Pineapple: 7 interesting facts about your favorite fruit

Pineapples were once a rarity even at the festive table, but today they can be found in any supermarket and at any time of the year. We have selected the most interesting facts about pineapples, which will allow you to learn more about your favorite fruit.

Fruits once in a lifetime

Pineapples do not grow on trees, but on the ground. This is a herbaceous plant from the bromeliad family. From an agrotechnical point of view, pineapple is a rather labor-intensive culture. From planting to flowering plants takes about 12-18 months. Each plant gives only one fruit, and after ripening, which takes from 3 to 6 months, the mother rosette dies, forming side shoots.

Pineapple is not a fruit

From a botanical point of view, pineapple is not a fruit. This is not even a berry, but several dozen berries, grown around a common center. The fact is that the pineapple inflorescence is a cob consisting of several flowers, which, when blooming, form a common fruit.

Seeds do not breed

All cultivars of pineapple are barren. They do not form seeds, but propagate vegetatively. To obtain a new individual, it is necessary to separate the daughter rosette of leaves from the plant or to root the top of the ripened fruit.

Green pineapple won't ripe

The pineapple does not continue to keep up after it has been picked. If its fruit is cut green, it will remain green, unlike bananas or other fruits that can ripen when stored. Therefore, buying a frankly green pineapple in a store is not worth hoping that it will soon become tasty and sweet.

Pineapple - a product for dieters

The pineapple fruit, and especially its central hard part, contains a very high percentage of bromelain. This is a special enzyme that has a number of useful properties. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, and also contributes to the rapid breakdown of fats and proteins in the body, which is especially appreciated among diet lovers. Well, and of course, pineapple is very rich in useful vitamins and minerals.

Can be grown in greenhouses and at home

Europeans, fascinated by the taste of pineapple, have long grown this outlandish tropical fruit in greenhouses. The Russian capital was no exception, and golden pineapples ripened in the botanical garden of St. Petersburg. But in the middle of the XIX century, with the development of regular merchant shipping, pineapples began to be brought to Europe directly from the tropics, and growing in greenhouses came to naught. But today, growing pineapple sockets at home is very popular. Rooted tops of fruits serve as a wonderful decoration of the interior.

Shoes and handbags made of leaves

It turns out that pineapple leaves in some countries are used as raw materials for the production of dense fabrics and materials. In countries where pineapple culture was traditionally grown, mats and fishing nets were made from its strong leaves. And today, pineapple leaves, a waste product, are being turned into an excellent eco-friendly fabric called Pinatex. Handbags, shoes and much more are subsequently made from such material.