This is my new Mix n Chop! I usually ask each of my hosts if there is anything particular they would like me to bring to their show. It seems they all want me to bring the Pineapple Wedger. They purchase the pineapple...I demo how to use it....I am selling a lot of them! This is a great tool. I am including the page posted here from a consultant on Pineapple Wedger tips with each one purchased (the one with the Fresh Pineapple Salsa recipe). Thank you HO for giving us another awesome tool for our guests:love:
I did my first show since I received my pineapple wedger on Saturday. I wasn't planning on using it at all, but she just happened to have bought this pineapple which was pretty green. We tried it out, and it was very difficult -- hard to not groan when you try to make it look so easy (LOL). I did explain to everyone some of the things to look for in a ripe pineapple. Two were sold, amazingly, after my faulty demo.
Could you share some of those tips on picking a good pineapple? I just know not to pick one that is too green, anything else? Thanks!
You want to make sure that the outside of the pineapple is yellow in color (in the eyes). You can also pick off a leaf from the top. It it easily comes off, it is ripe. Also smell is the best way, but you won't want people to see you sticking your nose up to the skin :0
Jackie's right - look for yellow. They're called "golden pineapples" for a reason. Get the one that's got the most yellow of all the pineapples in the bin. It'll not only be ripe enough to make cutting easier, it'll be sweeter when you eat it.
Great tips ladies...thank you. I love passing on tips to my customers and these will definitely help.
I used my pineapple wedger Saturday for the first time...made that fabulous pineapple salsa. It was so good. All of my counters are tall and I am short, so I had to actually put the cutting board on the floor and get on my knees to make it work. It worked great. I had no problems cutting the pineapple...but I can't put my cutting board on my hosts floor, so I am trying to figure out the best way to demo it. Maybe cut the pineapple in half and then do two seperate pieces instead of one big piece.
You'll want to check out the handout that's in the files called Pineapple Wedger Tips. It's very helpful and is great to e-mail or hand out to guests who purchase it. But yes, it's easier if you cut it in half because they won't be as tall and you'll get better leverage. Also, try using your table instead, it's not as high as your countertops (typically). I think someone also mentioned putting it in her sink.
Thanks Ladies! These are some great tips!! Specially the one about pulling on the leaf.... that is good to know! Have any of you tried using it on a cantaloupe?
Shawnna: Tell your guests that you are going to cut it in half because you are going to use one half demoing how to use it, then the other half a guest will try it. This is making it look like that is how you demo it instead of focusing on your vertically challenged status.
I have. It works if you make sure that you cut enough off each end to make sure the wedger is starting on flesh and not rind. However, since a cantaloupe is so much rounder than a pineapple it leaves a lot of flesh in the rind.
A friend from Thailand told me that when you bring a pineapple home from the store you should stand it upside down while it is continuing to ripen in your house, which apparently makes it juicier? Anyway, I always do that and they are great!
I've set one of our silicone potholders in my clean kitchen sink, then cut off the two ends of the pineapple, and set the pineapple on the potholders to use the cutter. I had to do that for my husband when I asked him to use the cutter for me. My one shoulder was sore that morning, and I did not want to aggrevate it. We are not finding very many pineapples the right size to be cutting off the outside peel. So, my preferred method is to use our forged cutlery to cut off the outside peel, then use the pineapple cutter on the whole peeled pineapple. I then place the individual, four wedges on a cutting board and complete the dicing.