Sunday 26 April 2009

Ananas Comosus; Pineapple;

After the cut has dried for a few days this pineapple top will be planted.


The planted tops are growing.


The fruit is maturing.
Pineapples are best suited to humid coastal lowlands in tropical and subtropical regions of northern and eastern Australia. But in a warm, sunny, sheltered and frost free position, they will tolerate cool nights for short periods.

Pineapples contain a compound called bromelain and eating a fresh pineapple full of bromelain induces a feeling of well being.

Cut the ripe Pineapple in small pieces. Mix sugar with finely shreded mint leaves. Mix the Pineapples with the sugar and mint and let stand for a couple of hours. This is a delicious dessert.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible tropical plant and also its fruit.[1] It is native to the southern part of Brazil, and Paraguay.[2] This herbaceous perennial plant grows to 1.0 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall with 30 or more trough-shaped and pointed leaves 30 to 100 centimetres (1.0 to 3.3 ft) long, surrounding a thick stem. The pineapple is an example of a multiple fruit: multiple, helically-arranged flowers along the axis each produce a fleshy fruit that becomes pressed against the fruits of adjacent flowers, forming what appears to be a single fleshy fruit. Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned and is available as a juice or in juice combinations. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail. . Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation.

Etymology
The word pineapple in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was originally used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now termed pine cones). When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit, they called them pineapples (term first recorded in that sense in 1664) because of their resemblance to what is now known as the pine cone. The term pine cone was first recorded in 1694 and was used to replace the original meaning of pineapple.[3]

Pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which breaks down protein. Pineapple juice can thus be used as a marinade and tenderizer for meat. The enzymes in pineapples can interfere with the preparation of some foods, such as jelly or other gelatin-based desserts. The bromelain breaks down in the canning process, thus canned pineapple can generally be used with gelatin. Pineapple is a good source of manganese containing significant amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin B1

Click here if you like to read more about this luscious fruit.
Source Wikipedia



Enjoy!

Photos TS

25 comments:

diane b said...

A very interesting post. How long does it take for the top to grow into a fruit bearing plant and produce a pineapple? In the past I have had a go at growing them but I never got any fruit.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Diane it depends, up to two years. Thank you for your visit.

Barbara said...

Diesen Beitrag muss ich meinem Sohn zeigen, bei dem wir gestern zu Besuch waren und dort Ananas als Dessert serviert bekamen (allerdings ohne Pfefferminzblatt und Zucker ;-) !). Als Kinder haben wir jeweils den Strunk auch umgekehrt in Töpfe gepflanzt und uns so Zimmerpflanzen (für eine kurze Dauer) gewonnen. Das Gleiche machten wir mit dem Avocadoskern, der dann einen Stängel und ein paar Blätter hervorbrachte. Das waren unsere ersten gärtnerischen Versuche mit exotischen Früchten ;-) !!
Es liebs Grüessli, Barbara

marie-louise said...

I love pineapple, the one growing in your garden looks almost ready to eat. Love ML

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Have you been successful growing pineapples this way?

I tried with an imported pineapple in school, may be they were in the chill room for too long, they didn't grow.

My grandfather in Borneo used to have bushes, so we never grew the from the head.

I don't buy pineapples here because they cost too much.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Tatania ! I can't imagine being able to grow pineapple in my garden .. that is so wonderful .. I have heard about growing them from their tops .. it is fascinating to see happen. I'm a pineapple fan .. it is one of my many cravings .. now seeing this post of course I need some pineapple now ! LOL

Pia K said...

Oh, pineapples, mm, next to raspberries my favourite fruit/berry! Eating them fresh is such a rare treat here, but just wonderful when you find them. And on holiday in warmer climates, oh my...:)

The Azores, Portugal, also has many pineapple plantations, but I did find the pineapples there to be incredibly sour and nonedible fresh:/

Once again, how lucky you are with all your amazing fruits and veggies in your own garden!

Debbie's Garden said...

What funny timing for your post. We were at dinner at a friends last night and their 10 yr old daughter brought out a fresh pinapple. I was telling her that my sister used to save the cut off tops and plant them. They just became house plants though. They make pretty houseplants

Jennifer AKA keewee said...

It is too cold here on the island to grow pineapples.I remember the fresh picked pineapple when I was on Morea, Tahiti a few years ago, juicy and sooo! delicious.

Prospero said...

Hi Titania. Pineapples are one of my favorite plants to grow. Thanks for the post.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Hi Titania!
I absolutely enjoyed reading your post! My sister always told me that it helps to burn fats and makes you feel better if you ate too much.

D'Rimba said...

I love pineapple my lovely friend, please send it to me.......hohoho.......

sweetbay said...

I did not know that pineapple could grow from the severed top of a fruit. How lucky you are to be able to grow them!

MedaM said...

It is so interesting to me that you have a pineaple (in my country we call it ananas) in your own garden. I envy you! This lovely fruit I can only see on the market.
I love everything about this fruit: its decorative look, its taste, its smell. It seems to me I can feel its smell right now while looking at your beautiful photos. Thanks very much for sharing this beautiful post with us.

Unknown said...

YUMMY!

DeniseinVA said...

A very interesting and informative post Titania, lovely photos. Thank you for sharing them.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Barbara ich danke dir sehr fuer deinen Beitrag. Auf dem Farmer' market gibt es die besten Ananas. Der Pinapple farmer bringt diese direkt von der sunshine coast. Diese sind sehr suess und frisch.Ananas wachsen auch gut im Garten, ich pflanze hie und da wieder einmal einen Top, man kann ja auch die Seiten Schoesslinge abschneiden und pflanzen.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Thank you ML for your comment.

Ann, Yes they grow well, they do not like wet feet! Not far from here was a pineapple plantation, but not anymore.

GardenJoy, and they are so good for you!

Pia, thank you for your comment. Fresh pineapple should be very sweet and juicy. They might harvest them too green. Green Pineapples are actually poisonous.

Debbie, yes it is a little addictive, when I see a pineapple top I want to plant it, the same with Avocado stones.

keewee; so yummy, good to remember.

Prospero, good on you.

Tatyana, thank you for your comment. The Bromelain breaks down protein. The most Bromelain is in the core of the fruit.

dRimba, if I could I would!

Sweetbay, you could grow it and keep it as a houseplant. It even might grow a tiny pineapple on top, very cute and a good conversation piece on the dinner table.

You are right Meda, it is a very attractive fruit in every aspect.

Darla and Denise thank you so much for your very welcome visit.

Barbarapc said...

What fun. I'm sorry I put my last pineapple top into the compost - little did I know the treasure I was tossing. Great post!

easygardener said...

Well I have lots of fresh mint so I'll buy a pineapple and give it a go!

HappyMouffetard said...

How wonderful to be able to grow pineapples - they look so luscious.

RA said...

I love pineapples! This is a very informative post. Thank you for sharing. Have a great week :). Thank you for visiting my blog. It means a lot to me.

Sue Catmint said...

Sometimes pineapple tops in the compost start sprouting but I assume they wouldn't grow here in Melbourne. Great photos, re the taste of (bought) pineapples, it is incredibly variable. At its best, totally divine.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Barbarapc, you better go and have a look, the top might have sprouted.

easygardener, mash the mint with the sugar this is wonderful also on any fruitsalad. Mint is also good for your digestion.

Happy Mouffetard, thank you for your visit.

Rosidah, thank you and you are welcome.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

catmint, you are right it can vary. Buy half ones at least you can see if they are brown inside. The best come from the farmers market when the farmer from the sunshine coast sells his pineapples. They are cheap, huge and I have never been disappointed.