Pineapples are my second-favorite fresh fruit (after green apples; the two together are a mean sweet-and-sour combination). I would eat pineapple more often if it weren’t so damn expensive to buy pre-cut. A small container is usually impossible to buy for less than $3. But…the prickly skin made me afraid to cut it myself. It seemed so tough to slice through! And those green leaves on top….eek! I don’t like fruit with hair bigger than mine.
When I saw a pineapple corer on Williams-Sonoma (aka my porn) a month or two ago, I knew I had to have one. And after an argument yesterday in the grocery store about the cost of fresh cut pineapple, my mom bought me a whole pineapple and then followed up with a pineapple slicer later that afternoon!
The pineapple easy slicer came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and given their ubiquitous 20 percent off coupons, it cost a grand total of $8. But because it was so cheap, I was nervous if it would really work. It also seriously lacked directions, so I am glad Williams-Sonoma featured a video on their Web site. If I hadn’t seen that, it would have taken me ages.
But it’s pretty simple. You start by decapitating the pineapple.
Insert the slicer so the serrated edge is around the pineapple’s core (this was not immediately clear to me; I guessed).
Grip the pineapple firmly and start screwing the device into the pineapple. It will make a satisfying crunch. I got kind of weak in the upper extremities at this point and had to shake my arms out once or twice.
When you think you’ve screwed it in enough, screw it in some more. (That’s what she said.)
This is a really juicy task; I will probably do it in the sink next time.
When it’s screwed in as far as it will go, pull the cored section out of the pineapple rind.
Take the handle off the slicer and slide the pineapple off.
Slice the pineapple into chunks!
You can save the rind to use as a fruit salad display bowl; I also retained the juice because there was a lot! I am thinking I could use it instead of water to cook rice.
Now enjoy your pineapple! I love it grilled on kebabs with BBQ or teriyaki chicken or pork, and tossed into stir-fry because it pairs so well with spicy Asian flavors. Or just have it in fruit salad.
Pineapple is not as tough as it looks. For under $10, you can enjoy this treat every day and save loads of cash as well as plastic packaging. The pineapple easy slicer is definitely a cost-effective addition to your pimped-out kitchen.
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