How to Drain a Pineapple

Pineapple is one of the world's most delicious foods, whether raw, cooked or juiced. To enjoy its decadent sweetness, you have to know how to open pineapple and how to squeeze pineapple to drain it. Several situations exist where you may need to squeeze pineapple to remove as much juice as possible. You might want to drink the juice, or if you plan to cook the pineapple, you must remove as much liquid as possible beforehand.

First, you have to know how to cut pineapple for juice. Use a sharp chef's knife to slice off the top and then cut off the other leaves and discard them. The next step is to remove the pineapple's eyes, which are arranged in diagonal lines. Cut around the lines of the eyes at 45-degree angles on either side, repeating for each line of eyes until you have removed them. Next, you should cut the pineapple into quarters vertically around the core and discard the core, which is inedible. Cut the remaining strips of pineapple into chunks.

Take the chopped pineapple and put it into a sieve. If you're going to preserve the juice, place the sieve over a bowl. You can drink the pineapple juice by itself or put it in a fruit smoothie. Now, you should take the back of a wooden spoon and firmly press down on the pineapple, using the pressure to release the juice from the fruit. Press all pineapple pieces and stir the pieces occasionally to ensure you get them all.

Alternatively, you can cover the pineapple in plastic wrap in the sieve and then place a heavy item on top of it, such as a brick. However, make sure that you wrap the brick in plastic wrap or tin foil first. Leave the pineapple to drain for about an hour.

Sometimes, it's easier to use canned or crushed pineapple, especially in recipes that call for pineapple. For example, if you're making gelatin, you have to use canned pineapple since the enzymes in fresh pineapple will stop the gelatin from setting. You will use a similar method to the one for draining canned and crushed pineapple. First, open your can and pour as much juice as possible down the drain. Then, empty the can into a sieve set over a bowl or the sink.

Using the back of a wooden spoon, you should press out as much juice as you can. Then, cover everything in plastic wrap and place the sieve with the bowl under it in the refrigerator, which will allow it to slowly drain over an extended period. You should leave the pineapple like this for at least an hour, waiting patiently until the pineapple has fully drained.

If you plan to make fresh pineapple juice, you need to cut it correctly. While smaller chunks of chopped pineapple are easier to blend, you'll lose a lot of the liquid in the process of cutting them, defeating the purpose.

Open the pineapple and don't forget to peel and remove the eyes. You may want to do so on a cutting board with grooves to catch juices released in the process. Cut the prepared pineapple into large chunks and place them in a sieve. Press as much liquid as possible, catching it in a bowl.

Add the drained pineapple chunks and the juice to the blender and pulse. After pulsing for a few minutes, blend until smooth. You can add sugar to sweeten the juice or ice to make it thicker and creamier. If the fruit is too thick, you'll want to add some water.