# The pineapple--it burns! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394 "2018-01-11T14:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/1 "2018-01-11T14:48:01Z")
How did I never know this before? It has been quite a few years since I’ve tried eating a fresh pineapple, but did remember that it was one of the few fruits that tasted better canned. But my local grocery store had them on sale for 89 cents ([Star Wars pineapples](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/20/16/477B387D00000578-0-image-a-2_1513785765993.jpg), no less!) so I bought a couple of them. So I ate one today, and my gums bled on it, and I ended up with burning lips. I wondered what was up with that, could pineapple possibly have something similar to urushiol? Googling quickly showed me that fresh pineapple contains a protein-digesting enzyme called bromelain, and my mouth is still stinging as I type this. Don’t know how I managed to avoid/forget that _pineapples attempt to eat you_ that last time I ate a fresh one. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/2 "2018-01-11T15:00:14Z")
I love fresh pineapple! It’s so much better than the canned stuff. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/3 "2018-01-11T15:04:19Z")
I’ve only had that reaction when I’ve eaten a lot of pineapple. It seems like it takes a critical mass before it’s a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/4 "2018-01-11T15:06:30Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Don’t know how I managed to avoid/forget that _pineapples attempt to eat you_ that last time I ate a fresh one. Given the chance, that pineapple would eat you and everyone you care about. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/5 "2018-01-11T15:09:49Z")
I’ve never noticed the problem with pineapple, even though I’ve heard about it before. I do sometimes get burns from eating figs, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/6 "2018-01-11T15:10:34Z")
Biologically speaking, pineapple is the only fruit that digests you. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/7 "2018-01-11T15:14:58Z")
I believe that’s why you can’t use fresh pineapple in Jello. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/8 "2018-01-11T16:06:10Z")
My wife gets “geographic tongue” from one bite of fresh pineapple. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/9 "2018-01-11T18:17:33Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > I love fresh pineapple! It’s so much better than the canned stuff. Yep. Picked another one up the other day, and we ate about half of it the night before last. Soooooo sweeeeeeeet… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/10 "2018-01-11T18:32:43Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Biologically speaking, pineapple is the only fruit that digests you. I thought that only happened in Soviet Russia. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/11 "2018-01-11T18:46:50Z")
Pineapple makes my mouth feel like I’ve been chewing razorblades after a couple of bites. However, making a spicy pineapple dressing out of crushed pineapple, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, and crushed red pepper seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/12 "2018-01-11T18:48:03Z")
I have digestion problems and I keep small cans of pineapple juice handy for when stuff doesn’t seem to be moving through my stomach. It really helps break it down! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/13 "2018-01-11T18:52:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Biologically speaking, pineapple is the only fruit that digests you. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I thought that only happened in Soviet Russia. I was gonna make that joke, but I don’t think they’ve heard of pineapples in Russia. “Pineapple? What is pineapple?” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/14 "2018-01-11T18:57:11Z")
It has been four hours now and the edges of my mouth still feel like I had a really bad sunburn. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/15 "2018-01-11T19:59:01Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I have digestion problems and I keep small cans of pineapple juice handy for when stuff doesn’t seem to be moving through my stomach. It really helps break it down! Fresh pineapple has an enzyme that inhibits hairball formation in pet rabbits; buns groom like cats but can’t vomit, so HBs really muck up the works. Pineapple to the rescue. Not canned, though, the canning process destroys the enzyme. No idea if it works for cats. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/16 "2018-01-11T20:03:17Z")
It’s a problem for some people and not others. My daughter has it but the rest of us don’t. Sucks because she’s a picky eater and wants to eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/17 "2018-01-11T20:54:36Z")
Yeah, if you ever read a Jell-o packet they say to never make Jell-o with fresh or frozen pineapple. The enzyme turns your gelatin fruit salad into soup. Canning/cooking destroys the enzyme. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/18 "2018-01-11T21:46:18Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > I love fresh pineapple! It’s so much better than the canned stuff. ^^^^ yeah, that. And the “burn” part of it, which in my experience is no more harsh than what you get from a lemon or a lime, is a part of the pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/19 "2018-01-11T21:53:57Z")
White pineapple, if you can get it, is less harsh. It used to be pretty readily available on Hawaii Island, but lately it seems to have vanished, having been replaced with something they are calling “Hawaiian gold.” The gold ones must be easier to grow than the white, because they are everywhere. They are almost, but not quite, as good. I’d still pay extra for white pineapple, if I could ever find it. White pineapples have all the sweet, aromatic goodness of yellow pineapple with none of the sharpness. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394/20 "2018-01-11T22:29:04Z")
Fresh pineapple is far, far better than canned, so much so that there’s almost no comparison. The catch is that if you live in the continental US, you’ve probably never had fresh pineapple. Pineapple that’s been sitting around long enough to catch a cheap ship and a cheap truck to your grocer’s supplier, and then sat around on the store shelves, yeah, at that point you might as well just can it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pineapple-it-burns/806394.md?page=2)