Who doesn’t love diving fork-first into a bowl of cubed pineapple? Before you reach for the pre-chopped containers at the grocery store, try breaking down the fruit yourself. Not only will you save some cash, you’ll also find the spiny, bumpy pineapples way easier to cut up than you thought. All you need is a sharp knife and a big cutting board—and maybe a friend or two to help you eat the fruits of your labor.

How to Cut a Pineapple

You’ll need:
1 whole ripe pineapple
A sharp chef’s knife*
A cutting board

*DO NOT use a dull knife or a small paring knife. Both will likely slip, which could be detrimental to your fingers!

Place the pineapple on a cutting board. Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit so it can stand firmly upright.

Hold the pineapple in place with one hand and slice off the rind vertically.

Holding the sides of the pineapple firmly, cut around the fibrous core in three vertical slices.

Lay the slices of the pineapple flat on the cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces.

Scoop the fruit into a bowl and grab a fork—it’s snack time!