The Truth About Blue Strawberries

"Blue Strawberry" sounds like a hipster boutique or a trendy new vegan restaurant. But are blue strawberries a real plant that you can grow? The real truth about blue strawberries, according to Snopes, is that they are a hoax that owes their existence, as well as their striking blue color, to Photoshop's "replace color" tool rather than to nature.

You can actually purchase what are purported to be blue strawberry seeds from Amazon, eBay, and other fine e-tailers. Don't be too shocked, though, to see that most of the reviews are on the low side. On an Amazon listing that shockingly received 3.1 stars, you can see a good chunk of these were one-star reviews from those who either did not buy the product and wanted to inform others it was a hoax, people who did buy the seeds and were disappointed when they didn't germinate, and even one reviewer who admitted she must have been drunk when she made the purchase.

Granted, there are some three- and even four-star reviews from hopefuls still waiting for their strawberries to sprout, but the five-star ratings must be from paid reviewers, people wanting a gag gift, or the extremely sarcastic.

There is actually a story circulating which allegedly explains the science behind blue strawberries. Supposedly, they were a type of genetically modified food created when scientists spliced genes from the Arctic flounder (which produces a natural form of anti-freeze) with strawberries in order to create a fruit that would be freeze-resistant and would extend the growing season in colder climates. According to The New York Times, this experiment did actually happen, but there is no evidence at all that the resulting berries were blue nor are any modified seeds, should these still be in existence, readily available to purchase.

So what should you do if you really want blue strawberries? Skip the gene splicing and definitely don't bother ordering seeds, but you could always try your luck with food coloring — or else just brush up on your Photoshop skills. You can also check out our guide for choosing the best strawberries if you're in the mood for the everyday red fruit that actually exists.