Burnt tongue on pineapple

[breathless]

This is my fourth day of being totally raw. I'm extremely happy to have made it this far. I don't think I've ever made it past four days. Anyway, tonight I decided to have a pineapple for dinner. Yesterday I purchased a cored pineapple from Kroger (to save me the trouble of cutting it up myself) and was going to eat that entire pineapple tonight as a mono meal. I don't know why, but I was really craving it and looking forward to it. I have always loved pineapple. About halfway through, my mouth started to get tingly but I didn't think much of it. After all, what harm could come from it. I just kept eating the pineapple, but I wish I would have stopped because now my tounge is sore. I can't believe it. It burnt my tongue. I've never had such a reaction before. Water isn't helping much. I don't know why this happened or what I can do to make it feel better. Has anyone ever experienced this?

[MysticTree]

this is not uncommon. Be sure the pineapple is very ripe for minimal pain and eat smaller amounts if it's a particular problem for you.

[DebB]

I agree with MysticTree ~ I think we get shipped pineapples that are WAY too green. I've heard it said that if you're in the tropics (or Florida) and eat a tree ripened pineapple, this will not happen.

[speltrong]

Deb, I think that's true from personal experience. I absolutely can't stand pineapple here (in California), but when we are in Hawaii, it's about the only thing I want to eat. There's a little stand that basically has a huge stack of fresh pineapples and a vitamix. You order one, they core it and plop the core into the vitamix and blend. Then they pour the blended mixture back into the pineapple shell and hand it to you with a straw. It's one of the absolute best things ever... sweet and delicious.

And yeah, I've heard that when you're looking for pineapples here, you should always look at the end where it was cut from the tree.. if it's green, it means it is fresh and was cut recently, but if it's white or moldy looking, it means it's been sitting somewhere for a long time (i.e., did not ripen on the tree). I even bought a t-shirt from the Dole plantation so I would remember how to pick a ripe pineapple, and their method has never once resulted in my picking a good pineapple from the grocery stores at home. So I pretty much just don't eat those while in the continental US.

[DebB]

Hi speltrong ~ That must have been an amazing experience at the little stand. I can't even imagine. My tongue is tingling just thinking about eating a pineapple here that way.

Were the pineapples still green when picked (ripe) in Hawaii? I've heard that p'apples should not be picked green, but rather they should be golden brown? And that when picked green, like we get them here in the states - that they're much too acidic vs. alkaline.

I would love to try a tree ripened pineapple! Your story was fun to read!

[RawDad]

Accidental double post, please delete.

[RawDad]

I love pineapples, but only because I learned a couple of standards to follow.

1. Pick a yellower pineapple, totally yellow is fine, just make sure...

2. that the pineapple smells good! If it doesn't smell good, its not gonna taste as good.

I read
"...I purchased a cored pineapple from Kroger..." I'd recommend staying with pineapples you pick and prepare! Who knows what could have been in the unseen kitchen. The reaction you had is interesting though. I'd want my money back.

Maybe the core wasn't even removed accurately...but I'd guess it wasn't ripe from this thread (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?20588-Tongue-burning-issues).

[speltrong]

No, every pineapple I've had in Hawaii was picked at the peak of ripeness (golden brown, just as you describe). Totally incredible! Papayas are a little bit like that too, it can be hard to find ripe ones here.. but when we are in Hawaii, that's what I have every morning for breakfast.. at a Denny's no less! The hubby and I just go in each morning and the staff there knows to bring out our fresh papayas which are totally incredible tasting.

[breathless]

Thanks for all the advice and support. I am wondering if supermarkets cut up or core those items which may look unappealing on the outside, such as a pineapple that is clearly unripe or other blemished fruit. In any case, I agree that I would probably be better off to choose a whole pineapple that I could cut myself. Since I live in Ohio and pineapples have to travel far to get here, I probably won't be finding any very ripe pineapples in the near future. What a disappointment. My tongue is feeling better though.

[Meat_Juice]

I pretty much did the same thing a week ago, except the corners of my lips were burnt.



I am still waiting for healing to take place, but unfortunately it's been many days

[rawmiss]

I like buying bags of frozen tropical fruit and the pineapple rarely burn my tongue. I wonder if these frozen fruits come from fruit that were ripened in the fields and not shipped green?

[MysticTree]

another tip I read was to not eat pineapple that had been pre cut. It makes the pineapple "burn" you more than if you cut it and eat it in the same 10 minutes. So I never cut up a whole pineapple at once unless I am going to eat it all!

[fastfreedom]

I always choose a pineapple that has a good gold color to it with the green top still living and not dying. I wanted a pineapple today when I made my journey to town and even though they were for the most part a ripe color of golden brown, I passed on em because every single one of had dead tops. And actually the color wasn't an appeasing golden brown on any of em. They all had passed the golden color and were more of the brown color. Also I picked up the best looking one to smell it and it smelled over ripe. ANYHOW................

When I cut up a pineapple I cut the top and bottom off, then I trim all the outside husk off. I then stand the pineapple up and slice down through it to make it into four long sections. So every section still has some of the core on it. Then I take those sections and cut them into bite sized pieces. So now every piece has a little bit of core on it. Then i just store it in the fridge and eat it over the next few days. "If it'll last that long". LOL

ANYWAY......... not that all that was important. On to what I am really trying to get at.

Before I went 100% raw I could probably only eat 1/4 of the pineapple or less before I began to notice my mouth getting sore. My mom eats SAD and she can only eat one or two bite sized pieces before her mouth begins to get sore. But after I went 100% raw I noticed that I can eat an entire pineapple without even the slightest soreness in my mouth now. So I'm guessing that from going raw I can now eat an entire pineapple with no mouth soreness. And I LOVE pineapple. It's actually making my mouth salivate right now thinking about their sweet juicy goodness. If town wasn't so far away I would probably put on my shoes and go searching the markets for a good one right now.

[Amarynth]

I always get a tingling at the roof of my mouth, and my tongue becomes sore if I eat too much pineapple....so I try not to eat more than a slice or two. It's a shame, because I love pineapple! I would love, love, love to try a pineapple picked ripened and fresh from the tree!!!

[Truaymica]

I must be weird I have never had any of that happen! I hope you get feeling better soon!! I have picked bad pineapples before that were over ripe or too green. It's hard to get good pineapples in WA. I agree with RawDad, there could of been chemicals on the pineapple slicer and this could be an allergic reaction. T_T That's my thinking from working in the emergency room...

[verbena]

i've had the burning sensation too from eating raw pineapple, it also gives me mouth ulcers. i just accept that it must be too acidic for me to eat straight like that. I have no problems eating it when it's blended up into a smoothie as I guess it's not spending a lot of time in my mouth being chewed that way. Pineapples are highly acidic, pineapple farmers actually end up burning off their fingerprints from the acid in the fruit!