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Featured Posts
- Pineapple Purchase Trends of 2018
- Slice and Dice the Perfect Pineapple
- Easy & Elegant Holiday Table Decor
- Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
- Fall in Costa Rica
- Healthy Halloween Treats
- Chestnut Hill Farms Supports the Fight Against Cancer
- National Pineapple Month
- How to Carve Halloween Pina
- Fall Pineapple FAQ
Tips & Tall Tales
Pineapple Purchase Trends of 2018
Prickly, bright and oh-so-refreshing: there are plenty of reasons for a pineapple! In fact, the overall likelihood of a pineapple purchase has bumped up a full two percentage points from 2017 to 2018, according to Fresh Trends. What exactly drives consumers to take home this sweet fruit? We want to share with you a full breakdown of pineapple purchasers’ motivations (and why you should be one, too!)
Combat Cold & Flu Season With the Perfect Pineapple
Pineapple Health Facts
When it comes to the holiday season, American singer Mr. Andy Williams reminds us that “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. While there may be parties for hosting and marshmallows for toasting, we can’t forget that the holidays also bring cold and flu season. There is nothing worse than having your time spent with family and friends ruined by feeling under the weather. This is why we recommend adding the perfect pineapple to your holiday cuisine this season! Pineapples are packed with nutrients and vitamins that can help ward off sickness. Now let’s learn some pineapple health facts to help you stay feeling jolly this holiday!
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged chestnut hill farms, health facts, healthy living, healthy recipes, pineapple, pineapple facts, recipes
A Perfect Pineapple Holiday Season
Perfect Pineapple Gift Ideas
Not only are our perfect pineapples available year-round, they can make for the perfect gift this holiday season! As the days of family get-togethers quickly approach, it’s time to start thinking about what presents to give to the ones that you love most. Historically, the pineapple has always been viewed as being a symbol of welcome, friendship, and hospitality for events. If the fruit were displayed during colonial times when the fruit was expensive and rare, guests knew that no expense had been spared to make them feel honored and welcomed. Make your guests feel welcome this season with these perfect pineapple gift ideas!
Perfect Pineapple DIY Candles
What You’ll Need:
• Soy Wax Flakes
• Candle Wax Pitcher
• Candle Wicks
• 6 oz. Glass Jars
• Candle Wax Colorant
• Pineapple Fragrance Oil
• Black and Green Paint
• Paintbrush
• Green Felt
• Hot Glue Gun
How to Assemble:
1. To begin creating your perfect pineapple candles, first use a drop of hot glue to attach the candle wicks to the center of the bottom of your jar.
2. Next, in the candle pitcher, over medium-low heat, melt four cups of soy flakes. Make sure to stir frequently.
3. Add 3 blocks of yellow wax colorant along with 20-30 drops of pineapple fragrance oil and mix well.
4. Carefully pour the hot wax into your jars and allow to sit undisturbed until cool.
5. While candles are cooling, paint the lids of the jars green. Cut “leaves” from your green felt to create a crown atop the jar lid using hot glue to affix the pieces.
6. Attach jar lids to bottoms to create your perfect pineapple candle!
Pineapple, Chocolate, and Champagne, Oh my!
What You’ll Need:
• 2 Sheets Orange Tissue Paper
• 1 Sheet Green Tissue Paper
• 1 Bottle Champagne (whatever wine you prefer)
• 48 Chocolates in Golden Wrappers
• Raffia Ribbon
• Hot Glue
• Scissors
How to Assemble:
1. Start of creating this luxurious housewarming gift by cutting the orange tissue paper into 7×7 cm squares. Next, apply hot glue on the flat side of each chocolate and glue to the center of a square of paper.
2. Next, fold the edges of the paper to the top of the candy and apply glue to the flat side again and stick to the bottle. Begin from the bottom of the bottle and work in a circle, gluing the candy tightly together so that there aren’t any visible gaps.
3. Cut long narrow leaves from the green tissue paper and glue them together, creating layers. Paste these layers over the neck of the wine bottle in a circle.
