How do you juice a pineapple? (2 ways)

In this brief guide, we will answer ‘how do you juice a pineapple?’ Also, we will discuss some health benefits of pineapple and how you can pick the best produce to get the best quality juice.

How do you juice a pineapple?

To juice a pineapple, it is necessary to liquefy the fruit. After you have peeled and removed the eyes of pineapple, cut your pineapple into smaller cubes or chunks that you can juice through two ways.

In a blender – put the pineapple chunks or cubes depending on the size of your blender. Add some sugar or any sweetener based on your preference and the sweetness of your pineapple. Add water depending on the thickness you want and blitz until smooth. 

Pass the juice through a fine mesh or cheesecloth to get rid of any leftover flesh or you can leave it as it is all fiber. Serve. You may add ice cubes with other ingredients if you want a slushy type consistency or you may pour your blended juice over ice cubes.

In a fruit juicer – simply feed your pineapple chunks into the fruit juicer until you have run out of pineapples. The juicer will do most of the work. Serve with ice or as it is.

What care is needed to juice a pineapple?

Some care is needed to juice a pineapple, in order to avoid contaminations and ensure maximum safety and shelf life. Proper food handling is needed to prevent foodborne illness transmission (5):

• Wash your hands carefully with water and soup and also all the utensils that will be used, such as knife, cutbord, blender, jar, etc.
• Select a pineapple free of spoilage or decay, wash the fruit, peel and cut it into small pieces
• Put the pieces in the blender blend them with a little amount of drinkwater
• After making the juice, the temperature must be reduced to 41°F or 5°C to avoid microbial growth and the juice must be store it in a clean, covered container for a maximum period of 7 days

Why should you consume homemade pineapple juice?

You should consume homemade pineapple juice due to its improved properties. Fresh juice contains more vitamins and minerals than any premade juice does. For example, previously mentioned vitamin C is a natural antioxidant, that often gets oxidized even before the pack or bottle reaches you while in homemade you still get most of it. 

Fresh pineapple juice contains a variety of minerals, especially manganese, as well as amino acids, various sugars, vitamins, and polyphenols. It is considered as a functional drink due to its health-promoting properties and has anti-inflammatory, antiatherosclerotic, antiaging, and many other healing properties (1). 

Premade juice also contains a high amount of sugar, much more than needed. This only increases your risk of many diseases. In homemade juice, you can add just enough or even substitute with a healthier option.

Manufacturers of premade juice also eliminate all the fiber that is so beneficial for you. They do so to achieve a clearer juice so it appeals to the consumers more.

Premade juice often has added preservatives like sodium benzoate. This keeps the fruit fresh for longer and minimizes quality loss during storage. However, when ingested the preservative doesn’t seize their activity which may lead to constipation. Consumption of sodium benzoate above ADI (5 mg/ kg) resulted in hyperactivity, ADHD and allergic reactions. Sodium benzoate was considered genotoxic, clastogenic, neurotoxic, besides being responsible for changes in cell cycle and for having proven intercalation in the DNA structure (4).

However, there are new trends on juice processing aiming at the elimination of preservatives from the processed juices, while they reduce bacterial contamination with improved shelf life and preservation of antioxidant compounds, vitamins, and minerals. Pasteurization, ultrafiltration, high-pressure homogenization, ultraviolet irradiation, reverse osmosis, freeze drying, and many other techniques are used to improve the quality of pineapple juice (1).

What are the health benefits of pineapple juice?

Pineapple juice has many health benefits, such as to improve the immune system, to protect from cancer, to improve digestion, it acts as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Pineapples provide the following health benefits:

Immunity booster

Just drinking a cup of pineapple provides you with a 30% supply of your daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immunity. The vitamin C content of fresh pineapple juice to be 84.2 mg/100 mL, while that for commercial pineapple juice made from concentrate varied between 12 and 42 mg/100 mL (1). 

Reduces cancer risks

Bromelain – a natural enzyme in pineapple that is responsible for the tingling sensation in your mouth. This said enzyme can fight off free radicals and some cancerous cells. It may also help to slow down or stop the growth of cancer cells. The protein molecules from bromelain, such as piperazine chlorcyclizine (CCZ) (factor responsible for immunostimulant activity) and calpain–calpastatin system (CCS) (factor responsible for immunomodulatory activity), have been identified as powerful anticancer agents and could lead to a new class of cancer-fighting drugs (1).

Besides, The pineapple juice contains phenolic acids such as p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaroylquinic acid, feruloyl glucose, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and syringic acid. These phenolic compounds, added to the carotenoid compounds found in pineapple juice act as potent antioxidants and protect against cancer (1).

Anti-inflammatory in nature

Bromelain enzymes present in fresh pineapple juice have anti-inflammatory activities. Bromelain is said to be associated with lowering joint pain and aids in treating injuries (1). Studies reveal that Bromelain detaches particular cell surface molecules associated with lymphocyte and neutrophil migration to the site of inflammation. Also, significantly blocks activation and production of cytokines and inflammatory mediators in cultured leukocytes or human intestinal cells (2).

Aids in proper digestion

A single serving of pineapple in all forms regularly provides you with enough fiber that can also protect you from digestive-related problems like constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. The Bromelin present in pineapple juice also promotes the digestive processes by destroying the proteins in the stomach and intestine; consequently, broken protein molecules can be absorbed by the intestine and enter the bloodstream more rapidly (1).

Natural detoxifier

Pineapple juice can aid in flushing toxins out of your body. This is due to the high amount of antioxidant compounds present in the pineapple juice (1).

How to pick the best pineapple?

To pick the best pineapple, choose a ripe fruit, free from dark spots or signs of spoilage. To select a ripe pineapple, choose one that feels heavy for its size, has a fruity aroma and crisp, dark green leaves. Avoid dry-looking leaves and soft or dark spots.

How long does fresh pineapple juice last?

Fresh pineapple juice lasts for about a week. Fresh juice is highly susceptible to spoilage, and microbial metabolism leads to deterioration of organoleptic and physicochemical parameters, thereby causing rejection of the product by consumers and financial losses for producers (3).

Quality and shelf life of untreated juice depend on the raw material and the applied processes. Sensory defects during pineapple juice shelf life result from browning and carotenoid destruction. Pineapple juice therefore tastes “fermented”, “alcoholic”, and “chemical” after three to seven days of storage at 4°C (3).

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered ‘how do you juice a pineapple?’ Also, we have discussed some health benefits of pineapple and how you can pick the best produce to get the best quality juice.

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful and informative. In case of any queries or comments, please do let us know.

Citation

1. Khalid, Nauman, Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria, and Iftikhar Ahmed. Pineapple juice. Handbook of Functional Beverages and Human Health . 2016. 
2. Sharma, Manu, and Rishu Sharma. Implications of designing a bromelain loaded enteric nanoformulation on its stability and anti-inflammatory potential upon oral administration. RSC adv, 2018, 8, 2541-2551.
3. Leneveu-Jenvrin, Charlène, et al. Maintaining physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory quality of pineapple juice (Ananas comosus, Var.‘Queen Victoria’) through mild heat treatment. Processes, 2020, 8, 1186.
4. Linke, Bruna GO, Thais AC Casagrande, Lígia AC Cardoso. Food additives and their health effects: A review on preservative sodium benzoate. Afr J Biotechnol, 2018, 17, 306-310.
5. Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook. Food and Drug Administration. 2022.