Del Monte’s new pineapple, named Rubyglow for its scarlet outer shell, just became available in the U.S. – but it will cost fruit lovers around $400 to get a taste of this limited supply treat.
Melissa’s is selling the Costa Rica-grown pineapples for $395.99 before shipping.
Inside their deep rouge casing, Rubyglow pineapples have bright yellow flesh that has a distinct sweet flavor, according to a press release from Del Monte, a California-based food production and distribution company. It said they were created as a cross between a traditional pineapple and a Morada variety.
Development of the Rubyglow took more than 15 years and each pineapple takes two years to grow. Only a few thousand of the registered plant patent Rubyglows will be produced this year. They were first sold in China and “promoted a global waitlist,” said Del Monte.
These pineapples will be available nationwide through select regional grocers and online from specialty produce retailers, the company explained. They are marketed as “designer” fruit to appeal to high-end customers.
“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,” said Melissa Mackay, Fresh Del Monte’s Vice President of Marketing, North America.
Other designer pineapples from Del Monte include Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet Pineapples, Honeyglow pineapples, Pinkglow pineapples and Del Monte Zero carbon neutral pineapples.
“Agriculture scientists and produce companies are constantly trying to innovate, to improve their plants and tantalize the public,” according to Axios. Other recently created fruits include a thorn-less blackberry, “Yellow Submarine” yellow tomatoes and something called the Luna avocado.
While the Rubyglow is pretty pricey at nearly $400, it isn’t actually the most expensive pineapple out there, according to a Delish report from last April on the world’s most expensive fruits. That would be the Cornwall’s Lost Gardens of Heligan pineapple, grown in the Southwestern part of England.
Each of those sell for around $15,000 each.
Delish also reported that single bunches of Ruby Roman grapes sell for $90 to $450 and that Taiyo No Tamago Mangos (also known as Miyazaki Mangos) sell for between $50 and $3,600 each. Fruits that sell for over $100 include Japanese Yubari King melons ($200), Japanese square watermelons ($100), and Densuke watermelons ($250).