Can you eat the core of the pineapple: Is the core of the pineapple edible?
Can You Eat the Pineapple Core?
One way to enjoy pineapple that doesn’t typically come up is how to eat the core. Some people have even been misled to avoid the core altogether! Well, we’re here to clear up this common misconception once and for all. It’s official: the pineapple core is edible.
There is no debate that pineapples are a delicious and healthy treat. It’s so popular that the average American eats over seven pounds of this tropical fruit per year. However, there is plenty of disagreement about the best way to eat pineapple. We’re no strangers to this good-natured debate here at Chestnut Hill Farms. Heck, we’re eating our Perfect Pineapples fresh, having them for breakfast, topping off a salad, blending them in a smoothie, charring them on the grill, and even juicing them for seasonal beverages. Now, let’s get the most out of every part of the pineapple.
Core Benefits
It’s no secret there is a myriad of health benefits from pineapple. That sweet fruit is filled with nutrients, antioxidants, and other helpful compounds that can help protect against inflammation and disease.
Pineapple juice can even boost your protection against the common cold.
People avoid eating the core because it is much denser and tougher than the rest of the fruit. But, every time you core a pineapple and throw away the middle, you’re just tossing away vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Because the core is denser, there’s actually more good stuff packed into a smaller area than the rest of the pineapple.
What exactly are these core benefits that we keep banging on about?
Vitamins and Nutrients in the Core
For starters, the core is a great way to receive more fiber in your diet. Fiber is essential for lowering cholesterol levels, controlling blood sugar, and digestive health.
The core also contains plenty of bromelain. Frequent readers of our blog will be unsurprised to hear bromelain is a super nutrient. Bromelain are enzymes in pineapple that have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties that help with pain reduction and swelling.
There is a high amount of vitamin C found in the pineapple core, as well.
Vitamin C helps boost immunity, create collagen, and aids in the absorption of iron aka eating pineapple makes your skin soft and beautiful. Don’t believe us? Just ask the National Institutes of Health. They’ll back us up.
Preparing a Pineapple Core
Now that you’ve learned all about the nutritious benefits of a pineapple core, you probably can’t wait to get your hands on one. Let’s discuss the best way to prepare it for consumption—remember, the core is a bit tougher than the rest of the pineapple flesh. You won’t be able to take a bite out of it like an apple or banana.
The first step towards enjoying the pineapple core is by removing it. You can remove the core by either slicing the pineapple with a sharp knife or investing in a pineapple corer. If you’re going to enjoy pineapple more than once—and honestly, after reading this blog you’ll probably want to have it every day—we highly recommend investing in a pineapple corer. They cost less than $10 at the supermarket and don’t take up much space in your kitchen drawer.
But, whichever way you prefer will get the job done.
Once the core is removed, you are ready to prepare. You can eat the pineapple core freshly sliced, but we would recommend making the core easier to eat by boiling it in water or running it through a food processor. The ways to enjoy pineapple core are truly only limited by your imagination. We would recommend creating a pineapple purée topping or grating the core over a salad. You can also create syrup from the core to use in all kinds of dishes, and drinks.
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Should You Be Eating The Core Of A Pineapple?
sbw18/Shutterstock
By Ciara Turner-Ewert/
Pineapples are tropical fruit known for their sweetness and juiciness. Some even say their sweetness measures up to the sugariness of candies.
They are known for being a low-calorie fruit that yields high amounts of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup (165 grams) of pineapple is 82.5 calories. It contains 16.3 grams of sugar, 21.6 grams of carbs, and 2.3 grams of fiber. In addition, registered dietitian Julia Zumpano points out, “pineapple contains several minerals your body needs for proper function, including copper, potassium and magnesium” (via Cleveland Clinic). Other vitamins you’ll find within pineapple chunks include manganese, vitamin C, iron, thiamine, folate, and B vitamins, points out Healthline.
Not only are pineapples rich in nutrients, but they also provide numerous health benefits due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Many health experts explain they aid in digestion, support weight loss efforts, fight inflammation and speed up post-workout recovery (per Cleveland Clinic).
