What to Do with All That Pineapple

Like its tropical cousins, mango and passionfruit, pineapple has the unique ability to transport you to sun-soaked beach with just one bite. Pineapples are harvested at all times of the year from different parts of the world; in Hawaii, their season runs from mid-June to September. Once you learn what to look for in selecting a pineapple, then how to cut it up, all that’s left is deciding how you’d like to enjoy it. From drinks to salads to main dishes and desserts, here are 10 fresh recipes using pineapple.

Blackened Salmon Tacos These tacos are topped with spicy cabbage and a pineapple-jicama salsa. The salsa’s fruitiness is a nice foil to the blackened salmon.

It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie It’s easy to eat your greens when you have a smoothie like this, filled with pineapple, orange and banana to give the drink loads of bright flavor.

Tropical Fruit Pudding Whenever Mark Bittman, author of VB6, serves tofu pudding—and with so many variations he can make it frequently—everyone is shocked to find there’s no dairy involved. Creamy and sweet with fresh mango, crunchy with toasted coconut and bright with pineapple, this version is a great way to make tofu converts of your friends and family.

Pineapple-Lavender Juice If you like lavender lemonade, you’ll be wowed by the aromatic flavor of pineapple-lavender juice.

Bryan Voltaggio’s Meat Loaf Chef Bryan Voltaggio makes meatloaf with a twist: His is topped with a garam masala-scented pineapple glaze.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake The most classic of pineapple desserts is unquestionably pineapple upside-down cake. If you don’t have a specially-designed upside-down cake pan, any 9″ nonstick round cake pan would work just as well.

Tequila Sunrise with Pineapple and Jalapeño Muddled chile and charred pineapple give this classic Tequila Sunrise a contemporary spin. With its fruity-spicy flavor and lovely ombré color, this cocktail is poised to become your favorite party drink. For a tequila sunset, substitute blackberry brandy for the grenadine.

Grilled Fruit Salad When pineapple is grilled, the flesh softens and some of the natural sugars caramelize, creating an added layer of flavor that is reminiscent of the fruit in a deep-dish pie. It’s even better drizzled with a creamy tart-sweet dressing.

Pineapple Fried Jasmine Rice Any dish instantly becomes more exciting to eat when it’s served inside a hollowed-out pineapple half. This khao prat supparot, or pineapple-fried jasmine rice with shrimp, is no exception.

Seared Scallops with Tropical Salsa Pineapple’s tropical flavors pair nicely with seared scallops. Be sure to use large, plump sea scallops rather than small bay scallops when preparing this dish.

Agave Pork Belly with Grilled Piña This recipe, which was created by Eric Werner and Mya Henry of Hartwood restaurant in Tulum, Mexico, proves that pork belly and pineapple make a fabulous combination.

Piña Colada Bartender Ramón Marrero created this pineapple juice-based classic in 1954 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it has since become one of the world’s most popular rum drinks, a staple that conjures up images of vacations in tropical locales.