Pineapples

One of the best things about summer is that it’s pineapple season! Truly, there’s no fruit quite like it…pineapples are a tropical fruit, delicious when eaten fresh and used to adds sweetness to foods and famous cocktails (such as the piña colada). Pineapple is also an essential ingredient in such desserts as the classic pineapple upside-down cake.

Contrary to popular belief, pineapples don’t grow on bushes or trees. The pineapple plant grows a single fruit once in its lifetime, producing a collective of berries that grow together to form a single pineapple fruit. The plant itself has long, tapered leaves with the fruit growing out of the top of the central stem.

Pineapple has long been associated with the Hawaiian Islands, but while the fruit grows well there, it is not native to that area, instead originating in Costa Rica. Beloved the world over, this fascinating fruit is not only delicious – it’s also an international symbol of welcome and hospitality (which is why you’ll often find figures of pineapple carved into the columns of Colonial-era homes).

• Pittman & Davis Paradise Pineapples are fresh, sweet and juicy
• Pineapples are used around the world as a symbol of welcome and hospitality
• Each shipment contains two handpicked, carefully packed pineapples
• Pineapple is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

Pittman & Davis Paradise Pineapples are a Healthy Snack!

Pineapple is a very healthy fruit, and while it is higher in sugar and carbs than other fruits, when eaten in moderation it can be both a healthy addition to your diet and a great benefit to most any weight loss plan (the more so because its sweet taste is very satisfying). A one-cup serving of pineapple provides you with more than a day’s worth of vitamin C and is a rich source of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, potassium, beta-carotene, and other antioxidants. Fresh pineapple is also the only known source of an enzyme called bromelain, which may help treat chronic inflammation, allergies, osteoarthritis and more health conditions.

A one-cup serving of Pineapple chunks contains:

• 5 calories
• 2 g fat
• 22 g carbohydrates
• 3 g sugars
• 3 g dietary fiber
• High in Vitamins C and manganese, as well as other minerals and antioxidants

About Pittman & Davis Paradise Pineapples

Pineapples are believed to have originated in South America – specifically, in the region where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. The first written record of pineapple was made by Spanish sailor Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a horticulturist who is credited with introducing a number of citrus and tropical fruits to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1700s.

Contrary to popular belief, pineapples don’t grow on trees. Nor do they grow on a bush - A pineapple plant grows a single pineapple once in its lifetime, producing a collective of berries that grow together to form a single pineapple fruit. The plant itself has long, tapered leaves with the fruit growing out of the top of the central stem. After it flowers, the plant dies (first reproducing by growing suckers between the mature pineapple).

In addition to eating fresh, pineapple is a wonderful addition to many recipes. From savory salads to sweet desserts and cocktails, pineapple is a popular flavoring. Try grilling slices to lay over a glazed ham or

adding chunks to a homemade pizza (a real kid-pleaser). Using pineapple salsa gives fish tacos tropical flair, and it’s easy to turn a backyard barbecue into a luau by adding chunks of pineapples to your kabobs!

How to Cut Up a Pineapple

If you avoid purchasing whole pineapples because you’re not sure how to prepare them, take heart – it’s easier than you think and well worth the trouble!

Start by slicing off the spiky top of the fruit, then cut away the outer peel with a sharp knife, following the contours of the pineapple all the way around. This exposes a bunch of dark, scaly bumps called “eyes” – cut these away by making V-shaped “trenches” between the lines of eyes, rotating around the pineapple in a spiral pattern. Once you’ve done that, you can slice the pineapple into rounds, spears or chunks.

Any way you slice it, pineapple is sure to make your favorite recipes a little brighter!