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Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

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Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#191

Post by cyanydeez »

mcv wrote: post #71

As a kid, I was a fan of Golden Delicious, while others criticised it for being too mealy. That wasn't my experience, at least at first. Eventually I encountered increasingly mealy Golden "Delicious", and started favouring other apples. Even the cheapest apples here, like Elstar and Jonagold, are pretty good in comparison. I wonder if it's the fate of any breed to eventually be bred for looks instead of taste. If you…

i believe its not looks specifically, but longevity from orchard to supermarket to table that wins. this goes for almost all food. what matters is it lasts through the delivery system.

strawberries are like the blandest thing when they are out of season.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#192

Post by randerson »

titzer wrote: post #74
jareklupinski wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i too stopped ordering tomatos for this reason some people mentioned looking for places that advertise using heirloom tomatos, but you still have to give them a good pinch of salt would love to join a startup that re-engineers flavor back into commercially-viable crops

Just move to Europe.

Or Africa. Each time I've visited I've remarked on how much more flavor things have.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#193

Post by LAC-Tech »

tajustice1 wrote: post #152
titzer wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived almost 7 years in Germany, and the average tomato at a supermarket was lightyears beyond the US. Then farmers markets are even better.

I lived almost 7 years in the USA, and the average tomato at a supermarket was lightyears beyond Germany. Then farmers markets are even better.

I am willing to participate in a blind taste test to resolve this issue.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#194

Post by ajmurmann »

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #182
brailsafe wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honey Crisp are my favourite when they don't taste like dirt.

A few hours ago, in a German supermarket I saw Honey Crisp from Chile. Have been tempted, but resisted. Honey Crisps from France are more acceptable IMO. Strangely I haven't seen the 'Cosmics' so far, though I always look for them everywhere.

The cosmic is a nice apple. However, I find the Envy apple to be a better combination of crispiness and flavor. I find the Cosmic Crisp to be crispy, but fairly one dimensional in flavor compared to Envy. Another great apple to try is Opal. Less crispy, but interesting flavor profile that almost has a hint of banana.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#195

Post by Ygg2 »

Evidlo wrote: post #190
jareklupinski wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i too stopped ordering tomatos for this reason some people mentioned looking for places that advertise using heirloom tomatos, but you still have to give them a good pinch of salt would love to join a startup that re-engineers flavor back into commercially-viable crops

Grape tomatoes in plastic containers are usually more flavorful because the seller doesn't have to ship them underripe to keep them from squishing.

They too are starting to taste more like cardboard.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#196

Post by spfzero »

koolba wrote: post #2

> “It turns out that a lot of the genes that coded for the flavor-producing compounds were on the same chromosomes as the genes for the yellow striped skin,” Traverso explains, “so as you favored the more consistently colored apples, you were essentially disfavoring the same genes that coded for great flavor. This is also why so many cultivars of tomato and cucumber taste like moist cardboard. Once you taste what the…

It’s not just flavor that has been bred out. Also nutrition, and not just from tomatoes. Consumers can not visually see flavor or nutrition. They can see color, size, and uniformity of surface texture and shape. So the vegetables are bred for what can be seen and immediately considered in a buying decision.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#197

Post by ido »

leotaku wrote: post #112
koolba wrote: post #2

> “It turns out that a lot of the genes that coded for the flavor-producing compounds were on the same chromosomes as the genes for the yellow striped skin,” Traverso explains, “so as you favored the more consistently colored apples, you were essentially disfavoring the same genes that coded for great flavor. This is also why so many cultivars of tomato and cucumber taste like moist cardboard. Once you taste what the…

Somehow I don't seem to have the same experience as most people in this thread. Sure, homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers taste quite a bit better than what I usually buy at the supermarket, but it certainly isn't perfect vs. inedible. Possible explanations I can think of: 1. My taste perception is just broken because I am relatively young and have been raised on low-quality produce. 2. My local supermarkets just happen…

Where in Central Europe are you? And are you buying the cheapest tomatoes available?

The answer to these can vary results a lot.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#198

Post by simondotau »

kook_throwaway wrote: post #141
Eric_WVGG wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nearly nobody under the age of 35 is aware that popcorn used to taste like corn. Not like modern ears of corn, which are bred mostly for sweetness; more like tortilla chips, whose corn is still (somehow) cultivated for corn flavor. Corny. [edit] … also I’m baffled by how, every time I “hold the tomatoes” on my burger or salad, someone will invariably say “don’t you like tomatoes?” and I have to go on this dumb rant a…

I thought I was the weirdo for thinking tomatoes on burgers didn't add any flavor. I love flavorful tomatoes everywhere else, generally, but the kind used on burgers are like mushy water.

You're not alone. I've never liked tomato slice on burgers, always ask to remove if present. Makes the burger wet and slushy for no benefit. Partial to a slice of beetroot as a substitute.

(Hopefully you didn't establish this throwaway account to confess your controversial tomato opinions.)

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#199

Post by jeromenerf »

spywaregorilla wrote: post #109
vanderZwan wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess that means you had them in a Mediterranean country, because elsewhere in Europe they still are rather bland in my (northern European) opinion

Yes this is the key. Most of Europe is in the same boat. Eating produce in Greece however is astoundingly better. Italy was less consistent on this but still better. Which leads me to wonder if its really the genetic choices or is it just something about the farming, nutritional rich soils, or transportation/timing?

> Which leads me to wonder if its really the genetic choices or is it just something about the farming, nutritional rich soils, or transportation/timing?

- the soil plays no great role in taste but is of course the farmer most precious resource. - the plant genetics is preponderant in taste. - the consumers and farmer genetics and culture are loosely related to the plant genetics. - the missing pieces, distribution and seed providers, are the most important pieces, deciding on prices, margins and on the characteristics necessary of the products to improve those.

Local products are always best. But I can’t grow exotic fruits in Paris.

Re: Red delicious apples weren’t always horrible

#200

Post by morsch »

dylan604 wrote: post #162
quesera wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$50-100 is way overestimated. You can grow tomatoes in inexpensive pots. Seedlings are inexpensive. Maybe $15 total, plus water, time, and patience. The latter two of those can be expensive, but difficult to quantify.

Tomatoes get big. They need a decent sized pot. I would recommend a 12" pot, defintely no smaller than 10".[0] Dirt aint cheap. "Cheap as dirt" wasn't formed from shopping at garden centers with bagged dirt, and you don't need a truck load for container gardening.[1] Tomoatoes need up right supports like cages, etc.[2] Seedlings are cheap individually, but each one needs a container.[3] [0] $10 https://www.homedepot.…

You can reuse most of those things for years, you can also use common household items to improvise replacements for cages and such. We bought little plants this year for 3 bucks each, we had no expenses otherwise.
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