On 12/05/2017 15:54, Bod wrote:
On 12/05/2017 15:41, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 12 May 2017 15:05:00 +0100, Stuart Noble wrote:

I'm old enough to remember the joy of new potatoes, Jersey Royals,
Cyprus new, or whatever. Now everything tastes of ****, whether it's
from Waitrose or the farmers' market. The only decent tasting spuds are
frozen mash or McCain's Simply Gorgeous chips. I've grown the most
delicious crop in builders buckets outside my back door, so what's so
bloody difficult?

"Free market", innit ?

1) Driving incentive for farmer is to grow as *much*, as *cheaply* (cf
easily) as possible. Presumably the easiest to grow are the cheapest. And
when you consider trade is by *weight* then the temptation to grow and
sell varieties which hold a lot of water must immense.

2) Thick consumers with zero experience of real taste.

Many years ago, I discovered a gorgeous tomato variety called "SunGold".
It retailed briefly and disappeared from trace. (You can still buy seeds
for it). In it's place we have SunBurst, SunBlush,SunDream all of which
may as well be called "Sun****". I really can't remember the last time I
bought tomatoes *anywhere* in the UK. Even (especially) from "farm
shops". They are universally bland.

I now know why so many European ex-pats in the UK grow their own veg.

And don't get me started about apples......

See above.

Have you noticed that the vast majority of supermarket tomatoes have
*very* thick and tough skins?

Yes, but I think you do better if you buy the not very big, on the vine
ones. The cheap ones might be OK for frying but not much else.

--
Michael Chare

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