Many pineapple cutting techniques involve removing the core, however.
Pineapple cores tend to be fibrous, somewhat bitter, and lacking in juiciness when compared to their meaty neighbor. But how does the core stack up against the juicy fruit pulp? Is it safe to eat? And are there health benefits to be had?
Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock
While biting into a hard pineapple core sounds intimidating, don’t let it scare you. It’s safe to eat, explains Eating Well.
Also, this center is brimming with health benefits and nutrients, just like the rest of a pineapple. Based on the nutritional information provided by the USDA, a five-ounce (140 grams) serving of pineapple cores is 44.8 calories. It also offers 13 grams of sugar, 18 grams of carbs, and 1.96 grams of fiber. This means it’s even fewer calories, carbs, and sugar than its fleshy counterparts (per Livestrong).
But what really sets the core apart is it’s extremely rich in vitamin C. Pineapple cores contain 90% of the daily recommended amount, according to USDA.
While the flesh yields less, at 88%, explains Livestrong. So if you’re looking for a vitamin C-packed snack, eating pineapple cores may do the trick.
These centers also contain high concentrations of an enzyme called bromelain, notes Eating Well. It may even contain more than the fruit pulp. According to a 2017 study, “Queen” and “Smooth cayenne” pineapple core extracts have higher levels of bromelain than the flesh. Some research suggests this enzyme helps reduce swelling, pain, digestive issues, and sinusitis and treats damaged skin from burns, shares National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. However, it’s important to note this is preliminary research.
So, next time you find yourself deciding between tossing or keeping the core, remember, it’s a nutritional powerhouse.
Recommended
All the most interesting about pineapple / Facts that seem fiction, and myths that are similar to the truth – an article from the “Discoveries” section on Food.
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Over the millennia of cultivating pineapple, not only culinary recipes have appeared, but also numerous legends associated with it plant. We tell who needs a pineapple for rent, whether it helps to lose weight and why an exotic fruit should be the first to roll into a new apartment.
Once upon a time there was a pineapple rental service in Britain: a fact
An unusual tropical fruit sailed to Britain from America for more than one month, and it was hardly possible to deliver it intact. It was not possible to grow pineapples, so they were prohibitively expensive. So the fruit became a symbol of luxury and an object of envy.
In the 17th and 18th centuries in Great Britain, pineapples were rented and even used as an accessory at balls and receptions to demonstrate financial power and impress.
300 years ago pineapples grew in Russia: a fact
The history of pineapples in Russia began simultaneously with the cultivation of potatoes and pumpkins.
But if vegetables took their place in the gardens of ordinary people, then only nobles ate pineapples.
The fruit became the first cultivated plant grown in a greenhouse in St. Petersburg. Later, pineapples learned to be cultivated throughout Russia, they were sold abroad.
According to Napoleonic officers, in 1812 they gorged themselves on pineapples and peaches from destroyed Russian greenhouses.
The history of Russian cuisine has preserved recipes from pineapples: a fact
The Russian aristocracy preferred dishes from exotic fruits in national traditions.
Count Peter Zavadovsky, one of the favorites of Catherine II and the first Minister of Public Education of the Russian Empire, had an interesting recipe for pickled pineapples. They were prepared in the same way as cabbage: chopped and salted in an oak barrel. And on holidays they cooked pineapple cabbage soup and borscht.
Count Stroganov loved diced stewed pineapples as a side dish for meat dishes and called them “hodgepodge”.
Interesting fact
In Russia, it is customary to let a cat into a new house for good luck, and in Singapore – to roll in a pineapple.
Pineapples burn fat: a myth
For a long time, pineapples were used as a means of losing weight: the enzyme bromelain in their composition was considered a powerful fat burner. But it turned out that the substance does not burn fats, but breaks down proteins. It is this property that is beneficial in the fight against excess weight.
Pineapple is low in calories and high in fiber, which cleanses the intestines and prolongs the feeling of satiety. Therefore, pineapple still helps to lose weight, but in a different way.
Pineapple stings lips due to acid: a myth
Many have noticed that pineapple not only stings, but corrodes the skin and mucous membranes. But this is not due to the acid.
