Tasteless American fruit and Veg. - The Firearms Forum

TranterUK · 05-21-2009, 09:54 AM

As some here know, I am a supporter of the United States. I have spent time in, worked with and have friends there. So my comment is meant to inform, not to criticize.

I thought you may be interested to know its often said while no fruit and vegetables are better looking than American ones, they have little or no flavour. Its thought the attention placed on size and appearance has taken president over flavour.

ampaterry · 05-21-2009, 10:20 AM

I take no offense, and agree fully if we are speaking of what you buy in the stores. Agrabusiness has adopted a maximum-profit outlook that concentrates on ability to SHIP and GOOD LOOKS over what it tastes like when you get it home.
If one raises their own, or buys from small individual growers in those marvelous little back-of-the-pickup kind of things, the situation is very different indeed.

If you HAVE to buy in stores, we find Sam's Club to have the best quality produce.

ampaterry · 05-21-2009, 10:28 AM

Perception is a MUCH larger thing than many people realize.

Six months ago, my wife and I rode horses through an eco-park in Belize. The guides spoke about how the natives valued the Iguana for meat to the point that it was spoken of as 'Jungle chicken'.

At the conclusion of the ride, they had prepared a FABULOUS meal for us which included some wonderful baked chicken.
I swear, 75% of the people threw the chicken away because they did 'not like Iguana'.

My iguana was very good.
Especially the breast and wings.

Pistolenschutze · 05-21-2009, 10:31 AM

To a great extent, you are quite correct, Tranter. The emphasis of the growers and importers here is often--as you say--on appearance and on mass production. Many of the varieties grown are chosen for their ability to survive transport to market, rather on flavor. That is precisely why I grow my own vegetables in the summer.

TranterUK · 05-21-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

To a great extent, you are quite correct, Tranter.

I must be clear, I am not passing judgement, my own experience is very limited both in region and range.

I can say I have bought American Washington Red apples, that look amazing, and taste a little like raw potato. My daughter recently in Florida remarked the strawberries were the biggest she had ever seen, and were pretty much without any flavour.

I guess as ampaterry said, it's best to find smaller local producers.

ampaterry · 05-21-2009, 10:56 AM

Tranter, speaking of differences in food between our respective countries -

Why do you call those things 'bangers'?
The first time I heard that term was in one of the GREAT James Harriot books, in which they refered to a dish as 'bangers and mash'.
I had visions of some kind of bean soup, named for the gastric results - -

TranterUK · 05-21-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampaterry

Tranter, speaking of differences in food between our respective countries -

Why do you call those things 'bangers'?

A banger is just a slang name for a sausage. Some explode if not pricked before frying. Mash is mashed potato.

ampaterry · 05-21-2009, 11:49 AM

Now THAT makes sense to me -

Thank you!

pinecone70 · 05-21-2009, 11:50 AM

I was raised in the country and we had our own produce and meat, both lamb and beef. Nothing in the real world tastes like anything we had, and I'm sure it has been worsened over the years with chemical additives, unfortunately. Now I live in a small town and grow peas and tomatoes, which are still better than store-bought.

The absolute best thing was my grandmother's wild blueberry pie. I have not enjoyed any blueberry pie since. It's such a shame.

fmacsin1 · 05-21-2009, 12:54 PM

It is true, it is better to buy from a small vendor. Not only are our vegetables grown to look good, they are picked far too early to ripen on where ever it is they are shipped to! Keep buying from the small farmer.

Pistolenschutze · 05-21-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinecone70

The absolute best thing was my grandmother's wild blueberry pie. I have not enjoyed any blueberry pie since. It's such a shame.

Pie made with wild berries of just about any kind is heavenly, Pine.

Before we moved to Colorado, we used to make at least one trip out on the Delta each summer that was devoted exclusively to picking wild blackberries. They grow all over the San Joaquin Delta, but the really good berries can only be reached by boat. We'd pick buckets of them, bring them home, make a pie or two, then turn the rest into the best blackberry jam you ever tasted.

olmossbak · 05-21-2009, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TranterUK

Its thought the attention placed on size and appearance has taken president over flavour.

