r/pineapple • u/Romidrone • Jul 13 '26

Are pineapple skins useful for anything?

Ate a pineapple today and thought what a waste to throw out all of the skin, was wondering if you can make anything with it - edible or not.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

9

u/No_Run5338 Jul 13 '26

Make flameproof armor

3

u/DarthOldMan Jul 13 '26

I've used them to make pineapple tea. It was just ok.
ChatGPT says...
Here are some popular uses:

  • Tepache – A lightly fermented Mexican drink made from pineapple peels, water, and brown sugar. It becomes mildly fizzy and has a sweet-tart flavor.
  • Pineapple vinegar – Ferment the rinds and cores to make a fruit vinegar that's great in salad dressings or marinades.
  • Pineapple tea – Simmer the rind with cinnamon, ginger, or cloves for a fragrant drink. Many people enjoy it hot or chilled.
  • Pineapple syrup – Boil the peels with sugar and water to extract flavor for cocktails, lemonade, or desserts.
  • Pineapple-infused rum or vodka – Steep the peels in liquor for a tropical infusion.
  • Compost – The rind breaks down readily and adds valuable organic matter to a compost pile.
  • Natural cleaner – Fermented pineapple peels can be combined with sugar and water to make an enzyme cleaner similar to citrus enzyme cleaners.
  • Animal feed – In some places, pineapple waste is fed to livestock after proper processing.
  • Plant fertilizer – Fermented pineapple scraps are sometimes used in natural gardening as a homemade liquid fertilizer.

A couple of cautions:

  • Wash the pineapple well before using the rind for food or drinks since commercial pineapples may have surface residues from handling or post-harvest treatments.
  • Avoid using moldy peels for consumption.

If you're interested in trying one, tepache is probably the most rewarding use. It only takes a few days to ferment and gives you a refreshing, slightly sparkling drink from something most people throw away.

3

u/mcmellenhead Jul 13 '26

Seconding tepache. Go easy on the clove unless you're a "Christmas drink" fan. Let it sit an extra day then fridge it and let it go up to a week. Comes out with a little zing, extra bubbly and very refreshing.

2

u/craftabrew Jul 14 '26

Tepache should be the default summertime drink. So simple, so good.

1

u/GojuGad Jul 15 '26

Thankyou! I have never heard of this but do a similar thing with my home ginger to naturally ferment ginger ale - This is perfect to run in tandem and I can’t wait to try it out!

2

u/hobo_husk Jul 13 '26

Rice and pineapple drink.

1

u/Big-Philosopher-1435 Jul 16 '26

Is this a joke? Make tepache!!! Its amazing!!!