If you occasionally find yourself dreaming of warm, sunshine-filled days, complete with a hammock on a beach somewhere in the tropics, you’re not alone. But let’s take these dreams up a notch: Get a slice of pineapple, close your eyes, and take your tastebuds to the tropics, too, as you picture your happy place.

Improved immune function and digestion are just two of the many benefits you may enjoy from eating pineapple. The abundance of vitamins and nutrients in pineapple, such as vitamin C, can help strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation. Pineapple also contains a mixture of enzymes called Bromelain, which can help you digest protein. Fun fact: Bromelain is often used as a meat tenderizer.

And while we’re on the topic of fun facts, did you know that pineapples don’t grow on trees? Instead, they grow on shrubs, and one pineapple grows per shrub. It takes about two to three years for a pineapple plant to flower and produce the fruit.

Luckily, we can savor the sweet flavor of pineapple just about anywhere. Pineapples and pineapple slices are sold in most grocery stores and convenience stores throughout the country. Picking a perfectly ripe pineapple is easy: Select a pineapple that is greenish-yellow in color, free of soft spots, has dark green leaves, and is firm but gives slightly if you squeeze it.

Once you get home, store your pineapple on the countertop and slice it within three days. Keep the slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will stay fresh for up to a week. Pineapple slices can also be stored in the freezer, where they will stay tasty for up to six months.

Other fun ways to try pineapple include grilling it with meat such as chicken, adding it as a topping to Hawaiian pizza or blending it into smoothies with other tropical fruits such as bananas and mangos.

Here are our favorite pineapple recipes that are delicious and nutritious:

• Pineapple Chicken Stir-fry
• Ginger Mint Pineapple Salad
• Pineapple Sorbet