Azorean Pineapple

São Miguel grows pineapples in greenhouses, which nowhere else does commercially, and the method is peculiar. Plants are propagated from suckers, grown in one set of houses, moved to another, and at a certain stage the greenhouse is filled with smoke from burning green material for several days - the ethylene in the smoke forces the whole crop to flower simultaneously, so the harvest can be synchronised. The full cycle from sucker to fruit takes eighteen months to two years, against six months in the tropics, which is why the fruit is small, intensely aromatic and expensive. It began in the nineteenth century as a replacement crop after the orange trade collapsed, and it holds protected designation status as Ananás dos Açores. Several plantations at Fajã de Baixo and Arruda are open free of charge, with paths between the glasshouses, an explanation of the cycle and a shop selling fruit, liqueur and jam.

The main sights

• The greenhouses - pineapples grown under glass, uniquely as a commercial crop.
• The smoking - houses filled with smoke to force the whole crop to flower at once.
• The two-year cycle - eighteen months to two years from sucker to fruit.
• The free plantations - Fajã de Baixo and Arruda open with paths and a shop.

When to go

Year-round; the crop runs continuously through staggered plantings. One hour. Free entry at the main plantations.

What to expect

The greenhouses are hot and humid inside. Fruit is small and expensive compared with imported pineapple - the price reflects two years of growing. The visit is short and ends at a shop. Explanation is limited without asking.

Nearby

Ponta Delgada is a short drive west; Furnas and the lakes are inland.