Shipping pineapple home??

[cjnky]

Rather than a lot of souvenir shopping (which I'm sure we'll do anyway), I'd just like to ship a case of pineapples home. Any idea what is the best source, and about what it will cost? THANKS!!:D

[Spikesgirl]

Just about any pineapple company in Honolulu will ship pineapple for you. You just tell them how you want it handled when you are paying for it at the vendor's Easiest way is to have it shipped to the airport and then you take it along as luggage, but this only works if you are flying back home. That may have changed now that some many airlines are charging for extra baggage.

 

Just a heads up though, the pineapple that will be shipped will be exactly the same kind you get locally in your stores. Most won't ship the sweeter juice pineapples mainland.

[Beach4me]

My favorite pineapples are Maui Gold. I buy them and eat them when I'm in Maui but I don't ship them home. You can though. Here's a link to their website. http://www.mauipineapple.com/shop/product.php?productid=2&cat=0&bestseller=Y This link will take you to the case of 6 for $79 (includes the $19 FedEx charge for shipping). You could try some when you're over there and then call and order some when you get home if you like them. They FedEx them to you in 2 days.

 

I'm going to let you in on a secret that a few folks on this board know. My friends always expect me to come home with macadamia nuts for them. So, I go to Target and buy cans of macadamia nuts before I go on vacation and have them all ready to take into the office when I get home from Maui. I've also been known to show up at the office with some of the "best pineapple ever" after returning from Maui. That would be the pineapple that I picked up at the grocery store after returning from vacation. I just grab a few when I'm picking up the milk and bread after vacation, slice them up and wa-la, everyone has an island treat and are none the wiser. And, I haven't spent an arm and a leg or had to drag something back that I could buy at the Target. Okay...shhhhhh...keep all that between us, okay? ;)

[cjnky]

Thanks for the help! I'll be checking for those macadamia nuts before I leave!! :D

[JudeeJim]

My favorite pineapples are Maui Gold. I buy them and eat them when I'm in Maui but I don't ship them home. You can though. Here's a link to their website. http://www.mauipineapple.com/shop/product.php?productid=2&cat=0&bestseller=Y This link will take you to the case of 6 for $79 (includes the $19 FedEx charge for shipping). You could try some when you're over there and then call and order some when you get home if you like them. They FedEx them to you in 2 days.

 

I'm going to let you in on a secret that a few folks on this board know. My friends always expect me to come home with macadamia nuts for them. So, I go to Target and buy cans of macadamia nuts before I go on vacation and have them all ready to take into the office when I get home from Maui. I've also been known to show up at the office with some of the "best pineapple ever" after returning from Maui. That would be the pineapple that I picked up at the grocery store after returning from vacation. I just grab a few when I'm picking up the milk and bread after vacation, slice them up and wa-la, everyone has an island treat and are none the wiser. And, I haven't spent an arm and a leg or had to drag something back that I could buy at the Target. Okay...shhhhhh...keep all that between us, okay? ;)

 

Beach4me you are my type of people. :)

[beachchick]

My favorite pineapples are Maui Gold. I buy them and eat them when I'm in Maui but I don't ship them home. You can though. Here's a link to their website. http://www.mauipineapple.com/shop/product.php?productid=2&cat=0&bestseller=Y This link will take you to the case of 6 for $79 (includes the $19 FedEx charge for shipping). You could try some when you're over there and then call and order some when you get home if you like them. They FedEx them to you in 2 days.

 

I'm going to let you in on a secret that a few folks on this board know. My friends always expect me to come home with macadamia nuts for them. So, I go to Target and buy cans of macadamia nuts before I go on vacation and have them all ready to take into the office when I get home from Maui. I've also been known to show up at the office with some of the "best pineapple ever" after returning from Maui. That would be the pineapple that I picked up at the grocery store after returning from vacation. I just grab a few when I'm picking up the milk and bread after vacation, slice them up and wa-la, everyone has an island treat and are none the wiser. And, I haven't spent an arm and a leg or had to drag something back that I could buy at the Target. Okay...shhhhhh...keep all that between us, okay? ;)

