Selecting

The selection of a ripe pineapple is very easy and important. The first thing to look for is a fruit with fresh looking leaves, and make sure that the center of the crown has not been removed. The closer to the crown it smells like a pineapple, the sweeter the pineapple is. It is important to know that once a pineapple is removed from the plant, it will not get any sweeter.

Fresh

Grabbing the crown firmly and giving it a gentle twist should cleanly remove the crown from the fruit. Don't throw the crown away, use it to grow your very own pineapple.  Cut the top and bottom off, and cut the skin away from the fruit.  Cut the fruit vertically into fourths, and make another vertical cut on each fourth to remove the core.  Slice the fruit into chunks, and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Pineapple Preserves

I can't remember the procedure exactly, so this may not be 100% accurate.  Macerate the Pineapple with the sugar and water, and bring to a rolling boil for a while. (I can't remember how long it should boil)  The box of pectin should be added and allowed to return to a rolling boil for exactly one minute.  Follow the directions that came with the fruit pectin on how to jar the preserves.