to keep out intruders — that pineapples are so revered. And — for some people, at least — so feared. If you want to cash in your canned pineapple for the fresh stuff, however, there’s no reason to be afraid. Pineapple’s in season year-round and won’t ripe further after it’s picked, so it’s easy to find one that’s fresh. Just look for fruit with green, easy-to-pluck leaves; small, compact crowns; a strong, sweet, but not fermented pineapple aroma; and a slightly soft bottom that yields to medium pressure.

To get into a pineapple once you’ve brought it home, use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off the base and the crown, and, using a downward vertical motion, the skin all around it. Once it’s skinned, cut around the core of the fruit, which is tough and fibrous. Use the fruit, which you can refrigerate for five to seven days, within the week. It’s good on its own, with desserts or as an accompaniment to chicken and pork — especially in sweet and sour dishes!