The History of Pineapples (Part 2) - The History of Fresh Produce

The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly

The pineapple may have begun as a rare curiosity from the tropics, but by the 18th century, it had become a symbol of imperial power, elite refinement, and national rivalry. In this second and final part of their journey into the history of the world’s most flamboyant fruit, John and Patrick explore the height of pineapple mania in Georgian Britain, where aristocrats competed to grow the perfect specimen in lavish “pineries,” often at extraordinary cost. Possessing a pineapple was no longer just a sign of wealth - it was a performance of dominance, control, and taste.

But the fruit’s story didn’t end in the hothouses of Surrey. As tensions simmered between Britain and its American colonies, the pineapple -by now appearing in colonial door frames, tableware, and rebellion-fueled satire - played an unexpected supporting role in the growing transatlantic divide.

By the 19th century, technological innovations transformed the fruit from rarefied luxury to household staple, while industrial canning and the rise of plantation production brought pineapples into the homes of an emerging American middle class.

From the lush fields of Florida to the imperial fantasies projected onto Hawaii, the pineapple was reshaped, rebranded, and ultimately reborn as a golden icon of tropical abundance. But behind its sunny image lay a legacy of labor, land seizure, and corporate control. And just when it seemed the fresh pineapple had been lost to a syrupy tin, it made a glittering comeback with the launch of the Gold Pineapple, engineered for sweetness, shelf life, and spectacle.

Join John and Patrick for the extraordinary conclusion of the pineapple’s global odyssey - one of science, scandal, colonial ambition, and the enduring power of fruit to shape empires.

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In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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