 

Mahalo for the link! (Don't worry...We won't tell a soul about your secret.);) We always use Take Home Maui in Lahaina and have always been super happy with the quality, size, etc. of their Maui Golds (and Maui onions). It's always nice to have another source. We couldn't agree more: Maui Golds are the "gold standard" for pineapples. Period. And for those who say, "Oh I saw those in the local Costco": Yes, they have them sometimes (at least where we are on CA's central coast), but they are not as fresh and high quality as you get when you use a really good on-island supplier. (Lord, I just realized that Maui Golds really are like a drug and we're sharing the names of our suppliers.) In case anyone wants another link, here's Take Home Maui:

 

http://takehomemaui.com/hawaiigifts.html

 

It's the tiniest little whole in the wall store on Dickenson just off Front St. We love to stop in to say hi, snack on samples, and drool over all the goodies we plan to take home. The owners are a hoot and really nice.

 

I just hope we don't get dinged for extra luggage next time we have two large boxes delivered to the airport for take home. I think we'll check because it might be just as easy to have them express shipped if the airlines are going to charge us the $25+ for a second bag each.

 

beachchick

[Spikesgirl]

Beachchick - do let us know about the shipping vs. baggage. They used to always allow for it, but it's hard to tell what they'll do now.

 

Great link, BTW

[cmjaffe]

OK... so we're "hooked" on Maui Golds... 2Xmas ago started out buying one at Costco Lihue and then cut it up and then got another one a few days later. This year bought 2 first day in, then 2 days later went to Costco again (ok we're Costco <PriceClub> junkies from back in '89-lol) and got 5 more.. 2 days later got 3 more... Of course none lasted for the flight home. I'm not a pineapple fan but LOVED them. The size of the pineapples were huge and I finally got "good" at learning how to pick them out.

So you're saying that the Maui Golds at the "local" hawaiian costco's aren't as "good" as those sold on Maui? A year ago we did 8 days in Lihue and then 5 days in Oahu.. hit all 3 Costco's there and (unf) noticed they carried the "local" Dole and not Maui Golds. DD didn't want to even try the Dole -- can't I "ONLY" eat Maui Golds (lol).

Last 3 vacations for Xmas we've been to Kauai. First time w/BI. Second time w/Oahu. This year stayed 10 nights in Kauai staying 7 nights in a Princeville condo and 3 nights (1 beginning and 2 at end) at Grand Hyatt (had to officially try out pool) on award stay (not using points... have to love Hyatt for FFN promotion) where we were upgraded to a full oceanview room (on NYE no less).

Planning w/AA to try to go back again for December holidays '09. Just checked with airlines but dates not loaded in yet. WIll definitely go to Kauai but Libby wants to know if Maui Gold has a tour or something where you can buy direct? That's the ONLY reason why she'd go to Maui.

Regarding shipping pineapples home on the airlines, luckily Mike and I are gold or above on American so we're not charged for luggage nor will the kids when they travel with us so we're "technically" allowed to check 8 pieces of 50lb luggage free. We've finally started to cut back on our packing finally realizing we live in cover ups, shorts and flipflops even at Hyatt (which has free laundry facilities). I wonder if we could buy at Costco the 6 pack box of Maui golds and just ship it through (as long as it's under the 50lbs). Just check it through with Agriculture. Then I guess we'd just have a lit bit longer "wait" before we have the Maui Gold withdrawl... is this true.

Mahalo,

Carolyn

[beachchick]

OK... so we're "hooked" on Maui Golds... 2Xmas ago started out buying one at Costco Lihue and then cut it up and then got another one a few days later. This year bought 2 first day in, then 2 days later went to Costco again (ok we're Costco <PriceClub> junkies from back in '89-lol) and got 5 more.. 2 days later got 3 more... Of course none lasted for the flight home. I'm not a pineapple fan but LOVED them. The size of the pineapples were huge and I finally got "good" at learning how to pick them out.

 

Great Maui Gold story! They are addictive. There is an art to picking the best ones. Most people don't realize that color is not the best indicator on that variety.

