Their spiky tops, oblong shape, tough, prickly exteriors and greenish, somewhat orange colour lend themselves to a very stately presentation on any fruit stand whether dangling from a string or standing upright. We see them everywhere, they are no longer a seasonal fruit, and you can enjoy their distinctive sweetness and flavour in any fashion you desire from savoury foods, to desserts, drinks and of course all by itself for a really refreshing treat.

Pineapples are one of the hallmarks of Caribbean and Central American fruits. They are indigenous fruits and were often used to trade with when the indigenous peoples crossed borders, calling them nanas, meaning excellent fruit.

[caption id="attachment_1031045" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sugarloaf pineapples growing in Tableland, Rio Claro. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]

Because of the structure and arrangement of the leaves it makes maximum use of rainwater and therefore is capable of living in very dry conditions.

One of the more delicious varieties here in TT is the sugarloaf pineapple, recognised by the darkish green colour of the skin, and pronounced elongated shape, this type tends to be sweeter, juicer and more tender through the core area. Recognising the ripeness of this particular variety can be tricky at times as a green sugarloaf pineapple oftentimes is ripe, sweet and juicy inside; waiting for a green sugarloaf to ripen to a characteristic yellow orange colour, will mean your pineapple will be overripe and certainly not juicy. How do you recognise a ripe sugarloaf pineapple, simply tug gently on the spikes or leaves, if it comes out quite easily your pineapple is ripe.

Pineapple yoghurt frappe

[caption id="attachment_1031043" align="alignnone" width="681"] Pineapple yoghurt frappe -[/caption]

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

½ cup sliced ripe banana

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 cup crushed ice

½ cup plain yoghurt

Place all ingredients in a blender, process until smooth, pour into slim tall glasses and garnish with fresh pineapple chunks and slices of lime.

Serves 3-4

Pina colada sorbet

1 lb fresh pineapple chunks

½ cup coconut milk, fresh

2 tbs granulated sugar

⅓ cup water

2 tbs lime juice

¼ cup dark rum

Place sugar and water into a small saucepan, stir to dissolve and bring to a boil just until sugar melts, one minute, remove and cool, refrigerate until cold.

Place pineapple and coconut milk into the bowl of a food processor, process just until pineapple has been crushed into small pieces, remove and refrigerate. Combine pineapple and coconut mixture with cold sugar syrup; stir in rum and lime juice.

Pour mixture into a 9x5-inch baking tin, freeze until firm about 4 to 6 hours. Remove from freezer, and process in a blender or food processor until smooth but not thawed.

Place in a covered container and freeze.

Makes about 4½ cups or serves 8-9 persons.

Pineapple and chicken pasta salad

2 cups un-boiled pasta twists

2 cups cubed or stripped cooked chicken breast

1 cup pineapple chunks, cut into bite s