Sunday 24 June 2018

Tasteless Toms

I've grown my own tomatoes for many years now, I think once you start growing your own, you realise that the taste of a shop bought tomato is poor in comparison. There's only me in our house who eats tomatoes so I usually give them a miss until harvest time comes around when I can pick my own, however, I decided not to grow anything at all this year for a couple of reasons, but it means that if I want some tomatoes on my salads, I'm having to buy them.


We had a greengrocer within walking distance who sold locally grown produce which wouldn't have been so bad, but the shop closed towards the end of last year which means I'm now having to buy from the supermarket.

Perhaps I should have grown a couple of tomato plants after all.

46 comments:

  1. I made the same poor decision this year, sadly I am reduced to buying from the shops also.

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    1. We're both in the same boat then. I think you get spoilt when you grow your own, shop bought never live up to home grown.

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  2. It's not to late, pop to a garden centre and get the most advanced plant, you will have a harvest this year. Mine are green on the vine, plus most of our berries will be ripe by the time we get home.

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    1. I would definitely do that if we weren't going to be away for the next fortnight. I don't want to have to ask anyone to water for me so I don't think I'll be having home grown tomatoes this year.

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  3. They are often thick rubbery skin and water aren't they. Home grown are definitely best.

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    1. They are. Even home grown can be hit and miss but I've discovered which varieties are my favourites after a bit of trial and error.

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  4. I agree about bought ones being tasteless. It's always worth growing a couple, even from bought plants. xx

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    1. I've definitely learnt my lesson this year. It's been a long time since there haven't been home grown tomatoes in the house but I won't make the same mistake again next year.

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  5. Oh mercy, those from the grocery store, are just awful. They are red. That's about all one can say about them. -sigh-

    Luckily, we have farm stands around here. And we do not use "fresh" tomatoes, except when we can get them locally. In season.

    Sorry you lost your local seller.

    Yes, grow a couple of plants next year!!! :-)

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    1. There isn't much to say about shop bought tomatoes at all. I'm the same with tomatoes, I only eat them in season but even then they're still tasteless when bought from the supermarket. I shall definitely have to find someone selling better tasting ones.

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  6. I know what you mean about the supermarket tomatoes. They are quite tasteless and I only use them when cooking rather than in a salad.
    We are expecting trying to grow some for the first time ever, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. X

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    1. Once you've grown your own tomatoes you'll never go back to shop bought, the taste difference really is amazing.

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  7. Mine are only just producing flowers on the first few trusses so if you can find a plant in a garden centre, as Marlene says, then they should catch up xx

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    1. I would definitely do that if it we weren't going away on Friday. I think it'll be too late by the time we get back.

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  8. Home grown toms are fab, you're going to miss them. It's not too late, get a plant from the garden centre when you get back!

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    1. I'm missing them already. I think I shall have to have a look in the garden centre for a plant when I get home from holiday but I fear I'll have missed the boat by then.

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  9. Homegrown is always so much better! We've got some tomato plants and I'm having a go at growing some pumpkins (we'll see how that goes!).

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    1. I'm envious of anyone with their own tomato plants this year. Pumpkins need plenty of water, make sure they don't dry out in this warm weather.

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  10. A good excuse to drive out of town to a farm shop... My friend does that to get her tasty veggie treats.

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    1. I'm definitely going to have to find a good farm shop now that our little greengrocers has gone. It was such a great shop, very friendly, and they sold locally grown tasty produce. I really miss it.

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  11. Same opinion here. After growing our own most years, we find the shop bought variety quite tasteless, though a few of the tiny ones seem OK. We do buy throughout the winter month's though. Have a good week & take care.

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    1. It's quite rare that I eat tomatoes out of season, the same with strawberries as they're another thing which are tasteless from the supermarket. I think strawberries are the thing I miss most from my allotment.

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  12. I don't eat them unless they are cooked Jo. D loves them so has started growing his own this year and there was great excitement when he spotted the first fruits appearing. Just waiting for them to go red now.

    Mitzi

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    1. Once D has tasted his own tomatoes, he won't want shop bought again. You really can taste the difference. It's exciting waiting for that first harvest.

