There’s a colorful new pineapple hitting the produce aisle—and it's a vibrant red.
Rubyglow pineapples first become available in January in China. While they might taste similarly to your typical pineapple, they certainly don’t look like them. They have a deep red outer shell, bright yellow flesh, and a distinctly sweet flavor. They’re tropical, exclusive, and being sold as a kind of high-end alternative to the classic pineapple by Fresh Del Monte.
“As the global leader in fresh pineapples, Fresh Del Monte offers an extensive lineup of different varieties, from traditional to extra sweet versions, in various sizes from personal to sharable, giftables such as Pinkglow pineapple—the world’s only pink pineapple—and now Rubyglow pineapple, the latest showcase of our innovation and leadership in this category,” Melissa Mackay, Fresh Del Monte’s vice president of marketing, said in a press release.
“With its distinctive bright red shell and extra sweet taste, Rubyglow is the ultimate exotic fruit—an exclusive, limited-availability pineapple that is sure to impress as a unique gift or served as a creative way to entertain guests."
You can get your hands on the Rubyglow pineapple anywhere you might find specialty produce, but you aren’t going to grab one on the cheap. Fresh Del Monte didn’t say exactly how much customers would have to hand over for the designer fruit, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that anyone who joins the global waitlist for the fruit would have to pay $125 and Melissa’s Produce is currently selling it for nearly $400.
“From the intricate growing process to the distinct color, sweet taste and elegant packaging—every detail of the Rubyglow pineapple is meticulously crafted to deliver a premium experience,” Mackay said. “This exquisite tropical fruit is another gem in crown and we are thrilled to introduce this groundbreaking pineapple to North America.”
While a triple-digit price tag is a considerable amount of money to spend on a fruit, the cost makes sense.
The Rubyglow pineapple was developed over the course of 15 years in Costa Rica, a special hybrid of the traditional pineapple and the Morada variety. It was created with traditional crossbreeding techniques, and each Rubyglow pineapple takes a full two years to grow to adulthood. Because this process is so complex and the fruit takes so much time to ripen, they’re pretty scarce in the U.S.—according to Fresh Del Monte, there will only be 5,000 Rubyglows available this year and 3,000 next year.
If you decide to splurge this summer, sweeten up your dinners with our Air-Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa, Spicy Scallop-Pineapple Stir-Fry, or BBQ Chicken-Pineapple Pizza.