How To Freeze Pineapple

You’ve bought more pineapples than you can use before they go bad. Maybe it was a great deal in the grocery, or you only needed a quarter to decorate a dessert. Either way, both whole, and cut pineapple last only a couple of days. And you definitely don’t want to throw the leftovers out. So you want to know how to freeze those pineapples.

Whole pineapple
Whole pineapple

Or maybe you’re not even sure if you can freeze a pineapple. As you probably know, you can freeze pretty much any fruit, so the real question here is whether it makes sense or not. Or, to put it another way, if a frozen and thawed pineapple is good enough to use. And the best answer I can come up with is: it depends on how you plan on using the fruit. For some uses, it’s quite alright, while for others not so much. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of freezing pineapples.

Can You Freeze Pineapples?

Like with pretty much any fruit (e.g. mango), the texture and taste of pineapple changes slightly after freezing and thawing. But some fruits freeze better than others, and pineapple is in that group.

If you’re a pineapple connoisseur eating it regularly, you will notice there’s a difference. But if it’s on your table only from time to time, chances are you will miss it. I only notice that the thawed pineapple’s texture is mushier than fresh one’s. When it comes to taste, I find it perfectly fine.

Either way, there are a couple of ways that you can use frozen and thawed pineapple instead of a fresh one without any negative consequences. I talk all about them later in the article.

So to answer the question: yes, you can freeze pineapples, and there are a lot of options when it comes to using them. But if you’re all set on thawing and eating them on their own, you might be a bit disappointed about the results.

Before you freeze the fruit, learn how long does it last. Maybe you can eat it fresh after all.

How to Freeze A Pineapple?

Freezing a whole pineapple doesn’t sound like a good idea. It’d take quite some time to defrost, and take way too much space in the freezer. Plus you would still need to cut it up after thawing.

I don’t know about you, but I like to have the food in the freezer prepared as much as possible. This way, even when I’m feeling super lazy, I have enough willpower to take it out and start defrosting, knowing there’s nothing else I need to do about it.

Okay, so as you’ve probably guessed, we’re going to freeze pineapple chunks. Here’s how to go about it:

  1. Remove the skin and core the pineapple. If you’re doing this very often, consider buying a pineapple corer to speed things up.
  2. Slice or chunk the fruit. Consider how you will use the fruit after thawing and choose a size and shape that makes sense. If you don’t have a set agenda for the defrosted pineapple, cut it into small pieces. They are versatile to use and thaw quite fast.
    Pineapple chunks on a plate
    Pineapple chunks on a plate
  3. (Optional) Place the fruit pieces in a sieve or strainer for a couple of minutes. Getting rid of some of the liquid on the surface will result in less frost on the pieces. I recommend doing that if you plan on using the pineapple in a fruit salad and throwing it in frozen. If you defrost the fruit first, you can strain the water before adding the pineapple.
  4. Place the chunks onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat. The mat is there to make removing the pieces from the cookie sheet easy. Alternatively, if you don’t yet own one, you can use wax or parchment paper. Here’s how it looks like with parchment paper:
    Pineapple chunks on a cookie sheet
    Pineapple chunks on a cookie sheet
  5. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and keep it there until the fruit freezes. This process is called flash-freezing and will make the chunks freeze separately, not in a single big clump. This way you can easily defrost only a couple of pieces. I usually leave the cookie sheet in the freezer overnight.
    Frozen pineapple chunks on a cookie sheet
    Frozen pineapple chunks on a cookie sheet
  6. Remove the chunks from the cookie sheet and store them in a freezer bag or container in your freezer. If need be, add a label with a name and date to it for future reference.
    Frozen pineapple in a freezer bag
    Frozen pineapple in a freezer bag

How to Defrost Frozen Pineapple?

There are a couple of ways to defrost the pineapple, depending on your needs. Here are some of the most popular options:

  • Thaw in the fridge. The classic way to defrost food is to do it in the refrigerator. Transfer as many chunks or slices as you need to an airtight container or freezer bag and put it in the fridge. Do it in the evening, so the fruit is ready to go the next morning.
  • Thaw in cold water. If you don’t have that much time on hand, throw a freezer bag with the pieces into a pot with cold water. Defrosting should take about an hour or two, depending on the size and amount of pieces. Please note that it’s far more effective to use a freezer bag than a container in the method. Also, make sure the bag isn’t leaky.
  • Throw it in frozen. In many cases, you don’t have to bother with defrosting the food and can use it straight from the freezer. Check out some examples in the next section.

How To Use Frozen Or Thawed Pineapple?

Did you freeze a bunch of pineapple slices and have no idea on how to use them? No worries, we got you covered. Here are a couple of popular ways to use frozen or defrosted pineapple:

  • Make a smoothie. Pineapple is a popular smoothie ingredient (HC), and so are ice cubes. That means you can throw it in straight from the freezer instead of the ice cubes and your smoothie should turn out just fine.
  • Make pineapple-infused water. Put a chunk or two into a glass and fill it with water. Pinch the pieces with a fork to release some of the juices to the water. The drink will have a slight pineapple flavor. Don’t expect it to taste anywhere near pineapple juice. Nevertheless, it makes a great drink on a sweltering day, and when you finish sipping the water, you get to eat those pineapple pieces.
  • Use in cooked recipes. There are hundreds of cooked recipes out there that call for pineapples. For example, check out this slow cooker Hawaiian BBQ chicken. In many cases, you don’t even need to defrost the fruit.
  • Eat it as is or add to a fruit salad. As I’ve already mentioned, the frozen and thawed pineapple is mushier than a fresh one, but the taste, at least for me, is perfectly acceptable. Make sure to test your favorite fruit salad before serving it to your guests, though.
Pineapple-infused water
Pineapple-infused water

How Long Does A Pineapple Last?

As I already mentioned, pineapple doesn’t last that long.

A whole fruit typically lasts one to three days in the pantry and 3 to 6 days in the fridge. That, of course, depends on how long it sat on the shelf in the grocery. Once you cut it up or slice the fruit, it lasts about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Here’s how the periods compare:

PantryFridge
Fresh whole pineapple1 – 3 days3 – 6 days
Sliced or chunked pineapple3 – 5 days

Please note that those periods are estimates for how long the quality of the pineapple is best. You can usually keep it for another day or two, but chances are the quality won’t be that great.

Cut pineapple chunks
Cut pineapple chunks

How To Tell If A Pineapple Is Bad?

A whole pineapple usually starts to spoil from the bottom, near the core. So even if your fruit looks just fine when it sits on a shelf, make sure to check its bottom. If mold started to grow over there, there are two ways to go.

First, you can consider the fruit spoiled and discard it. No one will blame you for that.

Second, you can cut it up as soon as possible, discard a couple of slices from the bottom to be safe, and check the quality of the rest. If the remaining slices have an off smell but look and taste alright, it’s up to you if you eat them or throw them out. If they seem to be just fine, feel free to consume them, or freeze them.

If the fruit has any soft spots, or its smell started to change, the procedure is pretty much the same. Cut it up and keep whatever is still good enough to consume.

When it comes to sliced pineapple, look for signs of mold, discolorations, and check the smell. If either is somehow off, it’s probably time to get rid of them. Same if the slices sit in the fridge for over a week.

If your pineapple is still good, and you won’t be able to use it before it likely goes bad, freezing might be your way out.

References

About the Author

Marcin

Marcin is the managing editor of CanYouFreezeThis.com. He is making sure all the freezing info on this page is accurate and the posts easy to digest and use.