Starfruit & The Appearance Of Novel Fruit & Vegetables

[Ermintruder]

I've resisted the temptation to start a new thread, and instead appended to this semi-venerable existing thread. If the mods feel this post merits its own replanting, then so be it.

Oranges: they definitely aren't what they used to be.

By which I mean the fruit, when purchased from supermarket fruit'n'veg sections in UK supermarkets (In my recent specific experience, Scotland/ North & West of England, North Wales).

No comparative purchases have been attempted from greengrocers or fruiterers (is that just a Scottish word? unsure).

Smaller. MUCH less juicy. Bitter. And a lot less vibrantly-orange in colour.

Climatic impacts? Brexit? Global conflicts? Farming methods?

This has been noticeable for a looong time (in my opinion).

But are my fruit-fears shared by other Forteans across the globe?

 

[Mythopoeika]

I've resisted the temptation to start a new thread, and instead appended to this semi-venerable existing thread. If the mods feel this post merits its own replanting, then so be it.

Oranges: they definitely aren't what they used to be.

By which I mean the fruit, when purchased from supermarket fruit'n'veg sections in UK supermarkets (In my recent specific experience, Scotland/ North & West of England, North Wales).

No comparative purchases have been attempted from greengrocers or fruiterers (is that just a Scottish word? unsure).

Smaller. MUCH less juicy. Bitter. And a lot less vibrantly-orange in colour.

Climatic impacts? Brexit? Global conflicts? Farming methods?

This has been noticeable for a looong time (in my opinion).

But are my fruit-fears shared by other Forteans across the globe?

I have also noticed that apples and bananas are not as tasty as they used to be.

 

[kesavaross]

I've all but stopped buying fruit because it is frequently tasteless or goes from not being ripe to rotten in less than a day.

 

[Floyd]

I've all but stopped buying fruit because it is frequently tasteless or goes from not being ripe to rotten in less than a day.

Quality does improve slightly in summer - tomatoes/cucumber etc.

Had some terrible onions, suede and carrots lately, but being winter/spring veg I suppose it's only to be expected here.

 

[Ermintruder]

apples and bananas are not as tasty as they used to be.

Ditto snap. Smaller, drier, less sweet (well, bananas are actually sweeter, in a bad way).

I'm being Deadly serious about this: to the extent that I'll seek-out a proper non-supermarket source of fruit, and do some proper comparisons. I really hope it's not environmentally-driven.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Ditto snap. Smaller, drier, less sweet (well, bananas are actually sweeter, in a bad way).

I'm being Deadly serious about this: to the extent that I'll seek-out a proper non-supermarket source of fruit, and do some proper comparisons. I really hope it's not environmentally-driven.

Marks and Sparks still have the best fruit, for a supermarket.
Their bananas are very good.

 

[Floyd]

Ditto snap. Smaller, drier, less sweet (well, bananas are actually sweeter, in a bad way).

I'm being Deadly serious about this: to the extent that I'll seek-out a proper non-supermarket source of fruit, and do some proper comparisons. I really hope it's not environmentally-driven.

I think you'd need to go to a very good farmshop to be able to do a thorough comparison Erms.

(In my opinion, it is more likely due to transportation methods, the fact that we want produce that's out of season and the amount of water pumped into stuff to extend shelf life - at the cost of taste).

 

[Min Bannister]

No comparative purchases have been attempted from greengrocers or fruiterers (is that just a Scottish word? unsure).

I buy from a greengrocer and haven't noticed this. Much of their fruit and veg is local. Obviously this can't be the case for oranges and bananas but they probably have different suppliers to the supermarkets who tend to monopolise.

 

[Tunn11]

Hybrids F1 and F2 selected to all ripen at the same time, to make harvesting easier, rather than taste.
Also picked before ripe and stored at near freezing.