Think summer, think pineapples. Here are a few things you may not have known about this spiky customer.

Did you know ...

* Pineapples are native to South America and were first brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus.

* Pineapples were first planted in Brisbane by German missionaries around the 1840s and flourished near the present suburbs of Kedron, Banyo, Nudgee and Toombul.

* The first pineapple canning was done in the late 1890s for easier transportation along poor roads.

* By the 1920s there were 13 pineapple canneries in Brisbane, but they still couldn't handle the volume at peak times.

* A pineapple 'flowers' for only one day and each pineapple plant produces only one fruit at a time.

* Pineapples take between 12-18 months to mature from first fruit.

* Pineapples are picked by hand at the peak of ripeness because they don't ripen after picking, but deteriorate rapidly. All pineapple crops are tested for sugar content to ensure maturity prior to picking.

* Pineapples are a very good source of vitamin C. A 100g slice provides 75 per cent of the recommended daily allowance. They also contain vitamin A and folate.

* Pineapple is low in fat, high in dietary fibre and relatively high in potassium, which together with sodium helps regulate fluid retention, blood pressure and kidney function.

* 60 per cent of Australian pineapples are grown in the Sunshine Coast hinterland region.

* Pineapple should be canned within one to two days of picking to retain peak flavour, sweetness, colour and nutrition. Approximately three pineapples go into making up one can of pineapple pieces.

* The waste from processing pineapples - the outside peel and central core - is recycled and used for cattle feed.

* Thailand is the world's largest producer of pineapples, with 17.5 per cent of global output.

With thanks to Golden Circle, Australia's largest pineapple processor.