Ocean Mist Farms, a leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., launched proprietary purple artichokes. This newest addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful, seasonal artichoke variety selected for superior flavor and appearance.

For nearly 100 years, Ocean Mist Farms has cultivated superior artichoke varieties in California. Tapping into this experience, it has developed a purple artichoke variety to enjoy alongside the lineup of other Ocean Mist Farms products and its traditional green varieties.

Characteristics of the purple artichokes include a vibrant purple exterior that when cooked transforms to a familiar deep green; the look and flavor of a Mediterranean old-world variety; tender, meaty leaves; and a rich earthy artichoke flavor.

“We are happy to share this new variety of artichokes with our customers,” said Diana McClean, senior director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms. “Not only are they striking in appearance, but we’ve found these artichokes to have a superior texture when steamed, and are as flavorful and meaty as the original Castroville green Globe artichoke.” With this first season, the artichokes are harvesting in 12, 18 and 24 sizes, with a majority being the 18 and 24 size, that will be labeled with a unique tag and company-specific UPC.

Ocean Mist Farms is supporting retail sales for the purple artichokes with a variety of marketing activations centered on the unique variety and short season.

Ocean Mist Farms has launched “Arti’s Summer Romance,” a social media-based promotion that debuts purple artichokes with the introduction of Viola, a promotional purple artichoke mascot to complement Artie, the green artichoke. The social media storyline will unfold over the course of four weeks, starting with their meeting at the bus station upon her arrival in Castroville and then in four subsequent dates around town. Shoppers are invited to comment and like each promotion post for a chance to win a $25 gift card.