Not only are the 8 broads great friends and colleagues, but we enjoy a terrific community of innkeepers from around North America. I think the idea for grilled pineapple originated with Lynnette (one of the Broads). I initially started with pineapple spears marinated in a honey lemon sauce that were grilled on the stove in butter. I served with coconut sprinkled on top and guests loved it.
Then I stayed with friends and colleagues Ashley and Glenn Mon at Hamanassett Bed & Breakfast in the Brandywine Valley area of Pennsylvania. Ashley served grilled pineapple that morning and I immediately came back to The Beechmont and started my own version. It certainly deserves a nod to Ashley!
I was not raised in Hawaii, so my knowledge of pineapples is from experience and from reading. Pineapples have to travel to those of us on the mainland from quite a distance and it’s hard to judge freshness. Some are flown in while others arrive via boats or trucks whether from the Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, or Puerto Rico. The trip can take a few hours or several days.
It’s a myth, as I understand, to assume you can pull a leaf from the top and judge its freshness (the easier to pull the leaf the fresher the pineapple: not true). Starting at the base, look for a yellow color, which should indicate more flavor and sugar content. There should be a pleasant, mild pineapple aroma at the base and a firm or perhaps gently yielding give to the touch. Do not purchase a pineapple that smells moldy. An overripe pineapple might be wrinkled or cushiony, and you certainly do not want one that leaks, has cracks in it, is brown, or has withered leaves.
