The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit native to South America that has become one of the world’s most popular and recognisable fruits. It’s a composite fruit — what appears to be a single fruit is actually a cluster of individual berries fused together around a central core.
Pineapples have a distinctive sweet-tart flavour and contain bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins (which is why pineapple can tenderise meat and why it prevents gelatine from setting). The fruit is eaten fresh, canned, juiced, dried, and used in cooking and baking. Canned pineapple was one of the first mass-produced tropical fruit products and remains enormously popular.
Australia has a long history of pineapple farming, centred in Queensland. While Australian production has declined from its mid-20th century peak due to competition from cheaper imports, the industry continues with a focus on fresh market fruit. The Golden Circle cannery in Brisbane was historically synonymous with Australian pineapple production.
How it's produced
Pineapples are grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The plant is a bromeliad that produces a single fruit from a central stem, then dies back and produces side shoots (ratoons) that will fruit again. Commercial plantations typically harvest two to three ratoon crops before replanting. Plants are propagated vegetatively from crown tops, slips, or suckers — not from seed.
The crop takes 18 to 24 months from planting to first harvest. Fruit is hand-picked when it reaches the desired ripeness, as pineapples do not ripen significantly after harvest. In Australia, pineapple farming is concentrated in southeast and north Queensland, with the main variety grown being the Smooth Cayenne and, increasingly, the sweeter MD-2 (marketed as “golden” pineapple). Harvesting remains labour-intensive, as machines cannot easily assess ripeness or navigate the dense plantings.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
Keeping it
In the freezer: 300–360 days.
In the fridge: 5–7 days.
Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.
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