Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

JonnyBravo

lemonjelly wrote: »

After last year, I cannot stand shop bought tomatoes, they are so lacking in flavour, texture & taste!

Grew my own toms for the first time 4 or 5 years ago now. Always used to buy toms all year round. Now only eat the ones I grow barring a couple of exceptions a year just for the reason you state.

How can the shop ones be so bland if I manage to produce such juicy sweet stuff with no experience in year one????

lostinrates

lemonjelly wrote: »

This is something I really don't understand.
I see lots of people in relationships, & (from what I see and hear) they don't treat each other very well. Why? I don't get why they are/can be actually quite nasty, to people they are supposed to like/love? In a way, it appears that the minority of people I know are happy together & treat each other accordingly.

There is a ghastly Americanism which is unfortunately quite true, about self love, and that the ability o love some one else truly really only is possible when you have reached some sort o truce with yourself... You don't have to love everything about yourself, but you have to like who you are and acknowledge the bad bits ANd the good bits, accepting no one including self is not perfect.

To love means to forgive I guess. Another sort of quasi hippy sounding thing.

I shall go and annoint myself with patchouli and ylang ylang poste haste

lostinrates

JonnyBravo wrote: »

Grew my own toms for the first time 4 or 5 years ago now. Always used to buy toms all year round. Now only eat the ones I grow barring a couple of exceptions a year just for the reason you state.

How can the shop ones be so bland if I manage to produce such juicy sweet stuff with no experience in year one????

Ther is nothing like it. Its partly the fact they are picked when ready to be picked, not days before, so get the full beneift of ripening, and of course, as an extention of the same thing the sugars are all still how they should be in the fruit when you eat it.

Another, less environment centred pro for looking at food miles.

I would say that sometimes one can buy great toms...allotment owners, market gardeners. Markets in France, and even some supermarkets. A market near where I lived as a child ther was a woman who bred ''unusal'' varieties of tomatoes, black ones, white ones, green ones etc. I found a black tom in the garden centre which I've bought to try, but I wonder if it will taste as good?

why is it that the uglier the lumpier the tomato is the better it tastes? It always seems too, that he big beefs in italian supermarkets taste better when bug-blemished, perhaps those are the ones which pass the insect taste test?

lemonjelly

JonnyBravo wrote: »

Grew my own toms for the first time 4 or 5 years ago now. Always used to buy toms all year round. Now only eat the ones I grow barring a couple of exceptions a year just for the reason you state.

How can the shop ones be so bland if I manage to produce such juicy sweet stuff with no experience in year one????

So true! Even the smell as I cut one of the ones I have grown! Mmmmm!

There really is no comparison. I so look forward to the day when my ones are ready & on my sandwiches etc!:)

lostinrates wrote: »

Ther is nothing like it. Its partly the fact they are picked when ready to be picked, not days before, so get the full beneift of ripening, and of course, as an extention of the same thing the sugars are all still how they should be in the fruit when you eat it.

Another, less environment centred pro for looking at food miles.

I would say that sometimes one can buy great toms...allotment owners, market gardeners. Markets in France, and even some supermarkets. A market near where I lived as a child ther was a woman who bred ''unusal'' varieties of tomatoes, black ones, white ones, green ones etc. I found a black tom in the garden centre which I've bought to try, but I wonder if it will taste as good?

why is it that the uglier the lumpier the tomato is the better it tastes? It always seems too, that he big beefs in italian supermarkets taste better when bug-blemished, perhaps those are the ones which pass the insect taste test?

You can't beat growing your own methinks.
In my view, all home produce tastes better.

JonnyBravo

lemonjelly wrote: »

So true! Even the smell as I cut one of the ones I have grown! Mmmmm!

There really is no comparison. I so look forward to the day when my ones are ready & on my sandwiches etc!:)



You can't beat growing your own methinks.
In my view, all home produce tastes better.

I think the difference in some vegetables/fruit is less extreme. For me tomatoes are the biggest difference.

Onions? In all honesty I can't taste the difference. Still grow loads of them as they're so cheap and easy to grow and store for ages.

lemonjelly

JonnyBravo wrote: »

I think the difference in some vegetables/fruit is less extreme. For me tomatoes are the biggest difference.

