Pineapples

[rischott]

I don't often eat them, but the last few time I have I have come across a problem. I usually eat the whole pinapple over the span of several hours. Well, I have been getting a burning/stinging sensation on my lips and in my mouth. It is quite annoying and can get painful at times. Is this from eating too much or from its unripeness? Has anyone experienced this before.

[nick]

I don't often eat them, but the last few time I have I have come across a problem. I usually eat the whole pinapple over the span of several hours.

Wow.

Well, I have been getting a burning/stinging sensation on my lips and in my mouth. It is quite annoying and can get painful at times. Is this from eating too much or from its unripeness? Has anyone experienced this before.

If the pineapple isn't ripe it will contain enzymes that will break down your tissue in your mouth and lips. I used to experience this but now I don't eat much pineapple. And when I do, I only take 5-6 cut peices from it at a sitting every few hours.

It has a very strong flavor and just a few peices is perfectly enough.
It really hits my sugar system and gives it a hyperboost.

[Oscar]

I think a pineapple is pretty harsh anyway. It would me a few days to eat one whole on my own...

[huntress]

hi rischott

I too experience the same stinging sensation on the tongue. And I too eat my pineapples in one shot (can't help it, it is TOO delicious).
I find that when I eat overripened pineapples, there is either little or no stinging sensation on my tongue. I also find that eating a not really ripe pineapple, my tongue stings. But I also find that when I eat just a small portion of unripe pineapple, my tongue do not sting.

So I guess it is a matter of ripeness and portion size.

[RRM]

I find that when I eat overripened pineapples, there is either little or no stinging sensation on my tongue.

Exactly; the level of protein-decomposing enzymes has gone way down by then.

[avo]

I once ate most of a pineapple. Yea, my tongue stung a lot, but I kept eating. Guess what? My tongue started bleeding! I couldn't comfortably eat anything for 2 days afterwards, the stinging became so bad.

[Oscar]

Ouch!

[dancs]

I've lived in the Philippines for most of my life, and we eat pineapples on the regular without any burning. The reason your all experiencing the burning sensation when eating a pineapple is because your eating bits and parts of the skin that is still left. When you peel the pineapple, you must be very maticulous in taking out the 'eyes' or any skin left from it. My mom usually cuts the pineapple for me because shes an expert. The pineapple ends up having diagonal ridges on the side of it. She makes sure she gets rid of every little peace of skin since that what causes the burns.

Here's a link that shows you to cut a pineapple like a local.
http://maona.net/archives/2005/01/how_to_cut_pine_1.php

You will notice that there will be a lot less to none burn. Thus you can eat as much pineapple as you want.

For me, i can't eat TOO much since it starts to hurt my belly - too much acidity i think.

Anyway, i hope this is helpful and that you all start to eat more pineapple.

[avo]

It also has a lot to do with ripeness. If the pineapple is not picked ripe, it will burn more than a ripe one will. They also do not ripen after being picked. Considering you lived right where the pineapples grew, you probably had the ripest ones since they were not suitable for export.

[RRM]

Exactly. The most perfectly ripened pineapples are not exported. They are exported before ripe, and then its unlikely they will ripen perfectly. But yes, the highest levels of those enzymes are found in and near the peel.

[Sealish]

It is very difficult to have fruits (of any type) that come a distance consistently ripen.

I have taken to buying fruits in season, all grown in the U.S. (where I live). Hence the impulse to buy a dehydrator-- as I do not live in a place that has fruit growing year-round....As dried, perfectly-ripe fruit in consistent quantity seems attractive compared to hunting for fruits in colder months that are cosmetically pretty to look at, but often fail to ripen at all.

[martianwarrior]

I usually eat the whole pinapple over the span of several hours.

My tongue started bleeding!

this happened to me today! spitting out blood and everything! the acidity etched little slits on the roof of my mouth as well.

besides pineapples not ever really having the chance to fully ripen before making it to PA, i've also found that mangoes don't really transport well. i guess i've never experienced these true flavors and perhaps never will, but i think it's best i stick to more local stuff. the last mango i had just didn't seem sweet enough and it was ripe from what i could tell; soft and somewhat wrinkled on top even.

bananas seem to do well since they ripen after they're picked right? or can you pick bananas ripe as well, meaning they can turn ripe on the tree or no? would it fall from the tree before it reaches a certain level of ripeness?

[Oscar]

I think most fruits ripen after they've been picked. Bananas can also be picked ripe, and I think they fall from the tree when they're ripe (like most fruits do).

[martianwarrior]

so then what do people refer to when they say that something will never really have a chance to fully ripen? it seems like people suggest that a fruit needs to remain on a tree for a certain amount of time before it should be picked in order for it ripen properly and fully and that some must be picked pre-maturely in order to export them to the U.S. and elsewhere before the ripening is too far along... correct?

[Oscar]

Well, I think there's a difference between fully ripen on the tree and getting picked prematurely and ripen off the tree.

I know bananas are picked very unripe and ripened artificially before they are sold in the stores (after which they ripen more).