We were at South Melbourne Market and I couldn't resist the strawberries at $1 a punnet. I bought two. I know large strawberries are not always nice, but these were small ones which are usually sweeter. It was not to be. They were as cardboard like and tasteless as the larger normally are. Sugar, caster sugar, lots of it, was required to make them palatable. Why do we have such rubbish fresh fruit in Australia? Japan does not. Malaysia does not. Why us?
Bronze sink? That was taken with the flash on.
Sounds like they were picked too soon or are last seasons strawberries kept in cold storage.
ReplyDeleteWindsmoke, I would go for picked too soon.
DeleteOklahoma does. Our fruit was terrible this year except for the blackberries and they were only around for about a month. Sorry to compare Australia to Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteRubye, I am pleased to hear that Americans do eat fresh fruit, unlike we are led to believe from tv.
DeleteThat's disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI remember your posts about Japan, and you saying the fruit was better there.
Maybe that's one of the thrills of fruit. You buy it and sometimes don't know if it's going to be okay until you take the first bite.
Well, maybe fruit experts know before they taste it.
But for the rest of us....
It's kind of like gambling.
Anyway.... Better luck next time.
Dina, it is a gamble I lose too often. They are bred for firmness for long distance transport and a long shelf life and damn the taste.
DeleteHence they were only $1- a punnet.
ReplyDeleteGood point Anon, but I paid a lot more for equally poor strawberries.
DeleteJapan and Malaysia have good fresh fruit and veg because that's where all our top-notch produce goes. We get the leftovers. A bit like growing a backyard full of fantastic food and giving it all to the neighbours while your own family eats watered down soup.
ReplyDeleteRiver, at times this is so. A prawn fisher was saying the largest prawns he catches go to Japan, but he says the big ones are tough and don't taste so good. In Japan, the food we ate was grown very locally on small farms.
DeleteP.S. I like the bronze sink. You should take all sink photos with the flash on.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it would work for people? Instant tan.
DeleteHi Andrew
ReplyDeleteI also succumbed to the temptation of Queensland glut strawberries and had the same experience.
I grow red garnet strawberries here in Larrikin's End. If I can get to them before the birds do, they are sweet, juicy and utterly delicious. They don't fruit until December so there is a while to wait. Last season was rubbish - too wet. But I did get the best basil I've ever grown.
xxx
Pants
Pants, maybe it is just too early for strawberries, even from Queensland. I like the sound of red garnet.
DeleteWe get fab fruit here in the west Andrew..we should send you some haha!
ReplyDeleteFood parcels. A nice idea Grace. I think even Adelaide has better fruit than we do.
DeleteI'm with River! I suspect we sold the good stuff on!
ReplyDeleteWhatever Red, it seems you can only get decent stuff at expensive organic places.
ReplyDeleteI guess we get what we pay for. I was shocked in Japan to see rock melons selling for AU$250 each!
ReplyDeleteAd Rad, we found most locally grown in season fruit and vegetables quite cheap in Japan, and delicious. Probably Aussie rock melons.
Deletetoo soon for strawberries, give it a bit more time and they'll all be lovely again. Mmmmm can't wait.
ReplyDeleteI hope they get better Fen.
ReplyDelete