What should I check when buying a pineapple?

Question

I live in middle Europe so pineapple (so called "ananas") is an exotic fruit for me.

What should I check when buying a pineapple to make sure it would taste well? Should it smell specific? Should it be soft or hard? Should it be big or small?

I believe this questions is valid for other regions as well. Is it?

Answer

It should be firm, not mushy, but not rock hard either.

The most important thing, however, is smell. An unripe pineapple won't smell like anything. An overripe pineapple will smell vinegary. A ripe pineapple will smell sweet.

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