The Spiral Technique For Cutting A Pineapple With Less Waste

You picked the best pineapple at the supermarket, not only judging its color but also giving it a sniff at the bottom to make sure it's sweet and ripe but hasn't seen so many days that it has gone bad. With all that effort spent on choosing the right fruit, it's only natural to want to make the most of it. But let's be real, cutting a pineapple efficiently can be a challenge. The typical "peeling" method involves chopping almost an inch into the flesh from every direction. A pineapple corer can be handy, but only when the fruit is just the right size. Either way, it's very easy to end up wasting half of your delicious pineapple! Unless, of course, you employ a clever pineapple cutting hack known as the spiral technique.

Start by removing the ends of the pineapple as usual. Then, stand it upright and carefully slice off the skin. Remember, the goal is to save as much of that juicy goodness as possible, so make very thin slices — just enough to reveal the flesh. You should still see all the eyes. You'll notice that they line up diagonally in a spiral pattern. Place your knife at an angle and make a cut about half an inch thick alongside two to four eyes, then move to the other side of the eyes and do the same. You can now remove the string of eyes and repeat the process until your pineapple is clean. It's that simple!

With the spiral technique, you'll that find you get a lot more delicious pineapple flesh compared to other methods. When done right, your pineapple will end up with a beautiful spiral pattern that will look attractive on any fruit platter. While it might feel a bit tricky at first, once you get the hang of it, the spiral technique can be quicker and more efficient than traditional methods. That is because you're targeting the eyes directly, so there's no guesswork involved. Plus, cutting along the spirals means you're less likely to crush the fruit, unlike when using a pineapple corer.

The only drawback is that this method comes with a (mild) learning curve. It will take some time and practice to hit the eyes at the right depth; you might spend quite some time on your first pineapple or two. You'll also need a sharp knife for the job (learn how to keep your knife sharp!). Once you've mastered the technique, you'll find it hard to go back to the other methods without feeling like you're wasting your precious fruit.