How do you know if a fresh or canned pineapple has gone bad?

The pineapple native to Brazil is not called the pharmacy of the tropics for nothing. It detoxifies, fights depression, lowers blood pressure, and contains the protein-breaking enzyme bromelain. The fruit, which has long ceased to be exotic, is sold in stores in the form of candied fruits, chips, and canned goods. But there are more benefits in pineapple fresh, if it is properly selected, not spoiled in storage.

How to know if a pineapple has gone bad without cutting it open

Distinguishing signs of a pineapple unfit for consumption:

1. Smell. A bright, sugary-sweet smell with hints of fermentation is characteristic of a product in which the rotting process has begun.
2. Weight. If you took the pineapple in your hands, and it seemed weightless, it means that it has been stored for a long time, began to shrink. It should be disposed of.
3. Sultan. The palm-shaped leaves on top help the pineapple stay fresh for a long time. If the sultan has turned brown and dried out, the leaves separate effortlessly - you have an overripe fruit in front of you.
4. The color of the scales. Expired product has brown, maroon or brown scales with whitish streaks.
5. Pressing. After pressing, the shape of the spoiled fruit is not restored. This indicates the development of putrefactive processes in the pulp.

Pineapple that smells of vinegar, yeast or alcohol, a soft and wet bottom, and a hollow sound made when tapped should be discarded. Signs of spoilage include dents, asymmetric shape, weight less than 1 kg.

There may be no streaked spots, softened scales or areas of rot on the surface, but this does not mean the product is edible. The harvest before transportation to the places of sale is treated with fungicides, preserving the appearance, but not the quality of the flesh.

Signs of spoiled canned pineapple

A canned product is considered spoiled, unfit for eating, if:

• the can is bloated or damaged;
• the syrup is turbid or foamy;
• discoloration;
• mold has formed.

Canned pineapples can cause life-threatening botulism. If you have the slightest doubt about the quality of the product, you should get rid of it. Rospotrebnadzor recommends not buying canned food from hand.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

Pineapples stored for a long time in the fridge or open canned food - a source of pathogenic microorganisms, releasing large amounts of toxins in the process of life. After consuming an overripe product, food poisoning occurs, which is accompanied by:

• cramping pain in the epigastric region;
• vomiting for relief;
• diarrhea;
• fever, headache.

As dehydration increases, blood pressure decreases, tachycardia and drowsiness occur.

If botulism agents have entered the body with the tainted product and the general symptoms of intoxication are joined by visual, articulation and swallowing disorders, an ambulance should be called immediately.

In the absence of life-threatening symptoms, medical intervention is unnecessary.

It is important to provide first aid in time, following the recommendations of specialists:

1. The victim is offered up to one and a half liters of water with manganese or clear to help induce vomiting. The stomach is flushed until a clear liquid without food particles comes out.
2. To limit the spread of toxins, the patient is given an absorbent drug as directed.
3. To restore the water balance in dehydration due to vomiting, diarrhea is shown by abundant warm drinking.

As a result of these simple actions, most of the toxins are eliminated, preventing a severe course of the disease.

How to determine when buying delicious and ripe fruit

A guide to choosing a quality product at the point of sale:

Smell

The ripe fruit smells unobtrusive, but noticeably spicy and fruity sweet. A complete lack of aroma is a sign of underripeness.

Check out the sultan.

A ripe pineapple has a thick, green sultan with slightly dried tips. The central leaves are easily detached from the base. The height of the sultan should not be less than 10 cm.

Use pressing, tapping

A pineapple with sweet, juicy flesh, like a watermelon, makes a thudding sound when tapped. It springs when tapped, not stays rocky or dented.

Check the crust.

Choose a product with firm, soft scales that are bright yellow in color. Brown, green streaks are acceptable. In some varieties of fruit crop and in a mature state, the crust remains green. In this case, be guided by other signs.

Pay attention to price

The main part of the cost of the product is transportation costs. Pineapples harvested ripe are shipped by air, which increases their price. Shipments by sea of fruit cut green reduce the cost.

Smaller pineapples with prickly leaves and a smooth crust are considered sweeter. It is better to eat the purchased product immediately, because in the refrigerator loses the flavor of the warm-loving southern fruit.

How to store pineapple correctly

Rules, conditions for preserving the consumer properties of fresh and canned pineapple differ significantly.

Fresh

Optimal storage conditions for fresh fruit - 90% humidity, t - 7-10 ° C.

A suitable place for a whole pineapple is in a fruit container in the fridge. In it the ripe fruit retains its taste and nutritional value for up to two weeks, the unripe up to three weeks. Before storing the pineapple, wrap it in paper, which is changed as it gets wet.

The remains of peeled, sliced fruit in a glass or porcelain plate cover with food film, keep in the refrigerator no more than three days.

Frozen product retains its useful properties much longer (3-4 months). Pineapple is cleaned, sliced in any convenient way, laid out in a single layer on a cutting board or tray. After freezing cubes, slices or slices are packed in zipp-packs, return to the freezer.

Canned

In a sealed jar, the canned fruit does not spoil for 3 years. After opening the product sliced or cut into circles at room temperature "lives" no more than four hours. If you put it in a glass or ceramic container, put it in the refrigerator, the shelf life will increase to a week.

Even more prolongs the shelf life of canned pineapples in the freezer. To get cubes for cocktails, use an ice mold. In each cell put a small piece, pour syrup. After freezing, they are placed in a vacuum bag and stored for up to four months.

If you choose the right pineapple, create optimal storage conditions, you can not only get a gastronomic delight, but also maintain health, improve mood, prevent depression.