Fresh Veg

that's why lots of people use farm shops now, more expensive but much nicer. I also have 2 friends with large gardens so I get fresh fruit and veg regularly and I don't care what they look like but they taste lovely.

Part of the problem about the flavour of fruit and vegetables bought from supermarkets is the variety on offer. Tomatoes, in particular, are chosen because they are robust enough to withstand the wear and tear of transportation and storage - some of them can probably be bounced on the floor without splitting. The varieties are also selected because they produce attractive looking fruit - evenly round, red and uniform in size. Flavour is the last consideration, if it's considered at all. These sorts of criteria are applied across the board. As a result, several hundred varieties of English apples are no longer produced because they do not conform to the supermarkets' requirements, although they may be exactly what the customer wants.

We are lucky enough to have a good market and a farm shop/pick your own so lots of good seasonal produce. Looking forward to Cox's, mmmmm

I by organic food. Last year I was buying peaches, apricots and nectarines. This year haven't seen any.

I try to shop at my local market or in fairly nearby fruit and veg shops. Always much cheaper than supermarkets. I do find that it has to be eaten quite quickly. I bought some doughnut peaches in Morrisons. They were supposed to ripen at home but they are both hard and beginning to rot. I give Morrison their due as most of their fruit and veg is good quality.
Looking forward to English apples - Cox's especially. Lovely with a good cheddar. The market had Victoria plums last week but I didn't buy any 'cos I had enough fruit at home.

English apples will be on the shelves soon.Looking forward to a nice fresh ripe Cox.It's a shame that too many are sold before they should be. When we lived in Norfolk they told us that Coxes shouldn't be picked before Halloween,

Even here, in SW France the summer fruits are becoming tasteless, or quickly going mouldy. Most of the fruit & veg. in our supermarkets are locally grown in the summer.
Our own produce is finished or past its best.
I have heard that not far from here there are huge refrigerated units where they store fresh produce and keep it at a constant temperature for months.
Eventually sending it out to shops where the shelf life is very short.

I bought a net of easy peelers from waitrose on Sunday. Today two of them were mouldy. Our waitrose deliver is dreadful. Short bb dates and fruit and veg that's either I ripe or goes off quickly. Fat too many substitutions as well. We have sainsburys opening next month, I'll try them

I just ate a Waitrose nectarine and I must say it was very nice.

Lidl's Italian peaches were superb a couple of years ago but haven't seen any as good since.

It is all a bit inconsistent. You would think that M&S would be good quality, but I bought a butternut squash from there; when I went to use it about three days later my fingers went straight into it. Squishy and Yuck! (they did give me a refund, I asked on principle).

Grumpy Waitrose is my nearest and they are no better re taste or fruit ripe one minute and soggy and disgusting the next.

Well!! Blasted iPad!

We'll buggar beggar me so it has!

Grumpy have you got a farm shop selling local produce near you?
Perhaps it may taste and keep better if it has not travelled so far.

Aka - I swear it's got an 'e'. not an 'a'.

I never knew that (not that I ever write or type it of course)

The leaves on my chard all have big holes in, so we are only eating the stalks, steamed or in stir-frys.

www.taste.com.au/recipes/5546/zucchini+slice

This is a good courgette recipe (I used gf flour, it takes up more moisture).

Our local greengrocers in the village is pretty good, and much of what they sell is local.
Lidl's produce is o.k. Agree about big packets though. But left with a lot of carrots recently I decided to make carrot and coriander soup and it was gorgeous.
I do like the vine tomatoes that they sell in supermarkets. And organic mushrooms are tasty.

The fruit and veg in our local Co-op is always quite tasty.

We don't have a greengrocer's in our town any more, but DN buys from her local greengrocer and that tastes superior to the supermarket veg.

Hello all, yes I am a newbie, sorry should have made that clear. Thanks for the glut advice, I will check out the recipe section. Something is eating my beetroot - any suggestions how to - ahem - foil them?

It is good to see that a lot of other people dislike the unripe, tasteless fruit that we get. I only tried Aldi once and was not impressed - maybe a bad day? We have no waitrose in the area so can't try that. Maybe I should try Sainsburys but have always found them expensive.
As for excess produce in big bags. anyone thought of using the excess for making smoothies. Banana cake is good too and carrot cake!
As far as ripening at home I will reiterate my question of earlier. How many vital nutrients are we missing by not getting properly ripened fruit and veg?

We trust you to know Jing we don't know the word!

buggers

Aka - I swear it's got an 'e'. not an 'a'.

I don't believe you can ripen fruit at home. Surely to ripen, it has to be on the tree getting sustenance. Doesn't home-ripening on the windowsill just mean, beginning to spoil?