For 37 years I have been telling my wife that size and appearance are not the only indicators of quality.

You have been waiting for this response haven't you?

TranterUK · 05-21-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olmossbak

For 37 years I have been telling my wife that size and appearance are not the only indicators of quality.

You have been waiting for this response haven't you?

Oh yes, that's the one. Only I have only been telling my wife for 20 years.

kutaho · 05-21-2009, 08:11 PM

the problem is with fast grown green house fruits and veggie's grown with chemicals instead of good old fashioned soil. i've been an organic grower all my life, a family thing, and the difference between what we grow as opposed to what you buy in the store isn't even comparable.

kutaho · 05-21-2009, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinecone70

I was raised in the country and we had our own produce and meat, both lamb and beef. Nothing in the real world tastes like anything we had, and I'm sure it has been worsened over the years with chemical additives, unfortunately. Now I live in a small town and grow peas and tomatoes, which are still better than store-bought.

The absolute best thing was my grandmother's wild blueberry pie. I have not enjoyed any blueberry pie since. It's such a shame.

With my grandmother it was strawberry rhubarb.YUM!

Islandboy · 05-21-2009, 09:02 PM

Tranter the same is especially true of U.S. Lamb being tasteless Vs. NZ Lamb.
On the other hand, don't eat Beef in the U.K. it is grass fed making it tough and tasteless. U.S. corn fed is King.
By the way, why is there no prime rib or filet cut sold in Tesco ? is it because the Cows don't have 'em or do they use it for Minced beef?
When I ask a brit butcher for Either, and then say i'm wanting 12-16 lbs They look horrified. I rotis 16 lb boneless prime rib as a rule!!

Pistolenschutze · 05-21-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Islandboy

On the other hand, don't eat Beef in the U.K. it is grass fed making it tough and tasteless.

The secret about British beef IB, is that it isn't grown to be eaten. The British government contracts for most of it to be used as arresting cables on their aircraft carriers.

olmossbak · 05-22-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

The secret about British beef IB, is that it isn't grown to be eaten. The British government contracts for most of it to be used as arresting cables on their aircraft carriers.

Harsh! But funny

I have had some really good steaks in UK eateries. I remember a little cafe in Brighton that sold particularly good Scottish beef. One of my favorite Italian restaurants is also in Brighton, The Latin in the Laines, in case you get a chance to drop by.

I was doing extensive travel to the UK during the BSE scare and beef became quite difficult to find, not that I was looking. That's when I also tried some excellent lamb and seafood.

Most of our fruits and veggies are treated to make them all ripen simultaneously which means that they only appear to be ripe. They are also treated with all sorts of fungicides, heavily irrigated and cross bred to be large, lovely, withstand shipping and produce very high yields. All of this comes at the expense of flavor.

Those that live in the SE, and mayby elsewhere, will find wild strawberries growing in their lawns, if they are a lazy gardener as I. They are very small, ususally no larger than a large pea and are very tart. The upside is an intense strawberry flavor that you can smell when picked. That is what we have lost to obtain beautiful, large, robust fruit that ripens when we want to harvest on schedule.

At least it is relatively inexpensive and there is plenty of it.

pawn · 05-22-2009, 08:21 PM

I agree that beef (even burgers) in the UK is a "bit off". At the same time, UK bacon is sublime. Most of the food available over there is very nice... excluding stuff like haggis, blood sausage, blood pudding etc....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

The secret about British beef IB, is that it isn't grown to be eaten. The British government contracts for most of it to be used as arresting cables on their aircraft carriers.

pawn · 05-22-2009, 08:24 PM

+1

Horray for wild blueberry pie. I used to have to pick a whole lot of wild blueberrys to make a pie. It was worth it.

Rubarb pie is wonderful and it's alot easier to pick the rubarb

Quote:

Originally Posted by kutaho

With my grandmother it was strawberry rhubarb.YUM!

