Where to go for fresh fruit?

[iWantachanger]

I know this might sound really silly but I’m trying to be healthy and need some advice on where to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. I just feel supermarket produce is not very healthy - am I wrong? Do I really need to find farm shops? I have no idea where to start. I just feel some fruit from Tesco taste a little artificial and have heard they add wax n stuff to preserve. Please guide me. I have no idea if there’s farm shops near me I’ve tried Googling but they seem very far away.

So you need to consider buying seasonal produce. That way it will be fresher. Organic too if you can afford it.

There's a good list here: www.bda.uk.com/food-health/your-health/sustainable-diets/seasonal-fruit-and-veg-a-handy-guide.html

This time of year the options are limited though...

@henrysugar12 thank you so much, This is very helpful. I’m embarrassed of how little I know about seasonal fruits n veg. The website is amazing x

You could look at getting a fruit/vegetable box. Look at Abel & Cole and Riverford for organic fruit.

@henrysugar12 do you think supermarket produce is good enough or do I really need to go farmers markets etc?

@277ice2 thank you.

Supermarket fruit & veg is fine, but as another PP says go for what's in season & British produce if possible, to reduce the time it's spent in transit.
A veg box is a good option, especially if you want to expand your repertoire & try more varied varieties.
You can wash most fruits & veg (not mushrooms & some berries). Wax is usually only applied to citrus fruits or those that need to last longer like some apples.
Look into local farm shops or farms too, as you might be able to get produce grown on site.

Supermarket stuff, in season, is absolutely fine. Even out of season stuff is OK, just expensive.

If your diet is currently lacking in fresh fruit and veg then any fruit and veg, including frozen, is an improvement.

And, to be healthy, you need far more veg than fruit.

We get a wonky veg box delivered from a localish farm shop, great for not buying the same things over and over fresh, no wax etc have to clean the mud off pretty cheap too

You can find local veg box schemes if you google it for your local big town/city, or sometimes you might find local community gardens selling their produce to the public at a good price. There use to be a forager's website for members to pinpoint locations for finding apples/pears/blackberries/plums/walnuts/sweet chestnuts etc.. I know a few places where to find some in my area. I only find out after walking around the city all over over the decades I've lived here.

I seem to be saying this on just about every food thread at the moment, but frozen fruit is a really good option! https://www.iceland.co.uk/frozen/frozen-desserts-fruit-and-pastry/frozen-fruit-smoothies-and-ice Much less wasteful than fresh stuff, and because it's flash frozen it seals in a lot more flavour.

We have an excellent local market near us which has about five stalls all selling seasonal & local fruit/veg. Much cheaper than supermarkets or farmers markets. I worked in agriculture for years, so I know what should be in season - and it always tastes better than say, asparagus shipped in from Peru in the middle of winter. The seasonal list @henrysugar12 posted is spot on - and you will notice the difference!

I assume you don't have a street market near you? I get mine there for not much.

Any chance you could consider growing your own? You can plant quite a lot in even a tiny patch.

Re supermarket fruit & veg, I almost bankrupted myself doing a weekly shop at Waitrose a couple of months ago. After vowing I wouldn't shop there again, I found the fruit and veg I'd bought annoyingly tasty - much better quality than my usual supermarket. So I may consider going back just for fruit and veg (which isn't actually that different in price anyway).

Look for ethnic markets, they usually sell ripe fruit and veg.

I'm going to be honest. I've worked in farmshops and much of the produce is bought from market and unless in season it will be from abroad too. There are two farmshops by me and they buy it all in. Although this time of year things like root veg, sprouts, spuds and the like are in season so more likely to be local but if not definitely British. You can easily find out online what produce is in season and buy accordingly but please don't be fooled in to thinking everything sold at a farmshop is grown on the farm or very local.

Earlier in the year Waitrose were massively reducing the price of their soft fruit a day before the sell by date, we'd had a lot of rain and people weren't having picnics etc, I bought strawberries and raspberries and finished them almost three weeks later when they were still in better condition than some I've had from Lidl etc.

Supermarket fruit and veg is perfectly healthy.

@sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea I forgot about frozen fruit! I quite like eating some when it's part defrosted, it's a bit like sorbet then.

Yes, supermarket stuff is fine. I just make sure I clean the fruit before eating.

Supermarket fruit and veg is perfectly fine.

I don't see any issue with supermarket produce as long as its in season and is cleaned properly before use.

Frozen fruit and veg is usually of a higher nutritional value than its fresh equivalent as its generally frozen before transport so will be fresher in reality.

So I buy most of my veg frozen (plus saves on waste because it lasts longer) and then just buy my fruit fresh as I need it based on what's in season. Its just a bit dearer in winter..

Also you can easily freeze fresh stuff yourself. For example I love Crown Prince Squash but they're huge so we buy one, peel & chop it up & freeze it in cubes. It can then be used for months straight from the freezer in casseroles, traybakes etc.
Same with some fruit - overripe bananas can be frozen in their skins & used in baking; berries can be frozen & used in smoothies, jam, baking etc.

@henrysugar12 I love stirring frozen berries into yoghurt! It ever so slightly defrosts, but it keeps that brilliant crispness. My kids are addicted to frozen grapes too - their favourite ones are in season at the moment. I think they're called Jaffa candy grapes?

https://www.crowdfarming.com/en/search?tab=all&categories=fruits This is quite an interesting site, it's basically small farmers across Europe selling direct. The boxes are LARGE, but really good value if you have friends who'll go in with you (think £25 for 10kg of mango!). I've used them before, and they've been really good, very quick & you get notified when your order is ready to be picked, etc.)

@Lavender14 l

"I don't see any issue with supermarket produce as long as its in season and is cleaned properly before use."

You really don't understand how supermarkets work, do you?

OP, the other good practice is to have as wide a range of fruit & veg as possible, different colours and categories. Keeping it seasonal and local, this month in the UK, you could have

potatoes
carrots
onions
leeks
Parsnips
swede
sweetcorn
broccoli
Purple sprouting
cabbage
Garlic,
Chillies (greenhouse)
Lettuce (greenhouse)
Beetroot
salad onions
mushrooms
apples
pears
chestnuts
hazel nuts