Grilled Pineapple

Nothing shouts summer more than fresh fruit and backyard barbecues. Enjoy this quick and easy recipe for grilled pineapple, a perfect accompaniment to any main dish or ideal when served as a refreshing dessert.

Grilled pineapple recipe

Simple ingredients:

• ¼ cup pure honey
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 medium (ripe but firm) fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch sliced rounds

• 1 small jar maraschino cherries

Directions in four easy steps:

Step one: Preheat grill to medium heat.

Step two: In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients but the pineapple and cherries. Set honey mixture aside.

Step three: Grill the pineapple directly on the grill rack for 5 to 8 minutes, just until tender, turning halfway through.

Step four: Transfer pineapple to plates and brush with the honey mixture. Garnish each pineapple ring with a maraschino cherry. Serve hot and enjoy!

Pineapple fun facts:

• The pineapple is neither a pinecone nor an apple. However, pineapples are sweet fruits known to resemble pinecones.   
• The scientific name for the fruit is “ananas comosus.”
• Pineapples are native to South America.
• The bulk of pineapples imported into the USA come from Central and South American or Mexican grower-ships.
• Pineapples are also grown in the USA. Most home-grown pineapples come from Hawaii or Puerto Rico, with small scale-production in Florida and California.
• Pineapples are essentially multiple fruits formed from many individual berries fusing together.
• Pineapples contain vitamin C, potassium, fiber and enzyme bromelain. The latter can be made into a dietary supplement to treat people with osteoarthritis. Bromelain can also be used to reduce inflammation associated with infection and injury.
• It takes on average about 18 months to three years to produce edible fruit from seeds.
• Most pineapple plants live between three and seven years, depending upon when they produce their fruit.
• Some pineapple plants can live and produce fruit in the wild for up to 50 years.
• Wild plants grown from seed are pollinated by hummingbirds and bats.
• For cooking, picking a ripe pineapple is key as they don’t continue to ripen after they are picked.
• Ripe pineapples should feel heavy for their size. Look for ones with medium yellow color that are firm but slightly soft when squeezed.
• Pineapple purveyors also suggest looking at the fruit’s individual spikes – the flatter the skin, the riper the fruit.

Do you enjoy grilling? If so, check out our related article entitled Barbecue safety tips.