I learned this method for cutting a pineapple into chunks when i was working the pineapple fields of Maui. I worked as a bulk harvester and fresh fruit harvester for local sales in Hawaii.
You use the crown as a handle when you cut up the pineapple. Slice off the rind and then slice along the core and then cut that slice into chunks.
HOW TO SELECT A RIPE PINEAPPLE
You will never taste a pineapple as good as picked right off the plant. Once a pineapple is picked it starts to rot and gets more acidic. So fresh is better. Don’t ever let a pineapple sit on the kitchen counter and “ripen” because it is not ripening, it is rotting!
When selecting a pineapple you want a pineapple that is firm, has a bit of yellow at the bottom with gradual transition to green at the top, a good mixture of yellow to green is 30/70.
You want to avoid a pineapple that has any bruises or lots of brown mushy spots. This ratio and selection method is typical for pineapples that are commercially available at grocery stores in the USA.
If the leaves pull easily out of the crown, it means the fruit is very acidic and not fresh at all.
You do not want a Pineapple that is all green, this means the pineapple was picked before it was ripe and it will not have as much sweetness as a pineapple that was picked when ripe.
I wonder if these fresh fruit from Hawaii are any good, supposedly they are shipped right after harvesting: http://amzn.to/2aqrPgU
