Why are Grocery Store Tomatoes so Inferior?

[OzPiper]

We still keep our lard and tallow for cooking with, it truly is the best.

I grew up with Grandma and Grandpa (Dad’s parents) in the same household. Grandma being a frugal farmgirl would render all the fat from pork (no such thing as lean pigs in the 1950-70s) lard to cook with.

One of my favourite meals was a tablespoon of freshly rendered lard, a raw egg, soy sauce, lots of white pepper and steaming hot rice all mixed up. For extra umami, a half teaspoon of Bovril or Marmite can be added.

Vegetable oil just DOES NOT taste the same

 

[karam]

This is a legitimate meal for me in Greek summer. Tomatoes, olive oil and feta cheese must be the best one can get. I drizzle some basil pesto on top.



I use to take the trouble to make the barley hardtack myself, it's a whole day's job actually. "They get kneaded in the river, baked in the forest" Greeks used to say, to account by how much water you need to add and how much wood was needed to bake them. We had guests from Australia, took them to a fancy-rustic Greek restaurant and this was among the things I ordered. The guy said "I'd never expect to be served hardtack in a fancy restaurant", I said "I'll hear you when you try it!".

What's interesting about this food is that it's been a staple for soldiers and sailors going back 3000 years, the Egyptians had it, Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Byzantines, then Dutch, Danes, British, Australians, Americans - all these militaries were fed on this as it's nutritious, can be tasty, doesn't ever spoil unless it gets wet.

 

[AroEnglish]

Thanks for all the answers, all!

I thought I hated tomatoes until my wife grew some and insist I try them. Now I really enjoy them if they're not store bought.

 

[Sigmund]

I will second the fridge issue. Even if you have good ones it will kill them. It makes them mealy.

 

[ClinchKnot]

That difference is why I grow them and a bunch of other things. Some experiences you can’t buy in a store.

 

[JOHN72]

Here in Spain. A wide variety of high quality organic tomatoes are produced. But practically all of it is exported to the rest of Europe, especially to Germany. It is incredible how the price has risen in supermarkets, vegetables and fruits, and not being of better quality. Lately, I am buying a tasty tomato from Portugal. A type of tomato called (pear tomato). Very tasty, a very successful texture. If you have a piece of land, you are lucky, to be able to grow, and save money, And avoiding buying garbage at an exorbitant price, in some unscrupulous supermarkets.

 

[karam]

Tomatoes are also imported from Holland

If Spain imports tomatoes from Holland then there's something very wrong with the world. Northern Europe tomatoes shouldn't even be called that. But...I shouldn't say much because Greece is importing lemons from Argentina, oranges from South Africa (and wine from Australia, Argentina, California and South Africa - regions which weren't even discovered when Greeks were exporting wine in the ancient world!) and garlic from China - plants that are growing everywhere in Greece. Hell, in my father's village farm there's so many oranges and lemons growing naturally in our garden that they keep 5-6 households of our friends and family stocked for free for months. Guess it' cheaper to bring them from the other side of the planet...

What's even worse is that the very best Greek olive oil is exported to Germany, often repackaged and sold BACK to Greece :P

Oh well, being Greek has its problems I guess, too much historical baggage!

 

[JOHN72]

If Spain imports tomatoes from Holland then there's something very wrong with the world. Northern Europe tomatoes shouldn't even be called that. But...I shouldn't say much because Greece is importing lemons from Argentina, oranges from South Africa and garlic from China - plants that are growing everywhere in Greece. Hell, in my father's village farm there's so many oranges and lemons growing naturally in our garden that they keep 5-6 households of our friends and family stocked for free for months. Guess it' cheaper to bring them from the other side of the planet...

