Do Californians keep the best produce for themselves?

[Jude24]

Originally Posted by Spikett

Tomatoes are the real issue. Very hard to find good tomatoes in California (I'm originally from the South where they are delicious and plentiful)

There are actually very good tomatoes in CA, but you have to go to the places that sell local fresh produce to get them. The commercial ones are all picked green, or slightly pink at best, and then off to "ripen" at the stores. It depends on the climate of an area which ones do best. Right now I am getting some very good Heirloom grown locally. The ones in my garden have finally stopped producing after a very long season. The Southern climate allows for a bigger variety and usually better growing season conditions. It is difficult to find a good local Beefsteak in CA. but not impossible.

All of the produce in the stores here is picked green. I wonder sometimes if people even know what a tree ripened peach, apricot or avocado tastes like. There is a huge difference. I am in an area with a couple of really good produce stands that have everything local that is available. We also have really good farmer's markets that have the real thing. This afternoon I will pick the last of a crop of small (about 1" in diameter) tomatoes from my garden along with what I think will be the last of my cucumbers. There is nothing like the fresh-picked stuff. I'm going to have that with some thin-sliced top sirloin that I smoked on Monday. Dang, it isn't 9 AM yet and I am ready for supper!

[saibot]

Originally Posted by Jude24

There are actually very good tomatoes in CA, but you have to go to the places that sell local fresh produce to get them. The commercial ones are all picked green, or slightly pink at best, and then off to "ripen" at the stores. It depends on the climate of an area which ones do best. Right now I am getting some very good Heirloom grown locally. The ones in my garden have finally stopped producing after a very long season. The Southern climate allows for a bigger variety and usually better growing season conditions. It is difficult to find a good local Beefsteak in CA. but not impossible.

All of the produce in the stores here is picked green. I wonder sometimes if people even know what a tree ripened peach, apricot or avocado tastes like. There is a huge difference. I am in an area with a couple of really good produce stands that have everything local that is available. We also have really good farmer's markets that have the real thing. This afternoon I will pick the last of a crop of small (about 1" in diameter) tomatoes from my garden along with what I think will be the last of my cucumbers. There is nothing like the fresh-picked stuff. I'm going to have that with some thin-sliced top sirloin that I smoked on Monday. Dang, it isn't 9 AM yet and I am ready for supper!

I get a lot of my produce at the farmer's market too and agree that it is better, especially strawberries, peaches, plums. But there is no such thing as a tree-ripened avocado.

[cruitr]

I was in both Costco and Von's (Safeway) last week. Neither store had any lettuce. No fresh lettuce. No bagged lettuce. Just kale. Yuck. We must have had some sort of lettuce disease problem.

The lettuce is back this week. It's not great but it's back on the shelf.

Winter is not our best fruit and veggie season. There's Mexican stuff but I won't buy stuff grown in Mexico. Montezuma's Revenge is real.

[HeadShotSRQ]

We are Californians - living in Florida. We were used to the top quality fresh produce as being "normal" - until we got here. Like everything else in this swamp. it's wilted, wet, moldy, pathetic by the time it arrives from back home. The retailers frequently freeze lettuce so it turns orange and slimy after two days in the fridge. Even frozen things are unfrozen and refrozen multiple times in FL due to extreme heat and power failures, so they become bad. Yes, the good produce is in CA.

[Mike930]

Originally Posted by saibot

I get a lot of my produce at the farmer's market too and agree that it is better, especially strawberries, peaches, plums. But there is no such thing as a tree-ripened avocado.

Local stuff is the best. We used to get the sweetest oranges at a local stand set up right at their orchard. $5 got you a large grocery bag of oranges. The owner was the nicest older woman.

One day we went to get some and not only were they closed down, their entire orchard had been cut down. I thought maybe the owner had died and the property sold, but who knows.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

When I was a kid, Mom would serve a wedge salad and sirloin steak for dinner. Not every night but often enough. A quarter head of iceberg with your favorite creamy salad dressing, chopped (crisp) bacon, diced tomatoes and red onions or chopped chives. Delish!

Harris Ranch serves wedge salads with baseball sirloin. Very yummy. Come hungry.

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

Harris Ranch serves wedge salads with baseball sirloin. Very yummy. Come hungry.

Indeed! It's one of my favorite ways to eat lettuce. It's nice to hear it's still enjoyed and didn't disappear off the menu. Steak is on the menu for me tomorrow night. Yum!

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by HeadShotSRQ

We are Californians - living in Florida. We were used to the top quality fresh produce as being "normal" - until we got here. Like everything else in this swamp. it's wilted, wet, moldy, pathetic by the time it arrives from back home. The retailers frequently freeze lettuce so it turns orange and slimy after two days in the fridge. Even frozen things are unfrozen and refrozen multiple times in FL due to extreme heat and power failures, so they become bad. Yes, the good produce is in CA.

Can’t you find fresh produce in the winter in south Florida?

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

Harris Ranch serves wedge salads with baseball sirloin. Very yummy. Come hungry.

I had to look up “baseball sirloin”. Never heard of it.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I rarely buy veggies here in the winter. I make mini green houses to keep everything chugging. The BEST tomatoes. I'd never guy a store tomato or pepper ever.