Hi Joel,
I like to leave the pygmy pineapple on the plant for as long as possible, because it is such a cute feature and visitors to my garden always remark on it - even non-gardeners.
When the 'top-knot' is considerably larger than the ripe fruit, it can be easily twisted off the fruit. I peel off several of the bottom tiny leaves to expose the fleshy white base, and place in a dry spot for a week or more. This dries and hardens the base to prevent rotting when planted. It can take quite a while for the new top-knot plantlet to root. Make sure the base is sitting firmly in a standard potting mix in a small pot. I imagine you could also root it first by sitting the plantlet in wet cotton wool on a saucer, and then pot it.

Here is a photo of one of mine with the 'top-knot' getting bigger. It could remain on the plant for another couple of months from this stage.

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I hope this helps you.

Cheers,
Kerry

Okay,we all want to know.Is it edible?.. enough to grace the Christmas ham of the Lilliputians?

I wouldn't eat one

Ananas nanus was reclassified as Ananas comosus var. ananassoides in 2003 by Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge & Leal --refer BSI Journal July-Aug. 2005, page 187-"The Pineapple" by D. Butcher. Also, refer to "Bromeliaceae Names & Synonyms" book, (p. 18) May 2007 by D. Butcher.

Geoff - thanks for that reclassification info. I've noticed that the 'red pineapple' has also been regrouped into the comosus species, and is now Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

LOL Stan - Gulliver may have enjoyed the pygmy pineapple with his Christmas ham. My much larger daughter tried eating one, but by the time she had cut off the rough skin, she only had the remaining hard core to chew on...

K

Thanks to Kerry! The information was very helpful to me.

Carol in Jacksonville