Shopping at roadside produce stands is popular with locals and our Kauai vacation rental guests. You can buy locally grown foods and flowers at bargain prices.
It’s a good idea to carry small bills and change with you for these impromptu stops. Many stands run on the honor system. You just add up the cost of your purchases and leave the money in a box.
One thing on my list when I stop is a fresh Hawaii pineapple. The white low acid variety is a personal favorite but I like the yellow too. At a roadside stand I’ll pay between $2 and $4 for each one.
There are three things I look for when selecting a pineapple. If it’s hard as a rock I’ll pass. The pineapple needs to have a golden color and fragrant smell.
Tip: Pineapples are on the USDA list of agricultural items permitted to leave Hawaii. As long as there are no bugs, soft spots or holes you can take them home to the mainland. It makes for a perfect souvenir. If the pineapple is going to be a gift, I’ll attach a photo of the stand where it was purchased for the recipient to see.
The photo in this post was taken at a friend’s garden. Pineapples grow easily on Kauai. We save the crown of the pineapple and place on the ground under weed cloth. Two years later it’s ready to harvest.
If you have a favorite Kauai roadside stand or tips on choosing the right pineapple, be sure to leave a comment.
4 Responses
Thanks for sharing informative blog post. I really enjoyed to read this blog post.
Mahalo Julia, glad you enjoyed it.
Hi the photo taken of the pineapples with the tops all have spines on them do you happen to know what kinda pineapples they are and do you know if your friend would be willing to sell some of the offsets and ship them i would be willing to buy some from them let me know thanks
Aloha James, There are several types of Hawaii pineapples. Unfortunately, we are not able to ship them to the mainland. The good news is that we know of someone locally who can. They also might be able to identify the pineapple you see in this picture. For more information, visit “the Pineapple Store” online at Kauai Fruit and Flowers. Best wishes from Parrish Kauai