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  13. I never had any luck with growing tomatoes, there is only me now that eat's them since Stevie moved out.
    I think the supermarket ones are fairly tasteless, I can always tell the difference when we have some on holiday, they taste so much better when they have had some sun on them instead of the forced ones we get here.

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    1. I still usually grow them even though there's only me who eats them, there's always plenty of people who are happy to take any surplus off your hands. I love looking around the markets abroad, their food always looks more enticing than what we get here.

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  14. Growing your own does spoil you doesn’t it? Our local greengrocer sold his business this year and the new owner doesn’t seem to have the same quality produce or as much choice. I’m afraid to say that we have reverted to supermarket fruit as believe it or not it tastes better and keeps longer.

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    1. I think when you grow your own you get a taste of what things really should taste like and it's actually quite different sometimes to what they sell in the supermarket. I was really sorry to see our greengrocer go, he's been there since we moved here nearly twenty five years ago and his fruit and veg was always top notch. The shop's changed into a physiotherapists now, not much difference!

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  15. Agree I am a tomato snob. If they're not good I don't buy them, but have a small family run store 1 mile away that always has home grown this time of the year. So, I quit gardening years ago. See if you have a farmers marker nearby so you can get some good veggies.
    Sandy's Space

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    1. There aren't any farmers markets nearby so I shall have to look out a farm shop. It's such a shame that my greengrocer sold up as his shop was within walking distance and it was really good.

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  16. I buy small vine-ripened tomatoes in Waitrose and they're quite tasty, but they have to be room temperature with some sea salt flakes. Not the huge vine tomatoes, they are only good for making tomato soup. If I can find locally grown ones, then of course, I buy them.
    Margaret P

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    1. It's good if you can find some you enjoy. I've learnt my lesson this year and shall grow my own again next year.

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  17. Sadly, that is no surprise at all. There are some "super dwarf" tomato varieties out now that are apparently great for pots as they stay super small (so minimal maintenance) - perhaps it would be worth giving one of those a go next year. In the meantime, hopefully a friend or neighbour is growing some that you can enjoy - by the end of August when the harvest really picks up, they'll probably be begging you to take some!

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    1. It was other reasons, rather than maintenance, why I haven't grown them this year but it turns out that I should have done after all. Never mind, we live and learn. I've offloaded many of my surplus tomatoes on friends, neighbours and relatives other years so perhaps they'll repay me in kind.

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  18. We never do well with tomatoes. Maybe you should have one plant for next year so you can treat yourself xx

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    1. I won't leave myself without home grown tomatoes again. Keep trying with tomatoes, they're definitely worth it.

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  19. My tomatoes have taken forever to germinate this year so I may not have any either. I always go for the cherry plum toms, they seem the sweetest. I agree though, home grown are superior! xxx

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    1. I'm sure your tomato plants will catch up and even if they don't, you'll still manage a harvest at the end of the season, I'm sure. My favourite variety is Maskotka, I shall be growing them again next year.

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  20. http://anna-historias.blogspot.com/2018/06/jesus.html?m=1 Me ha gustado tu blog mas amenudo lo visitare.
    Besos

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  21. You can't beat home grown … but I did buy some Piccolo Cherry Tomatoes from Tesco recently (grown in Kent) and they were not too bad!

    All the best Jan

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    1. Decent tasting supermarket bought tomatoes are few and far between so it's good to find a variety you like.

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  22. I'm not a huge tomato fan, but I know what you mean. I've grown strawberries this year and the difference in the taste is unbelievable. Now I just need to stop the rabbits eating them all!

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    1. You can definitely tell the difference between shop bought strawberries and home grown. Strawberries are the thing I miss most from the allotment.

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  23. I'm growing my own this year as usual but I also buy from the supermarket. I agree the bigger tomatoes are virtually tasteless but the little Roma tomatoes from Waitrose or Tesco are really delicious. It's hard to resist them with cheese and crackers!

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    1. I'm glad you've found a supermarket bought tomato that you like, it's always handy to have a back up in case the home grown ones fail or you're left without for whatever reason.

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