Is Pineapple a citrus fruit? (Quick Facts )

Pineapple has many similarities to citrus fruit. you may like to know…

Is pineapple a citrus fruit? Pineapples do not come under the category of citrus fruits. Even though the pineapples and citrus fruits share a common Latin root, “Acitrius” and “Piniacitriosa,” they are different in many ways.

The words citrus fruit is from the evolutionary origin, not the chemical content, leaving pineapples far from being close relatives to citrus fruits.

like any other citrus fruits ( for instance orange, lemon and so on), pineapple has citric acid, are full of vitamin c and succulent fruit. But they don’t grow in trees like other citrus fruits.

So this article will look at the similarities, differences, and expert research findings to fully answer this question.  

Does pineapple juice contain citric acid? 

Pineapple is acidic naturally, ranging between 3 and 4 on a pH scale. Fresh pineapple contains up to 8% citric acid. The ideal pineapple type, their fruits ripen with the proper balance of sugar and acid. The acid levels within fruits vary depending on the season of the year and climate. 

Researches show that scraps from pineapple yield very high citric acid when fermented with fungus. This is of interest mainly to those in the food industry where citric acid is used as a food preservative. When citric acid is consumed, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream, and it is then filtered into the urine. 

Pineapples contain citric acid but, to a lesser extend, when compared to citrus fruits. That acid-to-sugar ratio determines whether the fruit cultivated is for fresh use or canning. 

Is a pineapple a citrus fruit?

To answer this, let’s first look at a closer look at both the pineapple and citrus fruit individually.

And after examining their similarities, differences, and research findings from experts and scientists. From how they are planted, grown, prepared until they reach consumption by the final consumer.

• Citrus Fruit

This is a common name for plants in their flowering stage in the rue and Rutaceae family. And citrus fruits are originated in the subtropical southeast and tropical regions. The fruits have a juicy pulp, thick rind and are typically found in the warmer areas.

• Pineapple

Pineapple is a name commonly used for tropical plants. It’s low growing with stiff leaves and primarily grown in the tropical American part and harvested using the hand grenade. Also, it produces a juicy fruit with a yellow flesh and hard skin with stiff leaves. 

• Propagation and reproduction. 

The way pineapple is grown different from other citrus fruit. Pineapples are grown by planting the crown in the soil. The best way is by cutting the top green leaf (peak), leave it to dry out.

After some days, take the crown and plant it. Drying the height is done to prevent it from rotting. At the same time, citrus fruit is commonly grown from their seeds. Thus plantation of pineapple and citrus fruits is different.

• Horticulture Perspective. 

They are both grown mainly in tropical climates. Pineapples do not grow on trees, but it is a type of plant that grows in the soil. It consists of bright stiff leaves, and it can produce either flowers or fruits. Scientists have grouped pineapple under the Bromeliad family.

While citrus fruits, namely limes, oranges, and lemons, grow on trees. These are the evergreen and multi-flowered. And the fruits have berries that are singular and specialized. Also, Scientists grouped citrus fruit under the Rutaceae family. 

• Harvesting characteristics. 

Bromeliad plants never ripen after once you have removed them from their trees. You have to wait and harvest them when they are ripe. Whereas with plants from the Rutaceae family, ripening can happen even after being plucked from the tree.

Citrus fruit use branches for producing their fruit. Pineapples use their stems for fruit production. Each Citrus plant produces many fruits, whereas the pineapple plant produces a single fruit per each plant. Pineapples do not contain seeds inside of them, while citrus fruits consist of many seeds inside of them. 

• Culinary use. 

Pineapple juice is acidic in a similar way to citrus fruits. Thus they can be used in the same way in culinary, but this does not make pineapple a citrus fruit. These fruits can both be boiled. They also need freezing to prevent their jello from solidifying. From flavor, taste, and cooking, one can be confused into concluding that they belong to one family. When served, pineapples commonly are combined with citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes. From final consumer perception, they may seem the same because of the same tropical acidic flavor.

• Similarity of Juices

The juice from citrus fruit (like orange) and that from pineapple cannot be differentiated when poured in a glass. They have the same color, and the flavor is alike. Pineapple is juicy, sweet, tangy, and very rich in vitamin C. These are the characteristics that are found in both pineapple and citrus fruit

• Acidic in nature.

 Both Pineapple and citrus fruit are acidic. They contain citric and ascorbic acid. This is that flavour that makes them very famous worldwide. Pickers of both fruits have no fingerprints due to the acidic nature of these fruits. 

Few examples of citrus juice? 

There are a variety of citrus juices that can be extracted from citrus fruits. The juice contains many different vitamins and can be consumed for various reasons. Below we will look at examples of citrus juice and their significance.

Orange juice: Orange gives the body more than two-thirds of the daily dosage of vitamin c. Vitamins and minerals are vital in improving blood flow and regulate blood pressure. They contain calcium that’s easily absorbed by the body and helps strengthen bones, boosts the immune system, and cleanses the body from toxins. 

Lemonade juice: The juice has many healthy and medicinal properties. For instance, taking minty lemonade is well known to help relieve headaches, help manage weight. Moreso sweet pomelo from lemons helps resolve digestion problems.

Grapefruit Juice: This one has a taste that’s a bit sour and bitter compared to other juices. It helps in eliminating toxins from the body. Adding fresh mandarin juice to grapefruit juice can dissolve the sour taste and increase the juice’s nutritional value.

If healthy doses are consumed, the juice brings along many health benefits. You can easily research the variety of juice recipes to spice up your diet. This will enable you to get delicious juice always and make the juicing exciting.

However, even though citrus juices are very healthy, they are also quite acidic. Consuming excess citrus juice cannot be ideal, especially when observing strict diets. It can result in adverse health effects.

How to make pineapple juice

A manual citrus juicer is ideal for pineapple juice. For juicing, you will need four items to get you started. A cutting board, pineapple, juicer, and preferably a 10-inch knife. 

Steps

• Wash your pineapple with running water and pat dry with a clean towel.
• Place your pineapple on the cutting board and cut off the upper and bottom layers leaving the pineapple flat on both sides. 
• Cut from top to bottom, removing each rind. But if you are using a high-quality juicer, you can leave the rind. 
• Cut your pieces lengthy wise, giving you long pieces, preferably four pieces. 
• Cut your pieces to a quarter inch each. You can also cut into wedges or rings, whichever shape you prefer will do. 
• If you cut into wedges, remove all the tough cores from the center of your wedges. 
• To make chunks, take the wedges and cut across, making them as wide as you like. 
• When done shaping, drop these pieces into the juicer one piece at a time or two. 
• If the pieces fail to fit in, cut them more to fit. 
• When done, turn the juicer on and extract your fresh pineapple juice. 

Peel or no Peel: Do I need to peel pineapple before juicing? 

Pineapple skin needs to be removed when juicing. Pineapple fruits grow close to the ground and are vulnerable to many attacks. The thorny rough skin can easily harbor bacteria, soil, and dirt that cannot be easily washed away. 

Firstly remove that upper and bottom layer of your pineapple by slicing them off. It becomes up to you whether to remove the thorns or, namely, black eyelets. But for juicing, if you do not want more work, you can leave them. You can peel off the eyes if you like, whatever is ideal for you.