Nothing is more stunning or awe-inspiring than being able to serve a dish such as fried rice in a fresh pineapple bowl. Making a pineapple bowl is as easy as splitting a pineapple in half.
Before you get started, make sure you have a nice sharp knife that is readily available. You’ll need a sharp chefs knife to cut through the core and the top of the pineapple.
Looking for ideas for serving with your pineapple bowls? Try a Thai pineapple fried rice or you can even serve drinks such as Long Beach or Long Island Iced Teas in a pineapple boat.
Picking out a Ripe Pineapple
Even though this is an article about making a pineapple bowl, you will probably have plans for the flesh of the pineapple. This means you will want to pick out a juicy delicious pineapple with fruit that you will want to eat. Also, a ripe pineapple will be easier to cut up.
When you are at the grocery store and you see an array of pineapples, you might ask yourself, “Which pineapple should I choose?”
The exterior of a pineapple goes from green to yellow as it ripens. You will want a pineapple that is consistently golden brown from top to bottom. If you decided to pick out a pineapple that was completely orange(totally ripe) it may be overripe and inedible. After you’ve picked out a fruit that looks good, go ahead and give it a good squeeze. The base of the pineapple should feel soft but not squishy. It should give a little bit when you squeeze it but you should not be able to leave fingerprints.
How to Make Pineapple Bowls
- Prepare your station. Take your pineapple and set on its side. Make sure you have two medium-sized bowls at the ready, one for the flesh and one for the core.
- Take your knife and make a cut through the very middle of the pineapple. You can take off the top if you prefer. Cutting through the fibrous top of the pineapple will be the hardest part but makes a beautiful presentation
- Once the pineapple is in half, take your knife and cut an outline around the pineapple. Leave about half an inch of border so the bowl will be sturdy.
- After making the border, score about 1-inch sections of the pineapple flesh and scoop it out into a bowl. Set aside.
- Score the core, which will be a lighter yellow color running down the middle of the pineapple, and take that out as well. Put into a bowl or simply discard. The core is inedible.
- You have just made your first pineapple bowl! Repeat the same steps on the other half.
If you were unable to get out all of the pineapple take a spoon and scrape out the bowl. Some pulp and lots of juice will begin to come to the surface. Either save to eat later or discard.
Now that you have your pineapple bowls, you are ready to start using them! If you are making them the day ahead, store in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Just sprinkle with lime juice so they don’t oxide too quickly. Allow your bowls to dry out in the fridge overnight if you have the time if you are planning to serve a dish in them.
How to Use Pineapple Boats
There are many uses for your freshly-made pineapple boats. You can serve something that is made with your fresh-cut pineapple or you can serve something entirely different in it. One of my favorite dishes to serve in these boats is Thai pineapple fried rice or even frozen custard.
Whatever you do decide to serve in your pineapple boats, make sure that you press out as much water of the pineapple as possible. Since there is a lot of natural liquid in the pineapple, it will make the dish that you are trying to serve soggy. Another way to avoid juice from the pineapple leaching into your food is make the pineapple boats the night before and then let them sit out, uncovered, in the fridge overnight to dry out.
If you are making these pineapple boats just before you are using them, you can use a paper towel to press out as much liquid as possible. You can also line the bottom of the pineapple with paper towels to absorb some of the juice to keep your dish from getting soggy.
Another popular way to use these bowls is to use them to serve drinks. Make a pineapple flavored drink and serve it like you would any serving dish. It will definitely be a conversation starter!