 

So you're saying that the Maui Golds at the "local" hawaiian costco's aren't as "good" as those sold on Maui? A year ago we did 8 days in Lihue and then 5 days in Oahu.. hit all 3 Costco's there and (unf) noticed they carried the "local" Dole and not Maui Golds. DD didn't want to even try the Dole -- can't I "ONLY" eat Maui Golds (lol).

 

I'm sure the Maui Golds sold at Hawaii Costcos are great. I'm talking about the rare lots that hit the mainland (specifically, CA's central coast). The Hawaii Costcos can get them delivered right away; the mainland ones, not so fast. They're never in great condition, only just okay, because they've been usually been traveling for days. As you know, the longer the pineapple has to wait, the more the quality degrades. BTW, we've bought the Oahu Dole Golds and they are good. They're not in the same class as Maui Golds, not by a long shot, but they're still better than just about any we can get in the mainland markets. I can relate to "I only want to eat Maui Golds" because last trip we flew home from HNL, instead of our usual OGG last stop, so we had to "make do" with Oahu Golds instead. We certainly enjoyed them, but they couldn't hold a candle to the Maui Golds (at least, not for our tastes).

 

Last 3 vacations for Xmas we've been to Kauai. First time w/BI. Second time w/Oahu. This year stayed 10 nights in Kauai staying 7 nights in a Princeville condo and 3 nights (1 beginning and 2 at end) at Grand Hyatt (had to officially try out pool) on award stay (not using points... have to love Hyatt for FFN promotion) where we were upgraded to a full oceanview room (on NYE no less).

Planning w/AA to try to go back again for December holidays '09. Just checked with airlines but dates not loaded in yet. WIll definitely go to Kauai but Libby wants to know if Maui Gold has a tour or something where you can buy direct? That's the ONLY reason why she'd go to Maui.

 

The link Beach4me provided will take you to the plantation website. They do have tours, but I don't know if you can buy direct at the plantation for take home. The tours are not free, but they do include touring the fields, sampling, and choosing your own pineapple to pick and take with you. If you bought a bunch, you'd have to schlep them back to Kauai and then keep them fresh until it's time to fly home--assuming you could resist the urge to consume them all while you're still in Hawaii. If any of the groceries on Kauai have Maui Golds, then that's your best bet for purchasing to eat while on Kauai. Of course, you can't usually take those home because they haven't been inspected and approved for export to the mainland.

The prices on the Maui Gold website (Beach4me's link) are really very good for express delivery to the mainland, so that's something you definitely might consider.

 

Regarding shipping pineapples home on the airlines, luckily Mike and I are gold or above on American so we're not charged for luggage nor will the kids when they travel with us so we're "technically" allowed to check 8 pieces of 50lb luggage free. We've finally started to cut back on our packing finally realizing we live in cover ups, shorts and flipflops even at Hyatt (which has free laundry facilities). I wonder if we could buy at Costco the 6 pack box of Maui golds and just ship it through (as long as it's under the 50lbs). Just check it through with Agriculture. Then I guess we'd just have a lit bit longer "wait" before we have the Maui Gold withdrawl... is this true.

 

Usually, you would not be allowed to do this because, as I mentioned above, they haven't been pre-inspected and approved. Your best bet is to contact the Dept of Ag directly and find out if any exceptions are being allowed. As you know, the agricultural laws are very strict (for good reasons).

 

Mahalo,

Carolyn

 

I truly hope you get a really, really good fix of your "Hawaii drug of choice." We're in desperate need of a Maui/Hawaii visit! Unfortunately (or well, that's not quite the right word), our DD just had her first baby (our first DGD), so all our travel funds (and then some) have been spent visiting her and helping out. My DH spent 5 weeks in Seattle--starting the first week of the December and during the worst winter weather they've had in 50 years. He sure was glad to get back to our unusually sunny and warm winter coastal weather. I wasn't even allowed to fly up due to recent ear surgery and the fact that our DGD takes after her mommy and decided, "I'm done cooking. Let me out, right now!" almost a month early. A nice month-long stay in Hawaii would really warm us up for sure.:D

 

beachchick