Suwannee Tim · 05-24-2009, 07:36 AM

You used to be able to get the most wonderful oranges here in Florida. Of course you could, this is where they grow them! Now you go to the farmer's market and the only thing they have for sale is garbage. The best oranges are trucked or flown far away, the transportation costs of this are high and it makes no sense to do it with anything but the best produce. You go to the grocery store and they have beautiful oranges, from California or Mexico, expensive (transportation costs again) but beautiful. Take 'em home and peel them, first thing you notice is the peel is 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. The orange is 35% peel. This thick peel is desirable to make them more rugged and resistant to rough handling. And they are bland. Beautiful but bland. Gee thanks. I guess this is progress.

kutaho · 05-24-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suwannee Tim

You used to be able to get the most wonderful oranges here in Florida. Of course you could, this is where they grow them! Now you go to the farmer's market and the only thing they have for sale is garbage. The best oranges are trucked or flown far away, the transportation costs of this are high and it makes no sense to do it with anything but the best produce. You go to the grocery store and they have beautiful oranges, from California or Mexico, expensive (transportation costs again) but beautiful. Take 'em home and peel them, first thing you notice is the peel is 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. The orange is 35% peel. This thick peel is desirable to make them more rugged and resistant to rough handling. And they are bland. Beautiful but bland. Gee thanks. I guess this is progress.

You can thank our trade agreement for that, what is it called, NAFTA?

pinecone70 · 05-24-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suwannee Tim

You used to be able to get the most wonderful oranges here in Florida.

I always looked forward to getting honeybell oranges, those were the greatest I've ever tasted but they can be in short supply at times.

carver · 05-24-2009, 09:15 AM

The very reasons I have planted my own fruit trees!

olmossbak · 05-24-2009, 10:49 AM

The very best lemons I ever had came from a tree in my daughter's landlady's back yard in New Orleans. It was huge and had survived Katrina. The lady said that the tree was volunteer growth from some fruit they had thrown out there and had been fertilized by their dogs. I am surprised that the seeds germinated as most are so hybirdized that they won't.

Large, thin skin, tart with a pronounced lemony flavor.

05-21-2009, 09:54 AM	#1
TranterUK Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 5,103	Tasteless American fruit and Veg. As some here know, I am a supporter of the United States. I have spent time in, worked with and have friends there. So my comment is meant to inform, not to criticize. I thought you may be interested to know its often said while no fruit and vegetables are better looking than American ones, they have little or no flavour. Its thought the attention placed on size and appearance has taken president over flavour. __________________ DVC - Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas - Accuracy, Power, Speed. The light at the end of the recession tunnel IS a train coming the other way! --> Last edited by TranterUK; 05-21-2009 at 09:57 AM..

05-21-2009, 10:20 AM	#2
ampaterry TFF Admin Staff Chaplain Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: West Tennessee Contributor Posts: 6,291	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. I take no offense, and agree fully if we are speaking of what you buy in the stores. Agrabusiness has adopted a maximum-profit outlook that concentrates on ability to SHIP and GOOD LOOKS over what it tastes like when you get it home. If one raises their own, or buys from small individual growers in those marvelous little back-of-the-pickup kind of things, the situation is very different indeed. If you HAVE to buy in stores, we find Sam's Club to have the best quality produce. __________________ A woman who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel Sanders. Larry Elder

05-21-2009, 10:28 AM	#3
ampaterry TFF Admin Staff Chaplain Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: West Tennessee Contributor Posts: 6,291	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. Perception is a MUCH larger thing than many people realize. Six months ago, my wife and I rode horses through an eco-park in Belize. The guides spoke about how the natives valued the Iguana for meat to the point that it was spoken of as 'Jungle chicken'. At the conclusion of the ride, they had prepared a FABULOUS meal for us which included some wonderful baked chicken. I swear, 75% of the people threw the chicken away because they did 'not like Iguana'. My iguana was very good. Especially the breast and wings. __________________ A woman who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel Sanders. Larry Elder

05-21-2009, 10:31 AM	#4
Pistolenschutze Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 13,094	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. To a great extent, you are quite correct, Tranter. The emphasis of the growers and importers here is often--as you say--on appearance and on mass production. Many of the varieties grown are chosen for their ability to survive transport to market, rather on flavor. That is precisely why I grow my own vegetables in the summer. __________________ --Pistolenschutze (Pistol Shooter)

