Which veggies have the biggest difference in taste compared to store bought? - Page 2

feldon30 · January 12, 2009

Brussels Sprouts fresh from the garden are SOOO DIFFERENT. You're gonna love them I hope. Just lightly steam them and butter and mmmm.

In other news, I just picked a tangerine from my tangerine tree. The difference in taste between these and what they have at the grocery store is so different I don't know where to begin. It almost tasted like raspberries or something. So sweet and delectable.

Tormato · January 12, 2009

And then there's wild blueberries.

Compare those to cultivated, store bought ones.

Gary

feldon30 · January 12, 2009

Oh yes, I picked 10 lbs of blueberries at a Pick Your Own farm in Plantersville, TX this spring.

It's funny because they have about 10 varieties. I picked a bunch of one type which were pretty tart. Then I got curious and found my way over to another section and they were a whole different variety of blueberry and they were SWEET. I probably ate 2 pound of those over the next few days.

I ended up canning 4 half pints of blueberry jam. It's just wonderful stuff.

piegirl · January 12, 2009

Home grown brussel sprouts would have to be better than the grocery store - they have absolutely NO flavor. I am going to try them again but haven't had much sucess. Strawberries - my friends and I go every year to the local sb farms - no comparison. Apples from the same folks who grow the strawberries. I did find a group here who sells fruit, mostly from the PNW, citrus from Fl in winter - their blueberries from Washington state must be grown organic or wild - there is no comparison w/ ones purchased from the grocery. My cukes and zukes - no comparison with homegrown. piegirl

feldon30 · January 12, 2009

In Houston, we can occasionally buy Brussels Sprouts with the stalk still attached. Those tend to be very good. But nothing compared to fresh.

Wi-sunflower · January 12, 2009

Brussels Sprouts with the stalk

That's how I sell mine at the farmers market. Cut just the day before. We go thru about 2,000 stalks if not more every year.

There is no comparison to store sprouts when you get farmer sprouts after we've had a few frosts. I've heard it's comparable to eating collards in summer vs when you should eat collards.

duajones · January 13, 2009

You cant count on many frosts here in Corpus but we have had favorable weather for our area during my first brussel sprout growout. Cooler weather with a few times being close to frost with possible more on the way. I understand that effects the flavor. I am not a patient person however and while I have learned to be a little more receptive in that regard concerning gardening. Brussel Sprouts take forever! Still, I am very much looking forward to my first taste of the homegrown experience with one of my favorite veggies.

ContainerTed · January 13, 2009

The store-bought difference is in the "bringing them to market". I think it comes down to the grocery stores having to stock veggies that were picked green and gas ripened and half-frozen in transit and abused in so many other ways.

Last year, during the big poison scare, I was wanting to change my process and begin saving tomato seeds using fermentation. As the scare blew up in the news, I had three "Walmart Specials" left and decided to "Practice" using them. I immediately planted some and grew out 2 plants. The fruit was delicious. I have one of the plants in the house now under lights and it is producing smaller, but very tasty fruit and has more blooms trying to set.

I also remember that when I was in England, I met a family in a place south of Newmarket called "Westley Waterless" who had a nice little veggie garden beside the house. After some true East Anglian hospitality, we ended up striking up a trade. A sampling of garden veggies for a Six-Pack of Michelob. The carrots were so sweet that we ate them raw.

The stuff we had been getting at the Lakenheath commissary was flown in from the states and was so bad that we started shopping at the open farmer's market in the village at Mildenhall where we could get locally grown goodies.

Ted,
who is looking to grow more than tomatoes in containers this year. Raybo is such a positive inspiration.

roamwhereiwant2 · January 13, 2009

Green beans. I love home grown snaps to taste beany and slightly sweet. I wish I could grow scarlet runners here in the SE. Basil - I can't compare the lovely intense smell and taste of just picked Genovese versus the camphor taste of store bought. Tomatoes and corn, well enough said. Leeks are surprising good when home grown and harvested before the greens get tough. Lettuce and salad greens are so much better when they are still crisp and tender.

I'm chomping on a store bought carrot right now and it's a sorry experience.

hilldale · January 20, 2009

I noticed a big difference in the taste of asparagus. Our married son informed me hated asparagus when he came over for dinner. I had just picked the asparagus a few hours earlier, just to see if he noticed a difference. He actually asked for seconds!

Polar_Lace · January 21, 2009

I agree with all the other previous posts; it's just that I want to add parsnip and salsify.

salsify - (a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable.) it is pretty as a flower too. Take a look at this: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRPO

Oh, and this place too: http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....on+porrifolius

happydog · January 21, 2009

What has really surprised me is garlic. You would think garlic is garlic. But fresh garlic is a whole nuther thing. I even like working with it in the kitchen better. It's like it's more 'alive' somehow.

**Dukerdawg** · January 21, 2009

I agree on the garlic. After growing my own two years ago I couldn't believe how good it was! I didn't grow nearly enough. Last fall I put in about 75 cloves, so that should be enough to eat and replant..I hope. Good stuff.

Duane

Tormato · January 22, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polar_Lace

I agree with all the other previous posts; it's just that I want to add parsnip and salsify.

salsify - (a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable.) it is pretty as a flower too. Take a look at this: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRPO

Oh, and this place too: http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....on+porrifolius

St

re b

ught salsify?!

I must be living at the epicenter of white-bread America, because I've never seen it anywhere around here.

Gary

Polar_Lace · January 22, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

St

re b

ught salsify?!

