Food - Drink
The Absolute Best Uses For Your Leftover Pineapple Core
By John J. Lee
A Tropical Favorite
Although Pineapple has a controversial reputation in the world of pizza, it has proven itself in both the sweet and savory sides of cuisine. However, the core is usually thrown out for being overly fibrous and incredibly tough to chew, but it is very flavorful and can be utilized in a number of ways.
Simple Preparations
Eating the pineapple core can be super simple, you can actually just slice the core very thinly and eat it as is. If slicing thin isn't your style, you can cut the core into larger chunks and freeze the pieces for a couple of hours to act as a natural and aesthetically pleasing way to flavor drinks.
Grate or Puree
The pineapple core can also be grated to sprinkle on salads and can be mixed into many different kinds of salad dressings to give it an extra dimension of flavor. Dole also suggests boiling the core in water to soften it up and then tossing it in a blender to purée. That purée can then be used in smoothies, alcoholic drinks, or even tangier soups.
Pineapple Core Syrup
In a more involved process you can use your cores to make a simple syrup that is incredibly versatile. Start by cutting up the core and adding it to a bowl with lemon juice and a healthy amount of sugar. Then it's time to cover the bowl and let the sugar and fruit juices meld for a couple of hours until you have a delicious simple syrup to use.
For Teas or Soups
Using some of the methods mentioned before, you can boil the core by itself or with added ingredients to make a delicious tea. Additionally, Jodie's Kitchen recommends blending the pineapple core with other ingredients like tomatoes, cabbage, and celery and then boiling (and optionally straining) to get a fragrant broth that can be used for lots of different soups.