Reddit Is Calling These Aldi Strawberries 'The LaCroix Of Strawberries'
If you've visited the Aldi produce section lately, it's likely you've seen a product labeled pineberries that looks for all the world exactly like strawberries that have been dipped in bleach. You may be wondering if they're worth trying, but perhaps you've hesitated to put them in your shopping cart because a) they are kind of weird looking and b) they're also pretty darn pricey. Well, according to a number of Redditors, you might not be missing out on much.
One recent Reddit thread was started by an Aldi shopper who purchased the pineberries and, to their regret, found them to be "absolutely tasteless." Many commenters concurred, with one wit dubbing them "the La Croix of strawberries," presumably because they are trendy, spendy, and really don't taste like much of anything. In pineberries' defense, though, several commenters noted that the ones they'd tried in the past were fairly flavorful, so there was some speculation that the ones the OP had purchased may have simply come from a bad batch. One person felt that the berries were likely harvested too early, while another suggested that they might be tastier if eaten at room temperature.
Pineberries were named for a different fruit
Pineberries are just one of several varieties of white strawberries that have all been bred for their pale color. The reason they tend to be more pinkish than pure white is that they contain trace amounts of the chemical that causes strawberries to turn red. If you're wondering where the name comes from, it seems that these fruits are supposed to taste somewhat like pineapple. You wouldn't know it from the pink strawberries sold at Aldi, though, going by the number of people on social media who are calling them out for their blandness. Trader Joe's pineberries, too, have been judged and found wanting.
Pineberries aren't particularly rare, nor does Aldi have a monopoly on them as they can also be found at Costco, Trader Joe's, Walmart, and other grocery chains. They're still fairly expensive, however, due to being trickier to grow than the red kind. While many disappointed purchasers feel that $6 to $7 per box is too much to pay for something so bland and un-pineappleish, one YouTube reviewer had a different experience with a single white strawberry purchased in Japan for about $10. This was no pineberry, however, but a rare shiroi houseki (white gem) strawberry that the YouTuber found to be delightfully sweet and yes, distinctly pineapple-ish in flavor. Basically everything the pineberry is supposed to be, only at a far higher price. Sounds lovely but too rich for our blood. So we'll be sticking with standard red strawberries for now.