Real Food Encyclopedia | Pineapple

Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are thought to have originated in the Amazon rainforest, where they were enjoyed by Indigenous peoples, likely in an area bordering Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The Tupi people of Brazil called it nana or anana, which means “excellent fruit.” Smitten by this new culinary delight, Columbus brought pineapples back to Spain to present to Queen Isabella. It marked the beginning of a long period of pineapple infatuation that spread throughout Europe.

The Brits, particularly enthusiastic to get their hands on the prized fruit, were responsible for dubbing it the “pineapple,” a 17^th century word believed to be inspired by the fruit’s resemblance to a pinecone. (The use of the word “apple” was used generically for any kind of fruit.)

American colonists imported pineapples from the Caribbean and considered it a symbol of hospitality, a tradition borrowed from the Carib people. To this day, the pineapple is a cultural symbol in the American south, particularly in Charleston, South Carolina, where they appear both inside and outside the home. When hung over the front door, a pineapple was a sign that the man of the house was at home from sea and welcoming visitors.

By the late 1700s, the fruit arrived on Hawaiian shores, likely due to the efforts of Captain James Cook. Locals referred to it as halakahiki, or “foreign fruit.” It would be another hundred years before this foreign fruit would become synonymous with Hawaii. In 1899, James Dole, newly graduated from Harvard, came to Hawai’i and began growing pineapple. A cousin of Sanford Dole, the first governor of the territory of Hawaii, James Dole started the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901. By 1911, 95 percent of all Hawaiian pineapples were canned and shipped to the mainland. By 1921, pineapple had taken over as Hawai’i’s leading crop and industry. In 1922, Dole bought the island of Lanai’i solely for pineapple production.

Until the 1960s, Hawai’i produced three-fourths of the world’s pineapple harvest. By 2002, its global share was just 10 percent; within the past few years, the market share has shrunk to less than one percent. In 1993, Dole closed its Honolulu cannery. In 2008, Del Monte harvested its last Hawaiian pineapple crop, leaving just Haili’imaile Pineapple Co. (under the Maui Gold brand) and Dole to represent Hawai’i-grown pineapple. It’s unclear just how much pineapple Dole is producing these days, as its Oahu plantation has become a major tourist destination with amusement park attractions.

What to look for when buying pineapples

In addition to its signature tuft of spiky leaves and alligator-like skin, the pineapples you’re likely to find at the supermarket will sport a coat of green, with splashes of reddish, yellow, orange and ivory, depending on the variety. The flesh comes in various shades of yellow, from pale popcorn to egg yolk.

For ripeness, inspect the base of the fruit and take a big whiff. Its perfume should be sweet, not fermented. Take a pass on fruit with moldy spots or signs of its impending arrival. When pressed with your thumb, a ready-to-eat pineapple should give a little. Some tug on a leaf from the crown and argue that if it yields easily, the fruit is ready for the table while others disagree. Regardless of where you stand, leaves should be pert and green, not dried out and brown.

Sustainability of pineapples

In the last decade, pineapple production has skyrocketed in Costa Rica, making it that country’s number two export after coffee. Between 2000 and 2010, acreage for pineapple farms in Costa Rica increased by 300 percent. In its mad pursuit of capturing the European and American markets, Costa Rican pineapple plantations have chosen industrial scale farming methods, resulting in monocultures, like soybeans or corn here in the U.S. The sudden shift to intensive farming has raised many environmental concerns, including soil erosion, deforestation and pesticide residues. In 2010, “The Guardian” investigated these concerns, as well as the conditions of plantation workers, many of whom are migrant workers from Nicaragua.

In 2011, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched an initiative to investigate both environmental impact and workers rights conditions on Costa Rica plantations and they are currently working to turn things around there.

Pesticides

In 2013, the Costa Rican government acknowledged that traces of Bromacil, a weed killer used on pineapple crops (and a possible human carcinogen), has leached into groundwater and is showing up in neighboring water supplies. The public discovery prompted a decree to restrict its use.

Although you can find organic Hawaiian-grown pineapple, much of it is processed into cans.  In Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Produce, pineapple has year over year earned a spot on its “Clean Fifteen” list, meaning it has very low levels of pesticide residue. (which doesn’t mean pineapples don’t have other environmental problems, as described above).

Photo by amawasri/Adobe Stock.