i think part of why i go for unblemished stuff in the shops is because i don't know how long it's been there before i get there. i will choose tomatos with blemishes - provided that are still very firm. marks on skin on citrus fruits don't worry me - but bananas i'm very picky about - and the same with apples/pears and stone fruit. i think it's because i know the blemishes on skin of citrus doesn't impact the quality underneath, but on apples etc, it does. spuds in the shops, i look for the better/unmarked ones - but if i go direct to the spud farm, i'll buy the damaged ones that have recently been picked (and save myself a small fortune)
we grow some of the most warped looking tomatos! blemishes there don't worry me at all - but then, i KNOW how fresh it is.
my SIL used to work fresh produce for one of the two big stores - he comments on how long food sits there kinda made me realise that the "fresh" produce really isn't that fresh - and i got more and more picky...
I look for fruit with blemishes- generally, any fruit with a few little spots on it is that little bit sweeter (a tip from my dad's Sri Lankan neighbour).
I think it's a bit cheeky of Coles to say that their customers expect the best. Expect it? They have no choice when that is all Coles gives them to buy in the first place. Blemishes on fruit and vege is different to obvious bruising of the fruit/vege, where you know that the bruise means that the flesh under the skin will be no good but a lot of the other blemishes could be something as little as an imperfect colour. Like with bananas, a bruise will look diiferent to the 'blemishes' caused as the fruit ripens further. I read just the other day about bananas and how they are airbrushed to a solid yellow colour for print media so they look perfect, but how many times do you actually see a solid yellow banana in the shop? You don't.
^ I agree, Trillian. There's a difference between a 'blemish' and a bruise/rotting spot. I'm quite happy to take fruit and veg that isn't 'perfect', providing the quality of the edible bits are good... and if I plan to use the fruit/veg very soon, I'll even take stuff that I know is on its way out - if it'll get eaten before it's gone yuck, it's fine by me. I don't expect fresh produce to be 'perfect', but I do expect it to be of reasonable freshness and quality... Would I seem silly if I confess that I actually enjoy digging through crates of fruit and veg looking for odd shapes and 'unique'-looking food? I think it's funny to find a tomato that has a big knobble on one side, kwim? I'm only eating it, not presenting it in an art gallery, so I don't worry much about what it looks like provided it's safe to eat
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