Pineapple Juice vs. Pineapple Water: Unveiling the Tropical Drink Showdown

I absolutely love fresh pineapple and always use the juice, but didn’t know what pineapple water was until I did some research. Both provide unique health benefits. We will look into these along with comparisons and how to make both. So what are the differences?

Pineapple juice is made by freshly squeezing the juice of a ripe pineapple by using a cold-pressed juicing machine such as an Oscar Juicer or blending the fruit in a blender, whereas pineapple water is made by boiling the rind, or skin of pineapple in boiling water for 15 minutes to produce a tea.

Let’s delve deeper into each one now and see what we can learn. Be sure to also watch the videos which will show you how to best make each one.

Is Pineapple Juice The Same As Pineapple Water?

Pineapple juice is not the same as pineapple water. The primary difference is that pineapple juice is made from the edible fruit part while pineapple tea or water is made by infusing the rind or skins in boiling water. 

The pineapple water tastes more like tea and does not have the same tangy sweetness as the pineapple juice.

Check Out This Video On The Differences Between Pineapple Water and Pineapple Juice.

How To Make Pineapple Juice 

There are two ways to make pineapple juice. The very best way is to use a cold press juicer such as an Oscar juicer. To make pineapple juice with a cold press juicing machine you will need the following:

1. A Cold Press Oscar Juicer or something similar.

2. A fresh ripe pineapple with the skin removed and the flesh diced up into small pieces. To get some methods on removing the skin and dicing up your pineapple please read our article: How To Cut a Pineapple.

You will then need to feed the small pieces of pineapple into the juicing machine. The corkscrew motion will squeeze all of the juice out of the pineapple and discard the fiber. Because there are no blades that spin and create heat, all of the enzymes and vitamins are kept intact to make a refreshing healthy drink. 

You can optionally add water to make it go further, but I prefer the intense sweetness of the undiluted drink.

Check out the video below for the full process.

The second way to make pineapple juice is by using a blender. This would probably be the more common way as most households would own a blender rather than a cold press juicer.

For this method you would need the following:

1. A Blender

2. A ripe pineapple that has had the skin removed and been diced into smaller pieces.

3. Sugar or honey if you prefer a sweeter taste.

4. Fresh water if you prefer to dilute the fresh juice

You will then need to follow the following steps below.

1. Place the small pineapple chunks into a blender and add a little water to help with the blending process. Blend until you achieve a smooth puree. If the puree is too thick continue to add more water while blending.

2. Strain the puree through a sieve to remove the fiber. However, if you like the thicker consistency you can skip this step.

3. You can optionally sweeten the juice with honey or sugar. I prefer to leave it as it is. If you select a fresh ripe pineapple the juice should be sweet enough. Check out this article to choose a good ripe pineapple: Do Pineapples Ripen After Picking and this article: How To Ripen a Pineapple

You might also want to check out this video on How To Tell If a Pineapple Is Ripe.

For both methods, you will want to serve the pineapple juice chilled by refrigerating it or adding some ice.

Note: Did you know that Pineapple juice can also be used as a base for cocktails, and smoothies, or as an ingredient in various recipes. 

If you want to experiment try juicing also some fresh apples to make fresh apple juice to add to the pineapple juice. If your pineapple juice lacks a little sweetness then this should fix it.

I prefer to make my own homemade pineapple juice. I then know what’s in it as it is free from added sugar and preservatives that many store-bought varieties contain. 

Health Benefits Of Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice has a number of health benefits due to its antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes. The following are the main health benefits of pineapple juice. 

Rich in Vitamin C: Pineapple juice is a good source of vitamin C, which is known for its immune-boosting properties.

So, how much Vitamin C can you expect from a 240 ml serving of pineapple juice?

On average, an 8-ounce (240 ml) serving of pineapple juice typically contains approximately 25 to 30 milligrams of vitamin C. However, this value can range from 20 to 40 milligrams per serving. 

To see the differences in nutrition between pineapple and apple and which one is better please check out our article: Pineapple vs Apple

Digestive Aid: Bromelain plays a role in improving digestion. It helps break down proteins in the digestive system, potentially reducing symptoms of indigestion and bloating. 

The question is, how much bromelain can you expect from a cup of fresh pineapple juice?

Bone Health: Due to the mineral manganese found in pineapple juice, it can aid in bone health. Manganese helps in the production of collagen, which is a key component of bone tissue. Manganese also helps in the activation of enzymes involved, ensuring that calcium and other minerals are properly deposited in the bone matrix.  

A cup (approximately 240 milliliters) of fresh raw pineapple juice may contain anywhere from 5 to 20 milligrams of bromelain. Not a great amount, but enough to help with your digestion.

Antioxidants: Pineapple juice is loaded with antioxidants, such as vitamin C along with phytonutrients. 

What are these phytonutrients?

Phytonutrients are compounds that help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Some of these phytonutrients include vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, Flavonoids (including quercetin and kaempferol), phenolic acids ( such as gallic acid and caffeic acid), tannins, saponins, and terpenes.

