$400 for one pineapple: The rise of luxury fruit

CNN Business ^ | 05/19/2024 | Danielle Wiener-Bronner

[Bon of Babble]

The Rubyglow pineapple –— bred for its distinctive red exterior and its sweetness — costs $395.99 at Melissa’s Produce.

[Bon of Babble]

Americans have become interested in particular for new fruit varieties in recent years, paying a premium for Honeycrisp apples, Cotton Candy grapes, Sumo Citrus and vertically-grown Japanese strawberries.

[Bon of Babble]

You can have this - or 150 other pineapples.

[Valpal1]

HoneyCrisp are $1/lb where I shop. But I also live in an orcharding county.

[Magnum44]

[politicket]

Americans have become interested in particular for new fruit varieties in recent years, paying a premium for Honeycrisp apples, Cotton Candy grapes, Sumo Citrus and vertically-grown Japanese strawberries.

Japan has been doing this for decades.

[Red Badger]

I eat only grapes that are picked before 9 am on the eastern slopes of an Italian vineyard on a Thursday after a full moon...................

[AndyJackson]

Create something that has a high demand, and the price goes up. Producers respond to the price signal by expanding prooduction. Price goes down. Funny how free markets work.

[mewzilla]

Caveat emptor.

[Bon of Babble]

$50 for these Oishii strawberries (price has since come down).

Other "luxury" fruit"

Honeycrisp apples

Sumo Citrus

Pinkglow Pineapple

[Bon of Babble]

A Fool and his Money.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Pineapples used to be so costly that people would not even buy them. They were rented for your party and sent back the next day.

From what Sorted Foods says these pink pineapples are pretty good but not anywhere worth the price.

In about ten years the price should be down to about 50% above what a normal pineapple costs. I might try it at that point.

[ClearCase_guy]

[mewzilla]

I love capitalism.

And, as my late granny would say, value is relative.

Wonder if those things are taxed...

[devere]

I guess it’s cheaper than a yacht.

[JBW1949]

Anyone that would pay $400 for a pineapple is a fool...I don’t care how rich they are.....

[alstewartfan]

You forgot to add ONLY $400.

[who knows what evil?]

I purchased Sumo for as low as $1.25/each in season...they are super-easy to peel, and are very, very tasty.

[Bon of Babble]

My mother’s family was dirt poor - they said for Christmas, my grandmother would bake a pineapple pie - from “expensive” canned pineapple. For them, that was the height of luxury and they looked forward to it all year long.

[telescope115]

Dole’s in a can is good enough for me.

[4yearlurker]

Is that pineapple or pork roll?