4. Affix your ribbon to the bottle for some extra flair. Now impress your host with this creative presentation!
Pina Colada Pie in a Jar
What You’ll Need:
• 3 c. Finely Crushed Graham Crackers
• 12 Tbsp. Butter, Melted
• Approx. 15 ounces Chestnut Hill Farms Pineapple, Crushed
• 2 c. Heavy Cream
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1/2 c. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, Toasted
How to Assemble:
1. Begin creating this tropical treat by making the crust. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs with butter and stir until combined.
2. Make a pineapple layer by placing pineapple a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until thick and jammy, approximately 15 minutes.
3. While pineapple is cooking, create your cream layer in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and fold in cream cheese and sugar. For best results, use a piping bag for this mixture.
4. In four mason jars, layer graham cracker crust, pineapple and cream, alternating until the jar is filled.
5. Garnish with toasted coconut and enjoy!
A Mele Kalikimaka Holiday!
For the grand finale, we give you the most simple pineapple gift of all: the perfect pineapple! Being that the pineapple is an international symbol of hospitality, make your hosts feel your appreciation for their generosity by giving a pineapple to be proudly displayed. Affix these adorable gift tags to wish your host a Mele Kalikimaka Christmas to bring some tropical flair to the holiday!
Need Some Inspiration for Your Holiday Cooking? Check out our Best Fall Recipes Here!
Posted in Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged chestnut hill farms, costa rica, holiday, perfect pineapple, pineapple, pineapple recipes, recipe
Slice and Dice the Perfect Pineapple
How to Core a Pineapple Without a Corer
Pineapples are universally synonymous with tropical images of paradise, conjuring feelings of relaxation and satisfaction with their sweet taste. When it comes to consuming pineapple, nothing compares to enjoying the fruit fresh. A fresh pineapple may look impossible to crack into with it’s tough exterior, but this couldn’t be father from the truth! Kitchen gadgets like a pineapple corer can make the process of breaking down the fruit a little easier, but aren’t necessary. Here’s how to core a pineapple without a corer!
Posted in Featured, Latest News, Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged cut pineapple, pineapple
Easy & Elegant Holiday Table Decor
DIY Pineapple Table Decor
Whether you want to dress up your holiday table or get fancy for a fabulous event to remember, these easy-to-assemble gold pineapple candle holders are the perfect way to add pizazz to your table decor. Bonus – in this how-to we remove the fruit so it can be enjoyed as much as your candle masterpiece. This prevents wasted food, and helps complete a beautiful setting with delicious Perfect Pineapple that can be enjoyed immediately or in holiday recipes.
Check out the Youtube video to create your own in a visual how-to, or continue reading for step-by-step instructions. Happy creating!
Posted in Featured, Latest News, Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged christmas, holiday table, holiday table decor, holidays, table decor, thanksgiving, wedding decorations, weddings
Fall in Costa Rica
Our Perfect Pineapples Are Available Year-Round!
While most areas of the world are familiar with the four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall, the Costa Rican climate typically falls into two categories: rainy season and dry season. This rainy or “green” season, typically lasts from May to November, with November being the most unpredictable month when it comes to rainfall. Here at Chestnut Hill Farms, our farms are located in the fertile valleys of the Roxana de Guapiles and Villa Franca regions of Guapiles, Costa Rica. The soil of our farms has a relatively low pH, meaning that our perfect pineapples are available year-round.
Dry Season in Costa Rica
Looking toward the fall and winter months in Costa Rica, we are leaving the rainy season behind and entering the drier months. However, don’t let the term “winter” fool you, as our average temperatures are a tropical 82°F (28°C) all year long! There is some fluctuation in this temperature from area to area, as lower lying areas such as the Pacific and Caribbean regions will be slightly warmer, and northern zones with higher elevations will experience cooler temperatures. There are also factors that can bring on the dry season earlier in some years than others, including El Niño activity. Overall, September and October are typically the rainiest months in the country, while November is the transitionary period between the rainy and dry seasons.
Luckily, even during the rainy season, most areas in Costa Rica will experience sunny mornings and days with showers in the afternoons and evenings. With our farms being located just over the hill from the Tortuguero National Park, or the “Costa Rican Amazon”, we are nestled perfectly near the port city of Limon. This is where the majority of our pineapples are exported to the United States and Europe. Year-round pineapple production is key to the Costa Rican economy, as a 2017 study conducted by the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE) found that the pineapple business sector of the country employed approximately 32,000 individuals directly. Not only this, but pineapples constitute 10% of the country’s total exports, making it the main agricultural export.
