"US: Cornell release darkest strawberry yet - "Purple Wonder"
The Purple Wonder strawberry is being produced through a licensing agreement with seed company, W. Atlee Burpee Co.
“Purple Wonder is sweet and aromatic, with outstanding strawberry flavour,” said Courtney Weber, Cornell small fruits breeder and associate professor of horticulture. “But the colour is something you won’t be able to find in any grocery store.”
Patience is needed to enjoy the berry in its distinctive colour. First it emerges white, then turns red an ripens to intense burgundy.
“The colour develops all the way through the fruit, which might surprise consumers accustomed to supermarket fruit with color mostly on the surface,” said Weber. “And letting the fruit ripen on the plant just makes the berries sweeter.”
Burpee’s lead horticulturist Grace Romero approached Weber last March, looking for something new to offer berry growers. The variety was already prepared for market, having been selected by Weber in 1999 and evaluated by growers in three states.
Jessica Lyga, the Plant Varieties and Germplasm Licensing Associate for the Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise and Commercialization, said a plant patent will be filed for Purple Wonder later this year.
Source: blog.syracuse.com