To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, fruit is a gamble - I know that going in!
Lately, however, it seems that "super" market bought fruit is nothing of a gamble. It's all lousy. If it is a gamble, you've got better odds playing the lottery.
I mean, it's the summer. Peaches, nectarines and plums should all be plump, juicy and sweet. Instead I get mealy, dry, and bland. Berries should be bursting with flavor, but all I get are tart lumps of nastiness. Grapes are so-so at best. Don't even get me started on tomatoes - they all taste like cardboard (I'll assume the sophisticated audience that reads this blog already knows that they're fruits).
I suppose there are bright spots. Bananas are consistently "pretty good" and mangoes are always great if you leave them to ripen long enough.
The problem, though, is that most modern food is bred for shipping durability and shelf life. Look, I've got nothing against bio-engineering of super fruits, but one shouldn't have to sacrifice flavor to get durability. If that happens, go back to the drawing board. The mad scientists that work for Del Monte, Dole, etc. should be able to crack this. It's the 21st Century for crying out loud.
I'm not ready to go all organic just yet, but I will admit I am willing to pay more for tastier food. I won't buy it because it's "healthier" or any other BS, but taste is taste. I can't argue with those wild strawberries I had last week from the farmers market.