Onions? In all honesty I can't taste the difference. Still grow loads of them as they're so cheap and easy to grow and store for ages.

Cucumbers are very noticeable too imo - taste, texture & smell. My ones last year were too white I originally thought! After eating their loveliness, I realised actually that was there proper colour!:o

I think there is the additional gratification around eating something you've grown/reared, which adds to the whole experience.

You are right though, shop bought toms are NOTHING compared to what we can get in our gardens...:)

JonnyBravo

lemonjelly wrote: »

Cucumbers are very noticeable too imo - taste, texture & smell. My ones last year were too white I originally thought! After eating their loveliness, I realised actually that was there proper colour!:o

I think there is the additional gratification around eating something you've grown/reared, which adds to the whole experience.

You are right though, shop bought toms are NOTHING compared to what we can get in our gardens...:)

Not tried cucumbers. Perhaps should give them a go.

Oh you're entirely right about the gratification. That is as much the reason for me as the taste. As I say the majority of stuff I grow the difference is slight IMO and not worth it alone (eg onions, peppers, leeks, cabbage, potatoes, celeriac). Add in the satisfaction and it's a clear winner for me.
A few like the tomatoes, runner beans, courgette seem to have the taste difference which is alone worth it. Of course variety choice also plays its part.
(Cost doesn't come into it in either way. I'm doing it cos I enjoy it.)

michaels

Given the choice I would napalm the garden and everything within 50 sqaure miles and then concrete over it then reguarly spray with water to remove any traces of dust or pollen - but I used to love the garden when I was young and didn't get hayfever.

Anyone in Herts able to recommend someone to take down an out of control Leylandii hedge now about 20 feet tall>? Thanks

Will agree about supermarket tomatoes - doesn't matter whether you buy the cheap ones or the expensive ones, still no taste or texture - is it not possible to grow them with taste for the supermarket - surely there would be demand?

We spend a fortune on fruit and veg each week from Sains - the local market seems no cheaper for grotty stuff that has been sitting out next to the road all day - is there an online company that does mail order fruit and veg for sub-supermarket prices or is there a gap in the market?

lemonjelly

JonnyBravo wrote: »

Not tried cucumbers. Perhaps should give them a go.

Oh you're entirely right about the gratification. That is as much the reason for me as the taste. As I say the majority of stuff I grow the difference is slight IMO and not worth it alone (eg onions, peppers, leeks, cabbage, potatoes, celeriac). Add in the satisfaction and it's a clear winner for me.
A few like the tomatoes, runner beans, courgette seem to have the taste difference which is alone worth it. Of course variety choice also plays its part.
(Cost doesn't come into it in either way. I'm doing it cos I enjoy it.)

Not a fan of onions/leeks/cabbage. Tried cabbage last year - the only plant that didn't work!

Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've written - several times over!

Do try the cucumbers, they will turn out lovely!
'm having my first go at courgettes & runner beans this year.
Sprouts last year were also amazing. So I'm doing more this year.

And yes, there is so much pleasure & enjoyment in spending time looking after the plants, cultivating them, having the time in the garden, reducing the stress etc. Fresh air. & it is fun!:)

The taste of some (such as the toms) make it worthwhile enough for me, but as a hobby, I get so much more out of it!

lostinrates

lemonjelly wrote: »

Not a fan of onions/leeks/cabbage. Tried cabbage last year - the only plant that didn't work!

Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've written - several times over!

Do try the cucumbers, they will turn out lovely!
'm having my first go at courgettes & runner beans this year.
Sprouts last year were also amazing. So I'm doing more this year.

And yes, there is so much pleasure & enjoyment in spending time looking after the plants, cultivating them, having the time in the garden, reducing the stress etc. Fresh air. & it is fun!:)

The taste of some (such as the toms) make it worthwhile enough for me, but as a hobby, I get so much more out of it!

Cabbage is easy here....but for the caterpillars....its like an reserve for bugs up here, innit? Courgettes are fabulous, and so prolific!