It still has a similar shape to the regular strawberry, but the sky-blue strawberry has a truly distinct and striking color. In fact, its color often raises concerns among many people, wondering if they have been treated with chemicals or artificially colored.
In reality, these strawberries have been genetically modified with a special gene – the Anti-Freeze Protein (AFP) gene from Arctic flounder fish. As a result, the color of the strawberries has been altered.
This particular gene helps the Arctic flounder fish produce an antifreeze protein to protect itself in cold water environments. Therefore, when this gene is introduced into the sky-blue strawberry variety, the fruit can withstand longer periods under normal weather conditions, without quickly becoming soft, rotten, or spoiled like traditional strawberries.
In addition to their unique color, sky-blue strawberries also have a longer shelf life compared to red or yellow strawberries when stored and transported.
Furthermore, storing strawberries at low temperatures, although keeping them fresh for longer, can affect their flavor. Therefore, scientists aim to create a variety of strawberries that remain fragrant and delicious even when stored in cold conditions.
Despite storing them in refrigerators or coolers at low temperatures, these unique sky-blue strawberries still retain their taste.
Like other types of strawberries, they are grown from seeds. However, the widespread availability of this unique fruit and its seeds in the market is still limited.
The appearance of the sky-blue strawberries is still being studied, bred, and perfected before they are widely released for sale in the future.
The interior of the sky-blue strawberry also has a fascinating green color.