Usually UK supermarkets are very fussy about the shape of the fruit and vegetables that they sell and reject any blemished or misshapen items. There have been over the years campaigns to try and change this, because after all a misshapen carrot tastes just the same as a straight carrot. There would be a lot less food going to waste if supermarkets weren't so judgemental about the cosmetic appearance of fruit and veg!
Well, where canpaigning has failed, it seems that the unusally cold Spring that we had this year may have succeeded. According to this article, supermarkets in the UK have started to sell more fruit and veg that is “good quality
but cosmetically imperfect".
Independent retailers, specially those that specialise in organic produce, have long been happier to sell ugly fruit and veg. Real Foods, an organic grocers in Edinburgh likes ugly fruit so much that it has even opened a photo competition to find the ugliest or funniest examples of fruit. You have until 6 October to send in your photos for a chance to win a Real Foods Goodie Bag.
Crafty Green Boyfriend's parents have a couple of apple trees in their garden. Any supermarket would describe the fruits of these trees as ugly, but their cooking apples make a wonderful apple crumble (with added cinnamon and raisins) and the eating apples are just about the only apples I actually really like to eat raw.
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8 comments:
nothing wrong with it,normal I find it tastes better
Hi Juliet,
Have read about fruit and vegetables over in the UK,not been in the shops if they are not perfect.
Here we do not seem to worry much as sometimes you see crooked carrots or other fruit and vegetables and they just taste as good.
Happy weekend
hugs
Carolyn
I'll have a rake through our fruit n veg box to see what I can find.
I suppose much of the ugly fruits and vegetable that get in a market are grown by more-or-less small/hobby farmers. Here, for example, we just watched a commercial farm harvest about 80 acres of broccoli. The pickers trim it to look nice and it goes right into the shipping boxes as they work through the field, row by row. The trimmings and all the plant roots and leaves just stay in the field and get plowed under to help the soil.
that's a very good point Rabbits' Guy! Supermaarkets find it easier to deal with big farmers too,
Sure why not, it all taste the same. The apple crumb sounds delicious.
Have a happy weekend!
Most interesting Juliet. They sell what they call "Ugly Tomatoes" at our farmers market...they are heirloom varieties ..they taste better (and cost more). I never buy tomatoes from the supermarket, these are all local.
Lots of gone-wild apples in the wetlands around us, but they are almost all wormy. I don't have the patience or time to deal with that any more, but I feel a little guilty about it.
Sallie - yes wormy can be a problem!
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