The holiday season is approaching, and given that we're still in this pandemic, it’s going to need all the merriment and brightness it can get.
Del Monte has bestowed upon us some of that brightness with its new Pinkglow pineapple — a pineapple that is not dyed pink, but actually grows that way.
The world has already experienced rosé berries and cotton candy grapes, so why not a pink pineapple?
There’s no delayed gratification either. The rosy pineapple is now available nationwide for purchase online in its own individual box at pinkglowpineapple.com, but it doesn’t come cheap. It’s $49 for one pineapple — a hefty price to pay for one Instagram.
The pricy pineapples are hand-picked in “ultra-limited harvests, uniquely and specially grown by the expert growers,” according to Del Monte, which might explain the price tag.
“Experience a taste of a remote paradise where compasses spin wildly, life is over-the-top and pineapples are pink,” reads the description on Del Monte’s Pinkglow pineapple website, which goes on to explain that the pineapples have a “delicious and unique taste,” with notes of "candy pineapple aromatics." This is because it’s less sour than a traditional pineapple, says Del Monte — it's juicier and sweeter. The Pinkglow pineapples are harvested by hand, and then their crowns are replanted in an effort to increase the volume of crops and reduce waste.
Aside from tasting sweeter than a regular pineapple, it's also, obviously, pink instead of yellow. This, according to the FAQ, is thanks to lycopene, a chemical compound also found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit.
“As a leading supplier of fresh pineapples throughout the world, Fresh Del Monte is committed to continuing to invest in our pineapple research and development program to meet the ever-changing needs of our consumers,” Pablo Rivero, Fresh Del Monte’s vice president of marketing in North America, said in a media statement. “The Pinkglow Pineapple is a product we are incredibly proud of – not only for its beautiful color and delicious taste, but also because of the care that went into growing and releasing it, as well as the sustainable method we’ve enacted to produce these new pink pineapples.”
The arrival of Pinkglow pineapples has been a long time coming. They have been in development since 2005, and in 2016, got the FDA's stamp of approval. They are all sourced from a single farm in Costa Rica, where they can take up to two years to produce.
To celebrate the launch, Fresh Del Monte will be awarding one pineapple lover who enters its contest a virtual cocktail party for them and nine of their friends.
In a year when news is rarely so bright and colorful, we can all use some rose-colored glasses — er, fruit.
