Is it me or do bananas and apples taste of very little nowadays?

[Stumpedasatree]

I regularly buy them both, but sometimes wonder why I bother as they are so tasteless. Is it the forced ripening of bananas?

Don't buy fruit and veg from supermarkets, they are always crap and tasteless. See if you can find a nice local greengrocer's if you've got the time, a local veg box service if one is available, or failing that one of the national chains if you've got the cash.

If you must buy from supermarkets, go in, don't order online and do the sniff test on all fruit and veg before buying it. If it doesn't have a smell it won't taste of anything.

Things are grown so intensively that soil health has to be affected and is such a complex mix of micronutrients. I really feed our soil when planting (manure or washed up seaweed in autumn ) and notice the difference. I also love our Riverford box as they are better at growing things than I am and it tastes as things used to

Carrots and tomatoes are definitely crap.
I can't always afford vine ripened ones. I tend to buy canned peaches and apricots these days as I'm fed up with stuff going from unripe to rotten.

Organic carrots are definitely worth the extra money, they taste so much better. Only £1.15 a bag in my local.

Ooh, I was just reading about how 99% of all bananas grown are now one variety - Cavendish - which was not bred for taste but for disease resistance and transport. I hate bananas anyway.

Apples, you need local or organic or a variety bred for taste not storgage or uniformity - preferably all three. I get most of my fruit and veg from Riverford and it is noticeably tastier than supermarket veg. I recognise it isn't an option for everyone.

My teens are amazed how tasty the tomatoes and avocados are from a veg box I have started getting - organic and those items shipped from Spain I think, so don't know which makes the difference?

@EvaHarknessRose what veg box do you get?

You know that Tesco ad with the berries? It absolutely leaves me cold. Sour berries sitting in a puddle of water. Ugh. You just know what they're not going to taste lovely and sweet, like the ad claims!

Cabbages seem to be dire nowadays. The ones in the supermarket were so small it was ridiculous. A Savoy cabbage about the same size as an orange. 🤔

I keep bugging my hubby about us filling the back yard with planters and growing our own veg. I already have some strawberry plants that have thrived and are producing twice as much delicious sweet fruit as last year. I've also a mini greenhouse full of home grown herbs right now too almost big enough to use.

Growing fruit and veg at home isn't that difficult once you get set up but the produce will taste so much better. Also better to reduce our carbon footprint, not buying veg from mass producers and abroad.

Stumped, its a local one, The Community Farm in Chew Valley near Bristol. Really like it.

I spend a bloody fortune on fruit because the only things that actually taste of anything are pink lady apples and the special "supersweet" peaches/plums/berries from M&S or Tesco. The standard ones are utterly tasteless.