Eye Health: Due to the vitamin C content and beta-carotene content in fresh pineapple juice, it can contribute to better eye health. 

Hydration: Because pineapple juice has a high water content it is naturally hydrating, replenishing fluids in the body.

These are a few of the health benefits of pineapple juice. It’s important to choose fresh homemade pineapple juice over store-bought juice as the fresh homemade juice contains no added sugars and preservatives. It also is not pasteurized and so keeps all of its enzymes intact and functional.

Heart Health: The potassium and antioxidants that are found in pineapple juice can help support heart health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and regulating blood pressure.

If you ever wondered which is healthier and why, Fresh Pineapple or Canned Pineapple then please check out this article: Differences Between Fresh Pineapple and Canned Pineapple

What Is Pineapple Water Made From?

Pineapple water is made from the rind or skin of the pineapple. The contains many of the same nutrients that you would find in the skin, however, due to its tough fibrous texture it is hard to eat. It is best boiled in water to extract some of these nutrients as they infuse into the water.

Because pineapple water or tea contains much of the same nutrients as pineapple juice, it has much the same health benefits as pineapple juice, however without the extra fruit sugars.

How To Make Pineapple Water Recipe To Fight Inflammation

Pineapple water can be made in less than 30 minutes by following the steps below with very few ingredients. 

Please also check out the video below where we demonstrate these steps.

There are actually two ways to make pineapple water. The first way is demonstrated in the video above.

Remove the skin (peel) from the pineapple, ensuring that it is washed thoroughly to remove any impurities.

Place these skins into a pot and add enough water to cover the rinds. Adding more plain water will make it more diluted while adding less will make the infusion stronger.

Boil for 15 minutes to allow the pineapple to infuse into the water, then remove from heat and let it cool. 

Strain through a sieve to remove any further impurities.

It will store in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be served either hot or cold for a refreshing drink. Did you know you can also freeze pineapple? Check out this article: How To Freeze Pineapple

The second way you can make pineapple water is to use the flesh of the pineapple. Dice up the flesh into small fresh pineapple chunks and add water. 

Place into the refrigerator and leave overnight to allow the pineapple to infuse into the water. Drink fresh the next day. This is a great way to drink pineapple-infused water.

Pineapple Water Flavor: What Does Pineapple Water Taste Like?

Pineapple water tastes like a weak herbal/fruit tea. I prefer it served hot with some fresh ginger to add a little punch to the tea. Because it is mostly water there are very few calories in the pineapple tea. Another serving suggestion is to serve it hot with a little cinnamon spice added for a refreshing drink. This is fruit-infused water at its best. You can also experiment with other spices to see what you prefer. Maybe fresh mint leaves could also give a nice enhancement to the drink.

It is great for an immunity boost and a detox drink. You can also add lemons to give it a slightly sour taste if you like that type of drink. I will also add a little lemon juice to my pineapple tea.

How Much Water Makes Up Pineapple?

Fresh pineapple is made up of 86% to 87% water. We put this to the test and decided to juice a whole pineapple to see how much water we would get.

To do this we used a cold press Oscar juicer to squeeze as much of the juice from the fiber as we could get. We didn’t include the skin as this is mostly fiber.

The average weight of the pineapple in the video above is 1100 grams or 1.1 kgs, and we got 650 mls of liquid from our pineapple. That’s roughly 60%.

So, we were about 25% short of the expected water volume. Of course the fibre still had liquid in it and I am not sure if the calculation of 85% was taken on a pineapple that had its rind removed. Since there is less juice in the rind and more fibrous weight this could have altered the values by giving us a larger water content percentage.

However, it was fun to try the experiment and even more fun to drink the finished fresh pineapple juice.

Conclusion

Pineapple juice and pineapple water are two distinct beverages with some key differences:

Pineapple Juice:

• Made by extracting the liquid from ripe pineapples, typically using a juicer or blender.
• Has a sweet and intense pineapple flavor.
• Rich in natural sugars and calories.
• Contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and manganese.
• Can be enjoyed as a standalone beverage or used in cooking, cocktails, or smoothies.

Pineapple Water:

• Made by steeping pineapple rinds or slices in hot water, often served chilled.
• Has a milder pineapple flavor compared to juice.
• Contains fewer natural sugars, fewer calories, and fewer carbs than pineapple juice.
• May retain some nutrients and antioxidants from the pineapple, although in lower concentrations.
• Is a hydrating and refreshing beverage, sometimes infused with other herbs or flavors.
• Known for its potential digestive benefits due to the presence of bromelain in the rinds.

Ultimately, the choice between pineapple juice and pineapple water depends on personal preferences and dietary considerations. Pineapple juice is a concentrated, sweet beverage with higher calorie content, while pineapple water offers a lighter, more subtly flavored option that can be enjoyed as a hydrating alternative. Both have their unique characteristics and can be incorporated into various culinary uses.