Does anybody else find tesco's fruit and vegtable produce poor?

LizD_2

I have to agree that the produce in my local branch is not great. Having said that, when fiance buys meat there he finds it often goes off very quickly. This is even with correct storage at home.
I suspect that food is not kept cold enough before it's put on display, also as said above, travel time for non-local fruit adds to the deterioration.
Try using Lakelands' green veg bags if you can get them they do help inhibit the decay. You may not be able to get them, as they have 'quality problems' (whatever that means!), but I bought some a while ago, and they do work.

thriftlady_2

I'm not defending Tesco,heaven forbid! but I think you have to expect maincrop spuds,parsnips and carrots to be well past their best at this time of year.They're really autumn-winter veg.

New season carrots come in June,maincrop spuds are lifted in the autumn,early new potatoes are coming in and will gradually get less expensive through the summer.Parsnips really should have been off the shelves by March.I'm talking about British produce here.

The supermarkets have created a sort of everlasting harvest time,where every fruit and vegetable is available all the time.But that's not how nature works.If you want good quality produce you need to buy in season and locally if possible.Check out your nearest farmshop.

As for strawberries,soft fruit just has a really short shelf life.Pick your own in a few weeks or grow your own for next year if you've got space.The foreign strawberries available all year round at supermarkets are picked before they're ripe.They may keep longer,but they don't taste of anything.

Try this website for your nearest farmshop http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/food/articles/index.php?articleid=198

thriftlady_2

LizD wrote:

Try using Lakelands' green veg bags if you can get them they do help inhibit the decay. You may not be able to get them, as they have 'quality problems' (whatever that means!), but I bought some a while ago, and they do work.

I can recommend these,and they are back on the shelves now - at least they are in Worcester.

VickyA_2

A couple of weeks ago the brocolli was looking vile. I mentioned this to OH and he pointed out that it was the season change over (he used to be a supervisor cutting brocolli).

In the same way, you should (within the next week) begin to see British iceberg lettuce/gem and at the beginning of June it's celery.

sarah0404

I grew potatoes in my garden and they lasted a good four months in my cupboard before going sprouty. Tesco potatoes can't even last 4 days in the same cupboard without going sprouty! Or Asda potatoes for that matter. I reckon the "fresh" potatoes they are selling us are probably months old. My mum does keep her potatoes in the fridge though, especially new potatoes. They seem to do ok.

I wouldn't say Tesco produce was any worse than anywhere else. Its just luck I think. I've had broccoli in my fridge for weeks sometimes and its been fine. Other times its hardly been in a few days before it looks passed its best.

seraphina

Our Tesco fruit and veg is fine - it's market produce I buy that goes off very quickly. Probably because the Tesco stuff has been chilled down for much longer.

Horasio

It seems tatty and picked over in Tesco - maybe it's the merchandising. I used to be a merchandiser and notice good or bad presentation.

I don't feel it has the best F&V either

Makro's F&V can look manky, but the produce that isn't, lasts for ages, possibly because it supplies shops and they need to have the shelf life.

M&S F&V looks good but is pricey and it goes off very quickly

Sainsbury's looks good and has a good variety of oddities, again can be pricey.

I used to love Waitrose but there isn't one in Scotland to my knowledge.

Icemaiden

I wouldn't dream of buying my fresh fruit & veg from the supermarket, and certainly not from Tesco. The term 'fresh' is the key word here, as others have pointed out supermarket F&V has been transported from all over the world and will have most certainly lost most or all of its nutritional value. Support your local farm shop or green grocer the difference in taste and qualitly is unbeatable.

fizzel81

we ended up doing a second shop in sainsburys, what they had looked alot better, will be trying the market out for theres this weekend but looks like i will have to find a local green grocer (there must be one near me)

JennyW_2

Support your local farm shop or green grocer the difference in taste and qualitly is unbeatable.

Not sure about anyone else, but do you find greengrocers far and few between now? There certainly isn't one in my town or the town where I work