All Aboard the Pineapple Express

On my way to the North Shore today to watch some professional surfers take to the waves, I decided to visit the Dole Plantation (which is home to the largest maze in the world!  And get this, the maze is shaped like a pineapple).  A company started by Mr. James Drummond Dole in the early 1900's, Dole is responsible for making pineapple popular not only in Hawaii, but across the world. 

The very challenging maze left me scratching my head.  It was impossible!

Mr. Dole showed the world how sweet and delicious pineapple could be.  He would pick the pineapples when they were perfectly ripe, peel and cut them up into pieces and then preserve them in cans.  When these cans arrived in homes across the world the pineapple tasted just as fresh as the day it was picked.

All aboard the Pineapple Express!

I took a tour around the Dole Plantation on the “Pineapple Express” and on my ride I learned a lot of information about the plants that grow in Hawaii.  An interesting fact about pineapples is that they don’t get any riper after they have been picked.  They get all their sweetness from the plant’s stem so once they are picked they stop ripening.  That means when you bring a pineapple home from the supermarket it is best to eat it right away because it won’t get any sweeter on your kitchen counter, it will just start to rot.  If you want to keep it a few days you should put it in your refrigerator.

Pineapples growing on plants very close to the ground.

Another interesting fact is that pineapple isn’t indigenous to Hawaii (it hasn’t always grown in Hawaii).  It is a plant that was brought in by visitors a long time ago.  Most likely brought to Hawaii from South America by Europeans, the tropical climate in Hawaii made it a perfect place to start growing pineapples.  Pineapples grow very low to the ground, so they can keep safe from the harsh winds that blow over Hawaii.  They also benefit from the soil in Hawaii that is rich in iron (that is why it is red), a mineral that helps the pineapples grow and ripen.

Delicious DoleWhip (pineapple flavoured ice cream) covered in fresh pineapple.

You can find just about any pineapple flavoured food or candy in Hawaii, but the best way to enjoy pineapple is simply to eat it fresh.  Do you like eating pineapple?  The next time you are in the supermarket look at where the pineapples come from.  Are they from the Dole plantation in Hawaii?

Oh, no!  I ate so much pineapple, I turned into one.