The Big Pine...Apple
If New York is the Big Apple, then Hawaii is the Big Pineapple! I grew up spending summers in Hawaii and visiting the former Dole Cannery in Honolulu. Call me crazy, but I enjoy pineapple juice more than I enjoy the actual fruit. But today, I was in the historic plantation town in Maui's Upcountry. The Hali'imaile Pineapple Company operates the only tour of a working pineapple plantation in the United States. Maui Gold Pineapples* As a guest of the Hali'imaile Pineapple Company, we toured their 1,500 acre plantation and saw the different fields and stages of growth. Fields of young plants* There are 31,000 pineapple plants per acre and takes 18-24 months to grow a pineapple. Optimum growing temperature is between 70-90 degrees F, not to go below 50 degrees F. So, if you try to grow one at home, your best bet is to grow it inside. Not quite a pineapple yet... It's harvest time, still picked by hand. Talk abou...