It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of
individual floweret's that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each
scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower.

Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked.
No special way of storing them will help ripen them further.
Colour is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness.
Choose your pineapple by smell.If it smells fresh, tropical and

sweet, it will be a good fruit.

The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste.

After you cut off the top, you can plant it.
It should grow much like a sweet potato will.

This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical; it also offers many
benefits to our health. Pineapple is a remarkable fruit.

We find it enjoyable because of its lush, sweet and exotic flavor, but it
may also be one of the most healthful foods available today.
If we take a more detailed look at it, we will find that pineapple is
valuable for easing indigestion, arthritis or sinusitis.

The juice has an anthelmintic effect; it helps get rid of intestinal worms.

Let's look at how pineapple affects other conditions.

Pineapple is high in manganese, a mineral that is critical to development of
strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you
nearly 75% of the recommended daily amount.

It is particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become
brittle with age.

Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, is the key to pineapple's value.
Proteolytic means "breaks down protein", which is why pineapple is known to
be a digestive aid. It helps the body digest proteins more efficiently.
Bromelain is also considered an effective anti-inflammatory.

Regular ingestion of at least one half cup of fresh pineapple daily is
purported to relieve painful joints common to osteoarthritis. It also
produces mild pain relief.

In Germany, bromelain is approved as a post-injury medication because it is
thought to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Orange juice is a popular liquid for those suffering from a cold because it
is high in Vitamin C. Fresh pineapple is not only high in this vitamin, but
because of the Bromelain, it has the ability to reduce mucous in the throat.
If you have a cold with a productive cough, add pineapple to your diet.
It is commonly used in Europe as a post-operative measure to cut mucous
after certain sinus and throat operations.

Those individuals who eat fresh pineapple daily report fewer sinus problems
related to allergies. In and of itself, pineapple has a very low risk for
allergies.

Pineapple is also known to discourage blood clot development. This makes

it a valuable dietary addition for frequent fliers and others who may be at
risk for blood clots.

An old folk remedy for morning sickness is fresh pineapple juice.
it really works! Fresh juice and some nuts first thing in the morning often
make a difference.

It's also good for a healthier mouth. The fresh juice discourages plaque
growth.

FROM WIKI:

Nutrition

Raw pineapple is an excellent source of manganese (76% Daily Value (DV) in a one US cup serving) and vitamin C (131% DV per cup serving).^[13] Mainly from its stem, pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme, bromelain, which breaks down protein. If having sufficient bromelain content, raw pineapple juice may be used as a meat marinade and tenderizer. Pineapple enzymes can interfere with the preparation of some foods, such as jelly or other gelatin-based desserts, but would be destroyed during cooking and canning. The quantity of bromelain in the fruit is probably not significant, being mostly in the inedible stalk. Furthermore, an ingested enzyme like bromelain is unlikely to survive intact the proteolytic processes of digestion.

Charles II presented with the first pineapple grown in England (1675 painting by Hendrik Danckerts)

History

The plant is indigenous to South America and is said to originate from the area between Southern Brazil and Paraguay; however, it is important to note that little is known about the origin of the domesticated pineapple (Pickersgill, 1976). M.S. Bertoni (1919)^[14] considered the Paraná–Paraguay River drainages to be the place of origin of A. comosus.^[15] The natives of southern Brazil and Paraguay spread the pineapple throughout South America, and it eventually reached the Caribbean. Columbus discovered it in 1493 in the Indies and brought it back with him to Europe^[16] thus making the pineapple the first bromeliad to leave the New World.^[17] The Spanish introduced it into the Philippines, Hawaii (introduced in the early 19th century, first commercial plantation 1886), Zimbabwe and Guam. Many say the fruit was first introduced in Hawaii when a Spanish ship brought them there in the 1500s.^[18] The fruit was cultivated successfully in European hothouses, and pineapple pits, beginning in 1720.

John Kidwell is credited with the introduction of the pineapple industry in Hawaii. Large-scale pineapple cultivation by U.S. companies began in the early 1900s on Hawaii. Among the most famous and influential pineapple industrialists was James Dole who moved to Hawaii in 1899^[19] and started a pineapple plantation in 1900.^[20] The companies Dole and Del Monte began growing pineapple on the island of Oahu in 1901 and 1917, respectively. Dole's pineapple company began with the acquisition of 60 acres (24 ha) of land in 1901, and, as previously mentioned, has grown into a major company today. Maui Pineapple Company began pineapple cultivation on the island of Maui in 1909.^[21] In 2006, Del Monte announced its withdrawal from pineapple cultivation in Hawaii, leaving only Dole and Maui Pineapple Company in Hawaii as the USA's largest growers of pineapples. Maui Pineapple Company markets its Maui Gold brand of pineapple and Dole markets its Hawaii Gold brand of pineapple.

In the USA in 1986, the Pineapple Research Institute was dissolved and its assets were divided between Del Monte and Maui Land and Pineapple. Del Monte took variety 73–114, which it dubbed MD-2, to its plantations in Costa Rica, found it to be well-suited to growing there, and launched it publicly in 1996. (Del Monte also began marketing 73–50, dubbed CO-2, as Del Monte Gold). In 1997, Del Monte began marketing its Gold Extra Sweet pineapple, known internally as MD-2. MD-2 is a hybrid that originated in the breeding program of the now-defunct Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii, which conducted research on behalf of Del Monte, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, and Dole.