That's right Karam. Tomatoes are imported from Holland, which I imagine at a more competitive price. But it is not a tasty tomato, at least, what arrives to our supermarkets. And as you say, they bring a lot of products from South America and Africa, usually of poorer quality. Since Spain has a great variety of organic products. And then comes the jewel in the crown, Morocco selling their products to Europe, loaded with hepatitis and pesticides. They use fecal waters to irrigate their miserable crops. Morocco has an Islamist government, which dreams of turning Spain into a caliphate and that we return to live in the seventh century.

 

[OzPiper]

Guess it' cheaper to bring them from the other side of the planet...

It’s ever the way when bean-counters run businesses.

Australian orchardists are plowing good fruit back into the ground because the local conglomerates that run the supermarkets fill the shelves with “juice” made from reconstituted concentrate from Brazil, Türkiye, Israel, Sth Africa and all points of the compass.
Locally run co-ops and companies don’t have the clout to compete.

 

[karam]

We're gonna get shut down if we continue this way. European farmers sometimes do things like dump tons of rotten fruit/spoiled milk in front of Agriculture Ministries.

 

[Sigmund]

Morroco can dream on. I went there once. Basically, Its the low rent Mexico of Europe. I wont be going back a second time. Everyone talks about what great deals you get there. Its a great deal until you get scammed and most everyone does on some purchase and then it ends up averaging out to the cost of other countries in Southern Europe. An there you dont get harrased on the street to buy crap you dont need. Visitors are viewed as walking, talking ATM machines.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

If Spain imports tomatoes from Holland then there's something very wrong with the world. Northern Europe tomatoes shouldn't even be called that. But...I shouldn't say much because Greece is importing lemons from Argentina, oranges from South Africa (and wine from Australia, Argentina, California and South Africa - regions which weren't even discovered when Greeks were exporting wine in the ancient world!) and garlic from China - plants that are growing everywhere in Greece. Hell, in my father's village farm there's so many oranges and lemons growing naturally in our garden that they keep 5-6 households of our friends and family stocked for free for months. Guess it' cheaper to bring them from the other side of the planet...

What's even worse is that the very best Greek olive oil is exported to Germany, often repackaged and sold BACK to Greece :P

Oh well, being Greek has its problems I guess, too much historical baggage!

apart from Finland, our tomatoes are mostly reserved for domestic market only and are slowly grown (at 1 kg: $ 2.50-3,oo, but somehow I have to admit, quality seem to be dropping in Comparision to earlier years

 

[jpmcwjr]

Almost all of the above reasons are why home grown vegetables taste better, and are more nutritious.

If you used the same seeds the big growers use, you'd get better than store bought, but not as good as strains that were developed for full maturity on the vine.

 

[BingBong]

I remember when we started to get Dutch "Beef" tomatoes in the UK. Possibly the most insipid flavour (is there any at all?). Big on size and... big on size.

I the last couple of years, we've had a lot of fine-looking tomatoes that are basically made of wood at the core. Dreadful. No idea of their origin; I avoid like Black Death.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Like the Inquisition, one never expects The Black Death!

 

[krizzose]

Home grown or locally grown in season (thank you, local farmers market) are always the best. There is no substitute.

The best tomatoes in a supermarket are the plastic boxes of Campari or Kumato, or cherry tomatoes. Far superior than the typical bulk, rock-hard, flavorless baseballs.

 

[Servant King]

@Richmond B. Funkenhouser per your request:





Tomatoes (roma, beefsteak) on the top row, zucchini below.



From L to R, top row is tomatillos, basil and cucumbers. Watermelons down below (got three developing already!).

I'll snap a shot of the first ripe tomato once it's time...

 

[rmpeeps]

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Damn right.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

@Richmond B. Funkenhouser per your request:

View attachment 326548

View attachment 326549

Tomatoes (roma, beefsteak) on the top row, zucchini below.

View attachment 326550

From L to R, top row is tomatillos, basil and cucumbers. Watermelons down below (got three developing already!).

I'll snap a shot of the first ripe tomato once it's time...

Hell yeah, brother. You're in business.

I need to get out there and take some pictures of our garden.