Pineapples like lots of sun and grow well in tropical regions around the world. In addition to Hawaii, pineapple for the fresh market is grown in Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Nicaragua.
Worker Planting a Pineapple Crown
Pineapples are grown from the crowns or tops of other pineapples. The photo to the left shows a field worker planting the crowns of pineapples in fields. I bet you didn't know that it takes a long time to grow a pineapple!
Pineapple Flower Bud
When the plants are one year old the flowering process begins. The flower bud is small and pink, and looks like a pine cone.
As the bud grows it will become the fruit we know as a pineapple. It takes 18 months for the plant to produce a pineapple.
A Pineapple
Pineapples are harvested when they are ripe. Every pineapple that is harvested is ready to eat. To ensure they are picked at their peak of maturity for ripeness and flavor, the sugar content of pineapple is tested in the field using a Brix Test.
