Pineapple
- The pineapple plant is a tropical fruit that is indigenous to South America.
- An individual pineapple can take over two years to grow, although they are usually picked slightly earlier than this.
- The top of a pineapple, after cleaning and drying, can be planted in soil and a new plant will grow.
- When growing its fruit the pineapple plant produces over 200 flowers varying in color from lavender, through to light purple and red. The individual scale like fruits of these flowers then join together to create the pineapple.
- Pineapple flesh and juice is used in many cuisines throughout the world, it is often cooked, eaten raw or canned in its juices as chunks or cored slices.
- It is a commonly used fruit for fruit salads and eaten with dairy desserts such as ice cream and yogurt. It is also used in Asian stir fry's such as sweet and sour pork or as a topping on pizzas such as the Hawaiian pizza.
- Pineapple juice is also a popular tropical drink and it is the main ingredient in the Piña colada cocktail.
- The skins, core and ends of a pineapple are not discarded in pineapple canneries but instead used to make a number of products such as vinegar, alcohol and animal food.
- Raw pineapple can be a great source of manganese and vitamin C. Also bromelain is an enzyme that breaks down protein and is present in raw pineapple making the fruit useful as a digestive aid and an effective anti-inflammatory.
- High bromelain content also makes raw pineapple juice helpful as a meat marinade and tenderizer.