Yes, pineapple contains organic acids, but their concentration is almost two times less than in strawberries or tangerines.
The point is that bromelain, which does not break down fat, but corrodes protein. And it begins to do this long before it enters the stomach – already on the lips and in the mouth.
Pineapples grow on trees: a myth
Pineapple is a one and a half meter grass. A perennial plant forms a bright pink inflorescence-cob once in a lifetime, from which a fruit is then formed.
The core of the pineapple is poisonous: a myth
The fibrous stalk of the pineapple is considered by some to be beneficial, while by others it is harmful. How about really?
Pineapple core is a coarse fiber that is almost indigestible. But it is in it that many useful substances are concentrated, including the enzyme bromelain.
You can eat the core, but in thin slices and little by little, so as not to injure the intestines. For example, add to smoothies.
What can be done?
Grow a pineapple in a flower pot. To do this, place the crest of a ripe fruit in a container of water, and when the roots appear, transplant it into a pot of earth.
Do you like pineapples? Tell us what you cook with them.
Read about other fruits on Food.ru:
6 useful properties of mango: and how an exotic fruit can harm the body
Guide to apple varieties: what to take for compote and what for charlotte
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Beneficial tips
Let’s talk about pineapple – one of the most delicious and very peculiar fruit. Today you will not surprise anyone with pineapple, it is very common and popular. Therefore, it does not hurt to find out why pineapple is so useful, what properties it has and who should stop using it.
Some interesting facts about pineapple:
— It takes up to 3 years for a pineapple to fully ripen, so its price is slightly higher than other fruits and vegetables.
— In China, pineapple must be on the New Year’s table. It symbolizes prosperity and brings success for the coming year.
– Outwardly, the pineapple resembles a cone. In English, pineapple is translated as “pineapple”, derived from the Spanish piña, which was used in 1398 to describe the cone.
– Pineapple is harvested exclusively by hand, this is a difficult and dangerous job, as pineapple leaves are prickly and capricious.
– Pineapple is present on the arms of Jamaica, Barbuda and Antigua.
– Most experts classify pineapple as a herbaceous plant, although there is no consensus on this.
Pineapple is presented in different forms: fresh, candied fruits, canned, dried, chips. To extract the maximum benefit, give preference, of course, to the fresh fruit. Canned pineapple is more suitable for salads, desserts and hot dishes.
Usually, when cutting a fresh pineapple, the hard core is cut out and discarded. But not everything is so simple, before being disposed of, it is advisable to chew it, since many useful substances are concentrated there.
Benefits of pineapple:
One of the most beneficial properties of pineapple is the breakdown of protein by the enzyme bromelain. It is recommended to eat a couple of slices of pineapple after a hearty feast. The enzyme will help you digest food more easily.
Organic acids (malic, citric, acetic) also promote and facilitate digestion. This effect can be expressed in the form of tingling on the lips and tongue after eating pineapple.
Pineapple is a low-calorie product: only 52 kcal per 100 g.
There is a high content of B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium in pineapple, which have a positive effect on immunity and well-being.
Pineapple does not have the ability to sharply increase blood sugar, has a low glycemic index.
The enzyme bromelain also has an anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory effect, and also prevents the formation of blood clots and helps relieve swelling.
Pineapple is rich in fiber, which facilitates the movement of digested food in the intestines and relieves constipation.
Eating pineapple reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and clears blood vessels of cholesterol plaques.
The recommended daily dose should not exceed 200 g.
pineapple
Possible harm from eating pineapple
Pineapple is certainly useful, but you need to know about its negative properties. Among which:
- As noted above, pineapple has a high content of fruit acids. This fruit is contraindicated in people who have gastritis with high acidity and ulcers, especially during an exacerbation.
- Be careful when eating fresh pineapple on an empty stomach (mucosal irritation is possible).
- Unripe pineapples are not suitable for eating: the juice irritates the lips and has a strong laxative effect.
- After eating pineapple, it is advisable to rinse the mouth for those who have sensitive tooth enamel.
