Pineapple bowls are a festive way to elevate a dish, and they are not that hard to make.

Picking a Pineapple

If you plan to use the fruit itself, you’ll want to pick a ripe pineapple that will be ready to eat immediately or within a few days. Here’s what to look for when picking a pineapple:

• The crown of the pineapple should be green with fresh looking leaves.
• The pineapple should be firm to the touch but give a bit when squeezed.
• Yellow coloring on the exterior of the pineapple means it’s ripe, sweet, and ready to eat. You can continue to ripen it a bit by storing it at room temperature.
• Ripe pineapples will have the distinctive sweet pineapple smell under the nose, so don’t be afraid to sniff your fruit.

Cutting the Pineapple

You’ll want to cut the pineapple in half and then in sections in order to scoop out the flesh of the fruit while separating the core of the pineapple. I find it easiest to cut the flesh vertically in thirds, with the middle section encompassing the core of the pineapple. Cut a rectangle along the sides of the pineapple, ensuring to only cut the flesh of the fruit and not cut through the skin of the fruit. Make horizontal cuts along the flesh, then scoop out the flesh and core of the fruit. Cut the edible flesh away from the core and discard the core.

Drying the Pineapple Bowl

This step is completely optional but helpful. There will be lots of moisture from the ripe fruit in the pineapple bowl. Place the pineapple bowls on a baking sheet and place them in a 250-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. If the leaves in the crown of your pineapple were not a bright green, it might be helpful to cover that part of the pineapple with aluminum foil while in the oven so that their color doesn’t change more.