As both producers and consumers, we are thankful that the Costa Rican climate provides the perfect weather for growing perfect pineapples year-round. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to enjoy your pineapple this season, check out some of our favorite fall recipes here!
National Pineapple Month
How to Celebrate National Pineapple Month
Attention, attention! It’s our favorite time of the year here on the farm…National Pineapple Month! October marks the time of year to pick yourself up one of these delicious, healthy tropical treats to enjoy and share with family and friends. National Pineapple Month is dedicated to this tantalizing fruit, native to the Americas and first consumed by the Tupi people. So why is there an entire month dedicated to this tropical fruit? Well, because pineapples are amazing and delicious in so many different ways!
How to Carve Halloween Pina
How to Create a Pineapple Jack-O-Lantern
Let’s face it: the age old tradition of carving pumpkins for the Halloween season can be a messy and dissatisfying process. Between the sticky innards of this hefty gourd, and the thick skin of a pumpkin, it can also be difficult to achieve your artistic vision when carving. This fall season, try out a tropical, healthy, sweet alternative to the traditional pumpkin carving…pineapple jack-o-lanterns! Check out the quick video below to learn how to carve a pineapple jack-o-lantern of your own this Halloween.
How to Create Your Own Pineapple Jack-O-Lantern
- First off, remove the base of the pineapple.
- Next, use a pineapple corer to remove the core of the fruit.
- After creating your own design, using a template, or sketching directly onto your fruit, it’s time to start carving! For our creations, we opted to highlight characters from some of our favorite films: Disney’s Little Mermaid, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. Cut out your desired shape, making sure to keep your knife upright and pointed away from yourself and others.
- Once your design has been completed, place a small candle inside of your upright pineapple.
- Finally, turn off the lights to see your pineapple masterpiece!
Not only does learning how to carve a pineapple jack-o-lantern give kids an opportunity to get creative and expand on a classic holiday tradition, it also is a great way to create a healthy snack for your loved ones. Once your pineapple has been cored, there’s plenty of sweet fruit to be enjoyed! With fall being one of the best times to consume our perfect pineapples, we have collected some of our favorite fall pineapple recipes for the whole family to enjoy. Check out some savory fall pineapple dish ideas here!
Posted in Featured, Latest News, Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged fall recipes, halloween, health facts, healthy, jack-o-lantern, pineapples, recipes
Fall Pineapple FAQ
Kick Off the Fall Season with Some Pineapple Facts!
As the fall season draws nearer, visions of hot cocoa, pumpkin spice treats and cookies of every variety begin to dance in our heads. When you think of a fall cuisine, it’s most likely that your mind immediately turns to thinking of pumpkin, squash and other Thanksgiving day staples like cranberries and mashed potatoes. However, these stereotypical fall treats can leave you feeling lethargic and weighed-down. Mix up your fall cuisine with the perfect treat to kick off the season: the perfect Chestnut Hill Farms pineapple! Not only are our pineapples juicy, delicious and available year round, they are packed with nutritional values that will help boost your immune system and keep you feeling healthy all winter long. Check out some of our favorite fall pineapple facts below!
Posted in Featured, Latest News, Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged fall, fall pineapples facts, fall recipes, pineapple recipes, pineapples facts
Fall Pineapple Recipes for the Whole Family
Welcome the Season With These Delicious Fall Pineapple Recipes!
Although the pineapple may be synonymous with sandy beaches, tropical getaways and poolside hangs, this superfood fruit can be enjoyed well beyond the summer months. Not only are our perfect pineapples available all year round, it may actually be a better time than ever to consume the sweet fruit as the fall and winter months approach.
Pineapples are packed with Vitamin C and bromelain, both of which have some amazing health benefits. This high source of Vitamin C drastically helps the immune system fight off cold and sickness, which bromelain works as an anti-inflammatory. Bromelain also works to fight off infection and eliminate bacteria. This powerful combination is just what you need to get through the changing of the seasons feeling healthy and happy. Looking for more ways to incorporate pineapple into your cuisine? Check out some of our favorite fall pineapple recipes below!
Posted in Featured, Latest News, Recipes, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged fall, fall pineapple recipes, health benefits, healthy, how to cut a pineapple, pineapple, pineapple recipe