Is fruit a load of crap now?

[CoolHands]

It’s all garbage. Even if I buy ‘The Best’ oranges or whatever they still taste like st. Bland / watery / tasteless. And an epidemic of short dates too from all major supermarkets.

I’m sure over population will be brought up etc but I don’t agree, it’s just utter crap where big farming is making as much as possible I assume under polytunnels as quick as possible and it’s junk

[Caddyshack]

Maybe seek out farm shops as opposed to supermarkets.

[Panamax]

Such are the perils of vegetarianism.

[AlexC1981]

Give up sugar and sweet foods for two weeks and all fruit will taste incredible.

[Forester1965]

It's why a get my 5 a day from Haribo, now.

[Dingu]

CoolHands said:

I’m sure over population will be brought up etc but I don’t agree, it’s just utter crap where big farming is making as much as possible I assume under polytunnels as quick as possible and it’s junk

How else are they meant to cater to so many people who want all their food all year regardless of seasonality or the practicality of producing it?

[Silvanus]

Caddyshack said:

Maybe seek out farm shops as opposed to supermarkets.

Farm shop oranges won't really be any different to supermarket oranges, other than being more expensive. Good farm shops selling local produce are getting rarer.

[e600]

Apples, oranges and grapes from Costco are delicious. Supermarkets fruit is bland.

[Evanivitch]

Just wait till October, then you'll be in for a shock...

[Mobile Chicane]

You can still get great fruit. Just not from supermarkets.

You need to deal with the wholesalers.

[Turn7]

Mobile Chicane said:

You can still get great fruit. Just not from supermarkets.

You need to deal with the wholesalers.

Whilst that may be true. How does a couple manage to bit quality produce ?

The supers are selling very poor quality these days, a lot
Of the “farm shops” are not any near as “artisan” or “”local “ as they pretend to be….

We’ve tried growing our own, but for just two of us , it’s either feast or famine .

We eat a lot of mushrooms peppers and onions , and it’s getting harder and harder to buy genuinly fresh decent quality produce .

[Mobile Chicane]

Turn7 said:

Mobile Chicane said:

You can still get great fruit. Just not from supermarkets.

You need to deal with the wholesalers.

Whilst that may be true. How does a couple manage to bit quality produce ?

The supers are selling very poor quality these days, a lot
Of the “farm shops” are not any near as “artisan” or “”local “ as they pretend to be….

We’ve tried growing our own, but for just two of us , it’s either feast or famine .

We eat a lot of mushrooms peppers and onions , and it’s getting harder and harder to buy genuinly fresh decent quality produce .

I'd ask around, in your local fresh food pubs, where they get their supplies from. There are two local to me (Surrey) which primarily supply the catering trade but also have a retail presence.

Also any local veg box suppliers? Riverford is (I think) all mouth and no trousers, expensive for what it is, but there are others.

[andyA700]

The only time we can buy consistently good flavoured fruit is when we go to France. Apart from that, we forage quite a lot, so can get cobnuts and walnuts from Spetember/October and stuff like plums, damsons, apples, quince, blackberries, wild strawberries and mullberries from July/August.

[Jamescrs]

I#ve been buying fruit from a greengrocer for the last couple of weeks on the basis I assumed it would be better than a supermarket, so far it isn't and seems to go bad faster too.

[YorkshireStu]

I’m in South Africa now and my girlfriend has commented how much nicer - and more varied - the fruit is here.

Far better quality.

[sherman]

Buy fruit thats in season.
Apples have been in the shed since last year.
Oranges will be much the same but in a fridge
Soft fruit will be from Egypt or further afield. Its just never as tasty as british for whatever reason.

At this time of year frozen or canned fruit is actually good as it was frozen or canned back in the summer so it is processed when its freshest.

The only fruit thats in season right now is Yorkshire Rhubarb. Bright red stalks with small leaves.

[Forester1965]

Ultimately we're paying the price of voting with our feet and choosing price and convenience. The supermarkets rule the roost now and the greengrocers that used to be on every high street are no more.

[Caddyshack]

Silvanus said:

Caddyshack said:

Maybe seek out farm shops as opposed to supermarkets.

Farm shop oranges won't really be any different to supermarket oranges, other than being more expensive. Good farm shops selling local produce are getting rarer.

the farm shop near use has very different fruit to the supermarkets, they tend to have a lot more out size or "normal" shaped fruit, I cannot say I have done a blind taste test though.

They grow a lot of their own produce although I expect not much fruit.

I know a lady who has a cool range of cars so asked her what she did - she is the largest grower of strawberries in the UK and has 600 employees....

[Silvanus]

Caddyshack said:

Silvanus said:

Caddyshack said:

Maybe seek out farm shops as opposed to supermarkets.

Farm shop oranges won't really be any different to supermarket oranges, other than being more expensive. Good farm shops selling local produce are getting rarer.

the farm shop near use has very different fruit to the supermarkets, they tend to have a lot more out size or "normal" shaped fruit, I cannot say I have done a blind taste test though.

They grow a lot of their own produce although I expect not much fruit.

I know a lady who has a cool range of cars so asked her what she did - she is the largest grower of strawberries in the UK and has 600 employees....

But does she grow oranges

[otolith]

Forester1965 said:

Ultimately we're paying the price of voting with our feet and choosing price and convenience. The supermarkets rule the roost now and the greengrocers that used to be on every high street are no more.

Asian groceries tend to have pretty good fruit and veg, though.