Just inland from the north coast of Maui is the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm. When we first arrived on the island we stopped by and got to tour the rolling fields of pineapples at Maui’s only remaining pineapple processing plant. Our guide, Brett, was wonderful and we got to witness every stage of production from planting to packaging during our tour. Everything at this farm is still done by hand. Only the boxes (made locally) are produced by machine.
Amazingly, we learned that only 7 men plant the entire 150 acres…4 million plants… in four months! That’s a lot of pineapple planting! Each year they replant the crown and are able to reuse each plant for up to three years. The girls were surprised to learn that pineapples don’t grow on trees, but are actually the flower of a small plant. Interestingly, they stop ripening any further once picked. We learned that, like a melon, you choose a pineapple by knocking on it to hear a hallow sound. That means that it is the perfect time to pick and enjoy!
Brett was a master (and speedy) pineapple carver and we got to taste-test many pineapples that we hand picked at different stages of ripeness. We tasted a range from green, to half green/half gold (had a coconut flavor), to all gold (the sweetest of them all).
Their pineapples are 15% acid, 85% sugar, because they are grown locally and can be left on plant longer before having to get them into the store. Most other company’s pineapples are 30% acid, so they are less sweet. Because they are so sweet you can even eat the core. We all loved tasting the different flavors and our little fruity girl practically downed an entire pineapple all on her own!
It was fascinating to learn about the history of the farm and how their farming techniques have developed and changed. An ingenious watering system originating in Hana was built way back in the 1800s by sugar tycoon, Claus Spreckels, that they still tap into today to conserve water. And though they don’t claim to be organic, they have eliminated harsh chemicals and pesticides by using an integrated pest management system. We gave them a big thumbs up for that!
We finished the tour by visiting the on-site packaging plant and they gave us each a freshly picked pineapple to take home. We were spoiled with juicy golden sweetness for the rest of our trip.
Side note: When visiting the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm make sure you stop by the adjoining Pau Vodka Distillery and the glass blowing factory. Adults can sample the vodka made from the local pineapples and the kids loved watching the glass being blown from their upstairs viewing balcony.
