Why You Shouldn't Rely Solely On Color When Picking Out Pineapple

From a young age, all respectable children are taught not to judge a book by its cover, and rightfully so. Just looking at a person is not enough to really appreciate what's on the inside. After all, it's what's on the inside that matters.

The same principles can (and should) not only be applied to people, but also to fruit. Fruits also deserve to be judged by the content of their character (or flesh) rather than their outside appearance. A pineapple is one such fruit that's hard to judge based just off of what it looks like and requires a deeper connection.

Ripe pineapples are a yellowish, greenish color and have bright healthy looking leaves. According to Allrecipes, if the pineapple is too green, it's likely underripe, and Farmhouse Guide advises that if the pineapple is too far yellow, approaching gold, orange, or brown territory, it's overripe ... probably.

Although judging this particular book by its pineapple-y cover is actually a decent sign of ripeness, the color of a pineapple can sometimes be misleading, per Healthline. For instance, oftentimes green pineapples, the outlet notes, will actually be completely ripe, and if you don't pick that green pineapple because you think it's underripe, then you've just lost out on a perfectly ripe pineapple because you only looked skin-deep.

Unfortunately, you probably don't have time to get to know the pineapple and really walk a mile in its shoes to find out who it really is as a fruit, so instead there are other quicker tests you can do to make sure that the pineapple you pick is as golden in color on the inside as you'd like it to be on the outside.

Beyond noting the pineapple's color, you can also see what it feels like. Grabbing that pineapple and giving it a squeeze may not only make the both of you feel a little bit closer, but it can also tell you a lot. According to Healthline, a ripe pineapple will give just a little bit; too squishy and it's overripe but rock hard and it's not quite ripe enough.

The smell of a pineapple is also another good way to see if it's ripe and ready and can provide you with a lot more to go on that just the pineapple's sometimes-misleading color. While it might be weird if you only just met this pineapple, smelling at the base (or the bottom) of the pineapple can also inform you of the fruit's ripeness. If it smells fruity and delicious, your pineapple is good to go, but if it's got no smell at all or has a sour, funky smell to it, you should take it as a sign that the pineapple in your hands probably isn't the one you're looking for at this time — no matter its color.