I'm definitely no expert on this, but I did buy a small one at one point, which was already fruiting -- all I did was care for it a while until the mini pineapple ripened. I have tried several times to root the crown off of store bought fruit without success.

From what I understand, your idea should work but may take 4 or 5 years unless you stimulate the flowering/fruiting earlier using ethylene gas (produced in varying amounts by certain ripening fruits). This forcing will likely result in smaller fruit though. And yes, the plant is monocarpic, so it will die after flowering/fruiting, but should also produce pups at its base, which will continue growing.

Good luck, it sounds like a fun experiment (I'm thinking about giving it a another try myself now!)

I am trying a experiment with a pineapple top from the store. I used the twist off method detailed here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b0mhwAJM12U

Hopefully it will root and start to grow. Mine is in a smaller (probably 1 -2 gallon) pot and has sun most of the day. I just planted yesterday so we shall see.

The trick the pineapple-industrial complex doesn't want you to know...you gotta let them callus. If you cut it off the plant now and put it in soil, it will probably rot instead of root, unless you have a greenhouse set at exactly the right temp & humidity. So here's what you do. Cut it off (no need to rip, just make sure you cut below the growth point) - let it sit in your house. As long as it stays green, it is still alive, just dormant. Now, I keep my house at only 67F...maybe 74F would be too warm and those New Englanders who chill at 57F too cold, I dunno. If you do it now, it will probably stay viable until May, and form a bit of callus tissue. Then, plant it in standard potting soil and put it in a humid, shady location outside in late May.

Actually the best time to buy them for rooting is probably late March- late April. Gives them a month or two to dry out. IIRC that's when I've done most of mine. But I have had it work with a pineapple from late winter. The basic point is, you only want it to come in contact with moist soil when night temperatures are 60F or above, and you can put it in bright, indirect light outside. At first, years ago, I would try to bag them, but that makes humidity go too high and they get mildew. In New Jersey, the 'natural' humidity of June, July and August will be sufficient.

You don't want to do it in fall, because you want them to have an established root system for winter. As winter houseplants, keep them above 60F, sunny window, and DO NOT OVERWATER. I only water mine once a month, lightly. Just dampen the soil, not soaking wet.

Even if you buy the pineapple in mid-summer, probably better to to let it dry out and callus for a couple weeks before planting it.

It was funny how in Australia all of the tops get ripped off, too keep people from growing them. Might be true in CA too, but I swear I saw some intact ones there last year.

Ok, I've watched that video and a couple others on utube.
if you think about it, all the stripping away of lower leaves and a few cc of "meat" is kinda ridiculous and pseudo-scientific. The point of the top being a propagule is that an animal eats the lower portion, discards the inedible top somewhere, and it grows. The animal isn't supposed to have to clean the bottom of the top so that it looks pristine! Leaving a little bit of meat, which for me at least hasn't mildewed but rather dries out and shrinks anyhow, probably triggers the the top to prepare for rooting. I have actually seen roots growing out from the drying remnants of meat.

I'll have to try your hardening method at some point. At this point anything is an experiment and we will probably eat more pineapple during the year to get more tops.

Eh.. now idk. If they really die after they fruit then it might not be worth it. New pups might grow but then that means you have to wait another 4-5 years

My mother did this several times, and yes it was a couple of years before fruit. Until then it makes an interesting houseplant.