Pineapple

Pineapples are thought to have gotten their start in the Caribbean Islands from Spanish shipwrecks - Spanish explorers knew that eating pineapple helped to prevent scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) - so they carried pineapples whenever it was possible. The fruit is thought to have washed ashore from ships that met the terrible fate of destructive storms.

When Christopher Columbus made his second voyage to the Caribbeans in 1493, he and his crew ate the unusual fruit they found there. Looking similar to a pine cone, they called the fruit "Pine of the Indies". The name pineapple was born when the fruit was introduced to the English - the word "apple" was added because they thought it should be associated with another delicious fruit that people enjoyed.

In time the pineapple went on to become a recognized symbol of hospitality - homes and public buildings often sported pineapple ornamentals that were carved out of wood, stenciled on to furniture and also woven into fabrics. In the late 1800's an English person Captain Kidwell successfully began canning pineapple. Unfortunately, the US collected very high tariffs on the canned product and the Captain was unable to make selling the canned fruit profitable, and he was forced to close his business in 1898. 1898 was the same year that Hawaii became part of the US, and the high tariff was removed. A couple of years later, James Drummond Dole went to Hawaii with a thousand dollars, degrees in business and agriculture, and with a dream of growing pineapples. The next year, Dole started the Hawaiian Pineapple Company.

Pineapples can be eaten raw, sautéed, or baked. The fruit contains an enzyme - bromelain - that helps the body's digestive system. Pineapples are rich in Vitamins A and C.