If you're firing up the grill for dinner, keep it going for dessert. Pineapple was made for grilling. Direct heat caramelizes its natural sugars with scrumptious results.

Available year-round, fresh pineapple is great in salsas, chutneys, chicken kebabs, smoothies and desserts. And don't forget those piña coladas.

Here are tips:

• Pineapples are harvested ripe, and, unlike some fruits, will not ripen further. Choose a specimen that is plump and firm with fresh green leaves in the crown. It should have a sweet aroma and no mold or soft spots.

• Color is not a sign of maturity -- some varieties remain green when fully ripe. And forget about pulling leaves from the crown; ease of extraction is no indicator of ripeness or quality.

• If your market carries the Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet, you may find it worth its premium price. It's not only much sweeter but has about four times the vitamin C as other pineapples.

• There are gadgets available that core and peel a pineapple all at once. They're far from necessary, however. You'll find my favorite method in today's recipe.

• A whole pineapple can easily last a couple of weeks stored at room temperature, out of direct light.

• Once it's cut, pineapple can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to three days.

• Don't forget that fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelin, which breaks down protein. Used in marinades it helps tenderize meats, but it also prevents gelatin from setting. (Cooking destroys the enzyme, so canned pineapple doesn't have the same effect.)

• One peeled, cored medium pineapple yields about 3 cups of cubes.

Carole Kotkin is manager of the Ocean Reef Club cooking school and co-author of Mmmmiami: Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@