PDA

View Full Version : Any Goodness in Supermarket Fruit?



PinkFluffyCloud
Feb 18th, 2005, 04:05 PM
I have noticed that when I buy fruit from my local Supermarket, they are often icy cold, almost frozen. This got me thinking, as they are obviously picked days before they arrive here, packed in ice, then put on the shelves, is there ANY goodness left in them atall by the time they are eaten????? :confused:

feline01
Feb 18th, 2005, 05:44 PM
I always wondered that as well. When I buy bananas from the organic grocery, they ripen normally but I bought organic bananas from a big supermarket chain a couple of weeks ago and they took forever to ripen and basically went from hard green to overripe in a day. Most of the supermarket stuff doesn't have much taste either but unfortunately, when money is an issue, I buy it. I have found that if I buy fruit + veg at ethnic markets like Indian or Hispanic, they are of better quality than in the regular supermarket.

PinkFluffyCloud
Feb 18th, 2005, 07:03 PM
I don't have a whole lot of choice round here - it's the local Grocer, who has quite 'tired' looking stuff, and not a great range, or Tesco. :(

Kim[ba]
Feb 18th, 2005, 09:35 PM
Being frozen I imagine would kill them so they won't have any or much life left in them, but I doubt that makes them devoid of nutrional content.

Mystic
Feb 18th, 2005, 11:42 PM
I know that it isn't necessarily fresh fruit, but the other day I bought figs from the fresh produce department of the supermarket and they tasted vile. I threw them out and went and bought them from the organic grocer and they were delicious. I also prefer organic bananas over supermarket bananas, but I am not sure if the taste represents the nutritional value.

kriz
Feb 19th, 2005, 01:26 AM
I get my organic fruit and veggies from a farmers market here in Santa Monica. :) I'm a really spoiled vegan, I know. ;)

Roxy
Feb 19th, 2005, 04:19 AM
I always wondered that as well. When I buy bananas from the organic grocery, they ripen normally but I bought organic bananas from a big supermarket chain a couple of weeks ago and they took forever to ripen and basically went from hard green to overripe in a day.

This quite often happens because the bananas get "chilled" somewhere along the route between when they are picked and when you buy them. This used to happen to me all the time when I would buy bananas from the regular grocery store. It would happen to both conventionally grown and organically grown bananas. (My boyfriend is a produce manager for a large grocery chain - so this is how I know this inside information lol ;) )

Anyway, now I just buy organic from Whole Foods and I've never had a problem.

I guess for those of us that can, this is another reason why buying locally grown produce is important. It takes less time for it to get from the land to your table - therefore the nutritional value will be better.

For a lot of us though - I know that buying locally (especially during the colder months) can be a non-event. Which leads me to ask - would frozen and/or canned fruit be just as good as not-so-fresh fruit from the produce department?

eve
Feb 19th, 2005, 08:15 AM
Hi Roxy, I'd certainly say that frozen fruit is better than the 'fresh' stuff in many cases. For example, I buy frozen blueberries and frozen cherries. They are sold fresh at the supermarket, but it's the same stuff the whole week. What I buy, goes into my fridge, not the freezer, and I take a dessertspoon of each to add to my morning fruit dish at brekkie time. These fruits are not grown locally so they are stale as far as I'm concerned, but I do buy local pawpaw and lychees. The same applies to green vegies; the frozen peas or brussel sprouts are much nicer than the 'fresh' ones. In the case of vegies, I keep them in the freezer. Bananas are problematic because right now they are too expensive for me. And I know they are all gassed. :)

Gorilla
Feb 19th, 2005, 09:44 PM
i try really hard to avoid buying supermarket fruit and veg. it tastes horrible and the organic stuff i get from the local market is so much nicer, but more expensive. it's quite hard to find locally grown produce here especially in the winter but i try to look for it whenever possible.

eve
Feb 20th, 2005, 05:54 AM
We have a sort of market in the hall of a local high school on the last Sunday of each month, where people sell their goods. A couple were selling home grown fruits and veges. It was on today, and I bought a jackfruit, about the size of a large football. Great taste, now I'll have some of it every morning this week! :D