05-21-2009, 10:56 AM	#6
ampaterry TFF Admin Staff Chaplain Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: West Tennessee Contributor Posts: 6,291	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. Tranter, speaking of differences in food between our respective countries - Why do you call those things 'bangers'? The first time I heard that term was in one of the GREAT James Harriot books, in which they refered to a dish as 'bangers and mash'. I had visions of some kind of bean soup, named for the gastric results - - __________________ A woman who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel Sanders. Larry Elder

05-21-2009, 11:49 AM	#8
ampaterry TFF Admin Staff Chaplain Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: West Tennessee Contributor Posts: 6,291	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. Now THAT makes sense to me - Thank you! __________________ A woman who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel Sanders. Larry Elder

05-21-2009, 11:50 AM	#9
pinecone70 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Minnesota Gal! Posts: 4,730	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. I was raised in the country and we had our own produce and meat, both lamb and beef. Nothing in the real world tastes like anything we had, and I'm sure it has been worsened over the years with chemical additives, unfortunately. Now I live in a small town and grow peas and tomatoes, which are still better than store-bought. The absolute best thing was my grandmother's wild blueberry pie. I have not enjoyed any blueberry pie since. It's such a shame. __________________ _____________________________________________ "Miss Scarlet, in the library...with a revolver...."

05-21-2009, 12:54 PM	#10
fmacsin1 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Moosehead Lake, Maine Posts: 433	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. It is true, it is better to buy from a small vendor. Not only are our vegetables grown to look good, they are picked far too early to ripen on where ever it is they are shipped to! Keep buying from the small farmer.

05-21-2009, 08:11 PM	#14
kutaho Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Peoples Republic of the Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,852	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. the problem is with fast grown green house fruits and veggie's grown with chemicals instead of good old fashioned soil. i've been an organic grower all my life, a family thing, and the difference between what we grow as opposed to what you buy in the store isn't even comparable. __________________ No man stands in the same river twice If all else fails grab a rock Mi Taku oyasin

05-21-2009, 09:02 PM	#16
Islandboy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Off the right coast Posts: 676	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. Tranter the same is especially true of U.S. Lamb being tasteless Vs. NZ Lamb. On the other hand, don't eat Beef in the U.K. it is grass fed making it tough and tasteless. U.S. corn fed is King. By the way, why is there no prime rib or filet cut sold in Tesco ? is it because the Cows don't have 'em or do they use it for Minced beef? When I ask a brit butcher for Either, and then say i'm wanting 12-16 lbs They look horrified. I rotis 16 lb boneless prime rib as a rule!! __________________ A politician can do only that which the law provides,but, a private citizen can do anything that the law does not prohibit. -AR. When they came and got me, I went Peaceful.

05-24-2009, 07:36 AM	#21
Suwannee Tim Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,227	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. You used to be able to get the most wonderful oranges here in Florida. Of course you could, this is where they grow them! Now you go to the farmer's market and the only thing they have for sale is garbage. The best oranges are trucked or flown far away, the transportation costs of this are high and it makes no sense to do it with anything but the best produce. You go to the grocery store and they have beautiful oranges, from California or Mexico, expensive (transportation costs again) but beautiful. Take 'em home and peel them, first thing you notice is the peel is 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. The orange is 35% peel. This thick peel is desirable to make them more rugged and resistant to rough handling. And they are bland. Beautiful but bland. Gee thanks. I guess this is progress.

05-24-2009, 09:15 AM	#24
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,288	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. The very reasons I have planted my own fruit trees! __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

05-24-2009, 10:49 AM	#25
olmossbak V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NE Tenn Posts: 212	Re: Tasteless American fruit and Veg. The very best lemons I ever had came from a tree in my daughter's landlady's back yard in New Orleans. It was huge and had survived Katrina. The lady said that the tree was volunteer growth from some fruit they had thrown out there and had been fertilized by their dogs. I am surprised that the seeds germinated as most are so hybirdized that they won't. Large, thin skin, tart with a pronounced lemony flavor.