Pineapple Recipe

1. Prepare pineapple

Rinse the whole pineapple, trim the top and bottom, then stand it upright and slice off the skin in strips from top to bottom. Remove remaining 'eyes' with a small paring knife. Cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise, remove the core from each quarter, and chop the flesh into chunks. You should end up with roughly 3 to 4 cups of pineapple chunks from a medium pineapple.

2. Blend

Place the pineapple chunks in a blender with 1 cup cold water. Add the granulated sugar and fresh lime juice. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth, about 45–60 seconds. Taste and add up to 1 more tablespoon sugar if you prefer it sweeter; blend an additional 10 seconds to incorporate.

3. Strain (optional)

For a smoother drink, pour the blended pineapple through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a pitcher, using a spatula to press the pulp and extract as much juice as possible. If you like a pulpy beverage, skip this step and pour directly from the blender.

4. Chill

Refrigerate the strained or unstrained pineapple juice for at least 20 minutes to cool, or serve immediately over ice if desired.

5. Fill glasses halfway with ice cubes (if using). Pour the chilled pineapple juice into each glass, dividing evenly. If you want a sparkling pineapple drink, top each glass with club soda (about 2–3 ounces / 60–90 ml per 8-oz glass) and gently stir once to combine.

6. Garnish each glass with a pineapple wedge and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.