4 Easy Ways to Prep Your Pineapple (With and without a Corer)

Co-authored by Randall Chambers

Last Updated: November 10, 2022 References

Coring Individual Slices

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Using a Pineapple Corer

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Slicing the Pineapple in Quarters to Core It

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Coring a Pineapple Half with the Skin Still On

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Things You'll Need

Nothing is quite as a delicious as fresh, juicy pineapple, but that hard fruit with the spiky leaves can be a little daunting! Coring it is easier than it sounds, as you just need to slice out the center in some way. If you want to use the pineapple halves, try coring it with the skin still on. You can also try a pineapple corer or take the core out of individual slices if you want pineapple rings at the end. A simple method is to just skin the pineapple and quarter it, then slice out the core on each quarter.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Coring Individual Slices

1
Slice off the top and base of the pineapple. Turn the pineapple on its side, and cut off the crown about 0.5 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) into the fruit part. Flip the pineapple around and cut off the base, as well.^{[1]
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- Use a sharp chef's knife to slice it.
2
Cut off the skin in long strips. Place the pineapple on one of its flat sides. Cut from top to bottom along the outer edge, slicing off the skin in strips. Turn the pineapple and keep cutting off strips as you turn.^{[2]
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- If any eyes are left in the pineapple, use the tip of your knife to dig them out.
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3
Slice the pineapple into coins. Turn the pineapple on its side. Cut the fruit into thin coins by slicing into the side of the pineapple. Each one should be about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) wide or slightly less.^{[3]
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4
Take the core out with a knife or icing tip. Look for the round circle in the middle of the coins you just made, which is the core. Run the knife tip around the core and then push it out with your finger.^{[4]
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- You can also use a wide icing tip or a very small, round cookie cutter to cut the center out.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using a Pineapple Corer

1
Slice off the top of the fruit. Turn the pineapple on its side, and use a sharp knife to cut off of the crown where the leaves are. Slice the fruit 0.5 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) into the main part of the fruit.^{[5]
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- A large, sharp chef's knife works best for this process.
- Try to get the top as level as you can. If it's slanted, the corer will have a hard time moving straight down through the fruit, and it may want to push out through the left or right side.
2
Set the base of the corer on top of the pineapple. It should go along the cut you just made with the handle at the top. Press down on the corer slightly to get it started in the pineapple.^{[6]
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- The base of the corer is the round circular part with the blade.
3
Turn the handle and press down to cut and core the pineapple. Grab the pineapple with one hand, and twist the corer clockwise with the other hand by turning the handle at the top. As you do, apply light pressure downward so that the corer continues to move through the fruit. Keep going until you hit the bottom.^{[7]
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- If your corer tries to move off center, gently redirect it back to the middle.
4
Take the pineapple out of the skin by lifting out the corer and slices. Pull upwards on the handle while holding on to the fruit with your other hand. The corer will bring out the core and the sliced pineapple all in one go.^{[8]
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Release the core and the slices by taking off the handle. The handle of the corer should have 2 small buttons. Push the buttons at the same time to pop the handle out. Slide the pineapple off the center pole, and use a butter knife or other handle to push the core out of the center.^{[9]
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- Sometimes, the core will just stay attached to the inside bottom of the pineapple as you pull the slices out, so you can just toss it with the skin.
- You can slice down one side of the pineapple slices from top to bottom to make rings, as it comes out of the corer in one, long curlycue.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Slicing the Pineapple in Quarters to Core It

1
Cut the top and bottom off your pineapple. Lay the pineapple on its side. With a very sharp knife, slice off the stem of the pineapple about 0.5 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) into the brown part. Toss the leaves and top of the pineapple. Turn the pineapple around, and slice off the bottom the same way.^{[10]
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- Grasp the pineapple while you're cutting so it doesn't slide around on the board, and make sure to get your fingers out of the way!
2
Place the pineapple on one of its flat ends to cut off the skin. Use one of the cut sides as a base, and then slice down the edges of the pineapple to chop off the skin. Keep turning the pineapple, slicing a strip of skin each time you turn.^{[11]
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- Try not to cut too much of the fruit off with the skin, but get in at least a quarter inch, since the spines are a bit deep.
3
Cut the pineapple into quarters. Moving from top to bottom, slice the pineapple in half lengthwise. Cut each half in half again, also lengthwise, until you are left with 4 quarters.^{[12]
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4
Remove the core by cutting along the inside of each slice. The core is in the very center, so cut along the inside of each slice. As you cut off the inside edge, you'll get a triangle shape. Move from top to bottom to cut it all out.^{[13]
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- You can toss the core or save it for other uses.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Coring a Pineapple Half with the Skin Still On

1
Chop off the top and bottom of the pineapple. With the pineapple on its side, slice off the top of the pineapple where the leaves are, coming about 0.5 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) into the main part of the pineapple. Flip the pineapple around and cut off the bottom the same way.^{[14]
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- You should have a flat top and bottom now, which makes it easier to cut the pineapple.
2
Slice the pineapple down the middle. Set the pineapple on one of the ends you just cut off so that it stays upright. Run your knife through the pineapple from top to bottom, cutting it in half.^{[15]
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- Use a large, sharp chef's knife for this process.
3
Identify the core by its fibers. The core is easy to see, as the fibers run up and down through the center of the pineapple, while the rest of the pulp runs horizontally. The core is the long piece in the middle, which will be a slightly different color than the rest of the pineapple.^{[16]
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- The core is a slightly paler yellow.
4
Cut a wedge in the pineapple half to remove the core. Place the pineapple on a cutting board skin-side down. Cut from the outer edge of the core on one side of it, going down and towards the middle as you do. Cut from the other edge of the core, and go down and towards the middle, ending up in the same spot you did when cutting from the other side.^{[17]
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- You'll end up with a triangular-shaped wedge that has the core in it. You can just pull it out with your knife or your fingers.

Expert Q&A

Question

What color is a ripe pineapple?

Randall Chambers
Personal Chef
Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.

Randall Chambers

Personal Chef

Expert Answer

For me, it's not really about the color. I recommend pressing the indentation on the bottom of the fruit. If it has some leeway, it's probably ripe!