By Clint Thompson
More than three years after the pineberry started gaining traction as popular Florida-produced berry, interest in the specialty crop continues to grow, according to Wish Farms Director of Marketing Amber Maloney.
“We love growing the pineberries. We see excitement on the retailer side, still,” Maloney said. “When we first introduced it, it was something brand new. It got a lot of buzz. We did a big media push to consumers and to trade. Now we’ve found our groove with what makes sense as far as acreage to grow and how best to market the crop. We’ve got pineberries out of Florida starting in December, and we’ll take it through March.”
Florida Pearl
The Florida Pearl, also known as the white strawberry and also known as pineberry, provides a hint of pineapple aroma when it is bitten. The white strawberry’s origin at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) dates to 2012 when strawberry seeds from Japan were sown at the University of Florida. A few small plants recovered.
UF/IFAS strawberry breeder Vance Whitaker introduced the pineberry with about 12 trial acres in 2020. It grew to about 200 the following year and continues to garner interest as a specialty item. Wish Farms produces a plethora of berry crops, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Maloney believes strawberry enthusiasts will enjoy the pineberry.
“We don’t see pineberries replacing the strawberry. We see it more as a specialty item, and what we’ve found is that people are going to buy strawberries. Berry buyers are going to buy strawberries every time they go to the grocery store. It’s a staple item in the grocery cart,” Maloney said. “Pineberries are more of a specialty item. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s intriguing. They’re picking it up along with their strawberries.”