Comments on: Yummy red berries (pt 1) http://johnonfood.com/ingredients/summertime-and-the-berries-are-yummy/ Because some people care what goes in their mouth. Tue, 15 May 2012 18:11:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: John http://johnonfood.com/ingredients/summertime-and-the-berries-are-yummy/#comment-4523 John Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:43:39 +0000 http://johnlikesfood.wordpress.com/?p=25#comment-4523 The ridiculous thing is that it really does seem to be what lots of customers want, I watched a woman in a vegetable shop the other day spending about five minutes carefully selecting potatoes that didn't have "an ugly shape". As for berries, the smell is the clear giveaway. If you can't smell them before you even pick up the packet then they probably aren't worth buying. Kenya, Egypt, etc. is right, but don't forget about Holland. A huge amount of the out of season fruit that we get in Europe is grown there under glass and hydroponically. I don't understand why we can't just eat the fruit that is in season, or preserve it when it is and eat it throughout the year. I would never buy a strawberry in december in Europe, because I know that it is going to be a disappointment. The ridiculous thing is that it really does seem to be what lots of customers want, I watched a woman in a vegetable shop the other day spending about five minutes carefully selecting potatoes that didn’t have “an ugly shape”.

As for berries, the smell is the clear giveaway. If you can’t smell them before you even pick up the packet then they probably aren’t worth buying.

Kenya, Egypt, etc. is right, but don’t forget about Holland. A huge amount of the out of season fruit that we get in Europe is grown there under glass and hydroponically.

I don’t understand why we can’t just eat the fruit that is in season, or preserve it when it is and eat it throughout the year. I would never buy a strawberry in december in Europe, because I know that it is going to be a disappointment.

]]> By: fatbloke http://johnonfood.com/ingredients/summertime-and-the-berries-are-yummy/#comment-4509 fatbloke Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:27:51 +0000 http://johnlikesfood.wordpress.com/?p=25#comment-4509 You'll find that the "all the year round" raspberries in the supermarket, will have come from Kenya, Chile, Egypt, etc etc. They're specially selected strains that look pretty. Because the supermarkets are all about image. It's a similar case for strawberry, apple, etc etc. They sell a lot of tasteless crap, that looks wonderful. Hell, even during the season when they also sell raspberry grown locally (Sussex, Hampshire, etc), they still insist that the growers produce pretty, but tasteless varieties. They always use the same excuse i.e. "it's what the customer wants". Whereas, in reality, it's not so cost effective to provide variety, unless it's "organic", then they use the magic "O" word to bung a few more percentage points on the price. The health freaks think that they're better off paying more..... You’ll find that the “all the year round” raspberries in the supermarket, will have come from Kenya, Chile, Egypt, etc etc.

They’re specially selected strains that look pretty. Because the supermarkets are all about image.

It’s a similar case for strawberry, apple, etc etc. They sell a lot of tasteless crap, that looks wonderful. Hell, even during the season when they also sell raspberry grown locally (Sussex, Hampshire, etc), they still insist that the growers produce pretty, but tasteless varieties.

They always use the same excuse i.e. “it’s what the customer wants”. Whereas, in reality, it’s not so cost effective to provide variety, unless it’s “organic”, then they use the magic “O” word to bung a few more percentage points on the price. The health freaks think that they’re better off paying more…..

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