Let’s learn about these new berries!
When you see pineberries at the grocery store you may wonder if you should try these new berries – as they don’t look like your conventional fruit.
Pineberries taste very sweet and they are delicious! You may think they taste a little tart because of their pale color. But don’t get confused with an albino fruit when you see these new berries! The pale color is just one of their characteristcs.
Even though they look like strawberries, they taste different. The rather sweeter side of it comes from the similarity they have from pineapples. Pineberries have a soft bite to it if compared to strawberries, which feels firmer. Their bite also feel soft like pears. But pineberries feel firm like strawberries when you are holding them while rinsing them off or cutting out their stems.
The pineberries get their name because it is a combo of the words pineapple and strawberry. They are a novelty type of strawberry, because they range in color and flavor. They are usually white with red achenes (seeds) but they can turn pink when they grow in sunlight. Berries are harvested when the achenes turn from green to red – that is when you should try them!
Pineberries taste delicious on their own! They are great for kebabs with other fruits, which gives a unique touch. Pineberry is also delicious with hazelzut and chocolate spread – a great way to get the kids to eat them! They are also good with oatmeal or pancakes. You can be creative on how you eat pineberries, they are just another form of berry anyway and go well in so many dishes!
Here is a little bit of history on these newer berries: white-fruited strawberries of Fragaria chiloensis (Chilean strawberry) have been traced back to Chile where the native peoples cultivated them more than a thousand years ago. They were then introduced into Europe around the 1700’s. Only about 20 years ago,
the Netherlands developed the pineberry through crossbreeding the red and white varieties.
Ten years later, pineberries started selling in the U.S. and they are now more popular.
Pineberries are high in vitamin A and vitamin C which helps the immune health. They are antioxidants and rich in fiber. This pineapple flavor berry also helps support gut health, weight loss efforts and they may even support healthy blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Pineberries are sold most of the year from different regions. Florida growing season runs from November through April and the pineberries from California, from January through September. Other great news about pineberries is that they are non-GMO!
Check out our blog post on how to clean fruits properly so you are ready to try the new berries: pineberries!
