Cutting your own fruit ensures fruity, sweet snacks are always fresh, plus it is inexpensive and so much better for the environment. But why is it that some of the best-tasting, most nutritious fruits have to be the hardest to get into?
There’s no denying that pre-cut fruit is a life-saver! It’s a convenience we all indulge in, but all you really need is a sharp knife and a few extra seconds to prep your own fruit from scratch.
Pineapple
Start by laying the fruit on its side. Slice off the crown and the bottom end of the fruit. Stand the pineapple up on the flat bottom side and trim the thick fibrous skin – move from the top to the bottom, being careful to preserve as much of the sweet flesh as possible while still removing the skin and all the prickly bits. Cut around the pineapple, sticking to the natural curve of the fruit. Remove the fibrous core: begin by cutting lengthways down the middle of the core. Cut each half in half again and you should have four identical wedges. Cut the thick, fibrous core from the centre of each wedge. Slice, dice or use accordingly.
Try this Cajun spiced pulled pork tacos with pineapple salsa recipe.
Mango
Option 1: Peel the whole mango carefully with a small knife. Mangoes have a flattish oblong pit in the centre, so cut from the top of the mango, down one side of the pit to remove the flesh away from the pip. Repeat for each side of the pip. You will end up with two fleshy halves and two smaller oblong-shaped pieces. Slice, dice or use accordingly.
Option 2: For an easily diced mango, place the mango flat on the cutting board, with the bottom sitting upright and the stem pointing up. Cut as much of the cheek off from the oblong pit in the centre of the mango. There will be four total pieces of fruit. With a knife, score the flesh of each piece of fruit in cubes, being careful not to cut through the mango skin. Hold the scored mango cheeks with two hands and invert the skin. Use a paring knife to remove the pieces.
Option 3: For an easy sliced mango, place the mango flat on the cutting board, with the bottom sitting upright and the stem pointing up. Cut off as much of the cheek from the oblong pit in the centre of the mango. Place the edge of the cut mango cheek, where the skin meets the flesh, against the rim of the glass. With a little pressure, push the mango down the side of the glass so that the peel remains on the outside and the fruit on the inside. Slice, dice or use accordingly.
Try this mango sorbet recipe.
Watermelon
Option 1 without the rind: Start by removing the top and bottom of the watermelon. Stand the watermelon on one of the cut flat sides. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the skin off, starting from the top and following the contour of the watermelon. Continue to peel the watermelon, taking off all the white inner peel. Cut the watermelon in half vertically. Then, cut each half in half again and you’ll be left with four quarters. Slice, dice or use accordingly.
Option 2 with the rind: Start by removing a half-inch each off the top and bottom of the watermelon. Stand the watermelon on one of the cut flat sides. With a sharp knife, cut the watermelon in half, starting from the centre-top. Set one half aside. With one watermelon half standing vertically upright, cut in half again so you have a quarter watermelon. Repeat with the other side and you will have four equal quarters. Slice each quarter into bite-sized slices.
Try this watermelon slush recipe with some freshly prepped watermelon!