I must be living at the epicenter of white-bread America, because I've never seen it anywhere around here.

Gary

Gary,

I only bought it once... from a farmer's market, in upstate NY. After that I planted seeds for it myself. And even though it was from the farmer's market, it wasn't quite as good as the one's I planted.

January 12, 2009	#16
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Brussels Sprouts fresh from the garden are SOOO DIFFERENT. You're gonna love them I hope. Just lightly steam them and butter and mmmm. In other news, I just picked a tangerine from my tangerine tree. The difference in taste between these and what they have at the grocery store is so different I don't know where to begin. It almost tasted like raspberries or something. So sweet and delectable. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 12, 2009	#18
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Oh yes, I picked 10 lbs of blueberries at a Pick Your Own farm in Plantersville, TX this spring. It's funny because they have about 10 varieties. I picked a bunch of one type which were pretty tart. Then I got curious and found my way over to another section and they were a whole different variety of blueberry and they were SWEET. I probably ate 2 pound of those over the next few days. I ended up canning 4 half pints of blueberry jam. It's just wonderful stuff. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 12, 2009	#20
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	In Houston, we can occasionally buy Brussels Sprouts with the stalk still attached. Those tend to be very good. But nothing compared to fresh. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 13, 2009	#23
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	The store-bought difference is in the "bringing them to market". I think it comes down to the grocery stores having to stock veggies that were picked green and gas ripened and half-frozen in transit and abused in so many other ways. Last year, during the big poison scare, I was wanting to change my process and begin saving tomato seeds using fermentation. As the scare blew up in the news, I had three "Walmart Specials" left and decided to "Practice" using them. I immediately planted some and grew out 2 plants. The fruit was delicious. I have one of the plants in the house now under lights and it is producing smaller, but very tasty fruit and has more blooms trying to set. I also remember that when I was in England, I met a family in a place south of Newmarket called "Westley Waterless" who had a nice little veggie garden beside the house. After some true East Anglian hospitality, we ended up striking up a trade. A sampling of garden veggies for a Six-Pack of Michelob. The carrots were so sweet that we ate them raw. The stuff we had been getting at the Lakenheath commissary was flown in from the states and was so bad that we started shopping at the open farmer's market in the village at Mildenhall where we could get locally grown goodies. Ted, who is looking to grow more than tomatoes in containers this year. Raybo is such a positive inspiration. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

January 21, 2009	#26
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	I agree with all the other previous posts; it's just that I want to add parsnip and salsify. salsify - (a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable.) it is pretty as a flower too. Take a look at this: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRPO Oh, and this place too: http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....on+porrifolius __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them. Last edited by Polar_Lace; January 21, 2009 at 12:48 AM. Reason: to add a second link

January 12, 2009	#17
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	And then there's wild blueberries. Compare those to cultivated, store bought ones. Gary

January 12, 2009	#19
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	Home grown brussel sprouts would have to be better than the grocery store - they have absolutely NO flavor. I am going to try them again but haven't had much sucess. Strawberries - my friends and I go every year to the local sb farms - no comparison. Apples from the same folks who grow the strawberries. I did find a group here who sells fruit, mostly from the PNW, citrus from Fl in winter - their blueberries from Washington state must be grown organic or wild - there is no comparison w/ ones purchased from the grocery. My cukes and zukes - no comparison with homegrown. piegirl

January 12, 2009	#21
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	Brussels Sprouts with the stalk That's how I sell mine at the farmers market. Cut just the day before. We go thru about 2,000 stalks if not more every year. There is no comparison to store sprouts when you get farmer sprouts after we've had a few frosts. I've heard it's comparable to eating collards in summer vs when you should eat collards.

January 13, 2009	#22
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	You cant count on many frosts here in Corpus but we have had favorable weather for our area during my first brussel sprout growout. Cooler weather with a few times being close to frost with possible more on the way. I understand that effects the flavor. I am not a patient person however and while I have learned to be a little more receptive in that regard concerning gardening. Brussel Sprouts take forever! Still, I am very much looking forward to my first taste of the homegrown experience with one of my favorite veggies.

January 13, 2009	#24
roamwhereiwant2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, 7b Posts: 130	Green beans. I love home grown snaps to taste beany and slightly sweet. I wish I could grow scarlet runners here in the SE. Basil - I can't compare the lovely intense smell and taste of just picked Genovese versus the camphor taste of store bought. Tomatoes and corn, well enough said. Leeks are surprising good when home grown and harvested before the greens get tough. Lettuce and salad greens are so much better when they are still crisp and tender. I'm chomping on a store bought carrot right now and it's a sorry experience.

January 20, 2009	#25
hilldale Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 19	I noticed a big difference in the taste of asparagus. Our married son informed me hated asparagus when he came over for dinner. I had just picked the asparagus a few hours earlier, just to see if he noticed a difference. He actually asked for seconds!

January 21, 2009	#27
happydog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Appalachian Mountains NC Posts: 151	What has really surprised me is garlic. You would think garlic is garlic. But fresh garlic is a whole nuther thing. I even like working with it in the kitchen better. It's like it's more 'alive' somehow.

January 21, 2009	#28
Dukerdawg Growing for Market Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westland, Michigan Posts: 861	I agree on the garlic. After growing my own two years ago I couldn't believe how good it was! I didn't grow nearly enough. Last fall I put in about 75 cloves, so that should be enough to eat and replant..I hope. Good stuff. Duane __________________ May I aspire to live my life so that I may be the man my dog thinks I am.