Pineberries are ancient fruits whose taste resembles a combination of the ones of pineapples and bubblegums.

They are actually strawberries, but have white flesh and red seeds, and represent an improved version of the original South American strawberry, reintroduced into the market highlighting their pineapple flavor.

Just like the modern Garden Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa), the pineberry is a hybrid of the wild South American strawberry Fragaria chiloensis, which grows wild in some parts of Chile, and the North American strawberry Fragaria virginiana.  It is the result of cross-breeding, but it is not a GMO food.

Pineberries come from the original Chilean strawberry stocks that still remained with some European breeders.

The breeding program started about ten years ago, and they were first introduced on April Fools’ Day, 2010. Yet, even though they were well received, most people thought them to be a joke.

However, numerous people are now becoming interested in growing pineberries at home, due to their unique taste and flavor.

If you have experience in growing regular strawberries, you will find the cultivation of these fruits easy and simple. Yet, it would be best to get a hold of bare-root plants or plants created from runners.

In order to produce the largest possible crop of the distinct white fruits, you should have a pollinator strawberry in close proximity.

Make sure you have a regular strawberry plant for every four plants, for pollination purposes.  The early results show that the Sonata variety is generally the best pollinator for pineberries, and specifically the Natural Albino variety.

Also, note that since they are a hybrid, you cannot grow them from seeds.

These delicious fruits are best consumed as quickly as possible after purchasing or harvesting them. You can keep them for a few days in a cool location, and 3 days in a refrigerator.

To prevent the fruits from bruising, spread them across a larger surface area. You can also freeze them and add them to various recipes afterward.

Sources:
mysticalraven.com
strawberryplants.org
www.specialfruit.com