My first pineapple sat on the counter for four days. I kept walking past it, knife in hand, then putting the knife down. The spiky skin. The weird geometry. I had no idea where to start.

When I finally hacked into it, I lost about a third of the fruit to bad cuts. My kitchen looked like a fruit crime scene.

The method that changed everything

A prep cook at a Hawaiian restaurant showed me this. Takes maybe two minutes once you get the rhythm.

How to store it

Cut pineapple stays good about 3-4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container. If it starts smelling fermented, it’s past its prime — but still fine for baking or blending.

The whole uncut pineapple? Leave it on the counter. Refrigeration kills the flavor and stops it from ripening further.