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The Simple Pineapple

Author unknown

With comments by the editor!
 

 Orange pineapple fruit

The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today. It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual floweret's that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower. The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will.

(Editor's note: I'm not sure it's necessary to know that it's the only known edible bromeliad. What we do need to know is that it is good for us. Another thing, it's hard to grow a pineapple, except if you live in Hawaii.)

Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness. Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit.

(Editor again: so if that green looking pineapple you pick up at the market isn't ripe, sitting on the counter until it starts to rot won't make it taste better. Unlike this anonymous author, I do head for the yellow pineapples. It is more likely to be ripe.)

This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical, it also offers many benefits to our health. Pineapple is a remarkable fruit. We find it enjoyable because of its lush, sweet and exotic flavor, but it may also be one of the most healthful foods available today.

(I'm not sure what "tropical" tastes like. But I do love the taste of them.)

If we take a more detailed look at it, we will find that pineapple is valuable for easing indigestion, arthritis or sinusitis. The pineapple affects other conditions as well. It is high in manganese, a mineral that is critical to development of strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you nearly 75% of the recommended daily amount. It is particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become brittle with age.

(Last word from the editor: this article went on longer, and made lots of suspicious-sounding health claims. As far as I'm concerned, we don't need lots of arm twisting to know that pineapple tastes good and is probably good for us. So I deleted all of the weird stuff. Just remember to buy some pineapple occasionally, it can't hurt you, unless you are one of those people who seem to be allergic to everything these days.)
 

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