Homemade Cheer

Pineapple peels produce a pleasant fizzy and refreshing beer

BY DANIELLE ROSE

In the 1700s, New England ship captains announced their return home by spearing a pineapple on their fence post. It meant visitors were welcome to stop by to hear sea stories and see exotic souvenirs. Real pineapples gave way to architectural details incorporated in homes all along the East Coast to symbolize hospitality.

The fruit also became a status symbol for the wealthy and demand for it skyrocketed. A single pineapple from the Caribbean could fetch hundreds of dollars. Attempts to produce pineapples in New England greenhouses were largely unsuccessful because they couldn’t replicate the minimum two years of constant sunlight and heat needed to produce fruit.