Tomatoes for sale

[James Curry]

I was in M&S earlier and came upon some tomatoes. After looking at them I started to feel a panic coming on, but the price of them calmed me down. Those big ones were £1 each, and a little pack of cherry tomatoes were £2.50.
On Tuesday I was in Sainsburys, they had cherry tomatoes at £1 a pack, so I allowed panic to set in and got three packs Two packs are in the fridge and will last us for a week.
I find this panic buying quite exciting, might go again tomorrow.

May be the ones in M&S are Moneymaker

[Des Taff Jenkins]

When I was a kid many moons ago all our veg came from the garden or allotment, we never had veg out of season, the only tinned stuff my mother would buy was peas. Today one can get anything anytime, but we still complain about how much they cost, maybe we are overfed these days.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Now James, what is wrong with Tomatoes in the fridge.
Here in Oz just about every thing goes in there, even the beer glasses do.
Who wants warm beer??

[Tony Taylor]

Post #4. I wonder if you can recall the Clyde Valley Tomato growers. Lovely small tomatoes with a minty taste. I thought it was the Arabs hiking up the price of oil that finished them but from this report various other factors.
Bill.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22516609

The nicest tasting ones I have had came from the Isle of Wight but are obviously grown under glass so are very expensive now. There are several areas in Scotland that are noted for soft fruit and I sometimes wondered why not tomatoes as their season maybe a bit longer.
I was a very regular visitor to Aberdeen in my last job and I always used to be fascinated by all the polytunnels on the valley side running between Perth and Dundee. The slope of the valley was perfect for catching the sun, all day from east to west.

[Keith Tindell]

as i said in a previous post, we are all used to seeing many tropical fruits and veg on our shelves, but to eat tomatoes or the scottish raspberries in season is beautiful, but most of this stuff in the supermarket has no real taste. who has eaten a decent strawberry of late, except in the height of our summer. most fruit shipped here is picked well before its ripe, to allow for travel, anyone who has eaten a pineapple on your travels abroad knows how wonderful it can be, but don't expect the ones in our supermarket to taste anything like it. i grow my own veg, and to eat potatoes straight out of the soil and cooked is a world apart , same with carrots, peas, cabbage etc.

- - - Updated - - -

To add to the above, anyone who grow their own veg, try a tomato called *sungold*, they are really something again.

[Johnny Kieran]

Oh dear Johnny , keeping Toms in the fridge !!!

Yes James, stops them going off too quickly. Get a couple out before you use em and let em warm up a bit, lubly jubly

I've quite enjoyed a bit if panic, it's the only excitement I get these days.

[James Curry]

#13 Well John, https://youtu.be/x6bFTVi0hHs so why would tomatoes not lose their flavour over night
Big difference John when drinking an ice cold beer, (again lacking in flavour) when the temperature is 30 degs+than when it is mid summer here and a balmy 15 degs and p-issing down
I keep apples & oranges in the fridge for two reasons. I like the crunch of an apple and the chill of an orange. Other reason is because most super markets have multi pack buys supposed to be cheaper but at least they stay reasonably fresh for longer.

I believe supermarkets are trying to uneducate people now. Before the pandemic a lot of supermarkets did have wet fish counters and also a butchers they closed them during the Pandemic a lot have they just left them closed. So if you continue to shop in Supermarkets it is prepack meats & fish. Rarely will you see the likes of kidneys, liver or heart on offer. I cannot remember the last time I saw oxtail. I often go to Birkenhead market especially for meat & fish you pay more yes but you have a better selection.

Concerning beers & including guinness, seriously these days it is that cold I ask a bar man to pull me two pints of guinness at a time and then just slowly drink them when they warm up. I want a guinness not a lollypop.
I will put a bottle of red wine into a fridge for 15 minutes. My son goes mad, Dad ffs!!! you never chill Red wine it should be served at room temperature, yes that is supposed to be the acceted practice but if the room temperature is greater than 15 or 18 degs why not pop it in the fridge for a bit.

Hope the link works, just a trip down memory lane, Lonnie Donegan video.

[Tony Taylor]

#13 Well John, https://youtu.be/x6bFTVi0hHs so why would tomatoes not lose their flavour over night
Big difference John when drinking an ice cold beer, (again lacking in flavour) when the temperature is 30 degs+than when it is mid summer here and a balmy 15 degs and p-issing down
I keep apples & oranges in the fridge for two reasons. I like the crunch of an apple and the chill of an orange. Other reason is because most super markets have multi pack buys supposed to be cheaper but at least they stay reasonably fresh for longer.

I believe supermarkets are trying to uneducate people now. Before the pandemic a lot of supermarkets did have wet fish counters and also a butchers they closed them during the Pandemic a lot have they just left them closed. So if you continue to shop in Supermarkets it is prepack meats & fish. Rarely will you see the likes of kidneys, liver or heart on offer. I cannot remember the last time I saw oxtail. I often go to Birkenhead market especially for meat & fish you pay more yes but you have a better selection.

Concerning beers & including guinness, seriously these days it is that cold I ask a bar man to pull me two pints of guinness at a time and then just slowly drink them when they warm up. I want a guinness not a lollypop.
I will put a bottle of red wine into a fridge for 15 minutes. My son goes mad, Dad ffs!!! you never chill Red wine it should be served at room temperature, yes that is supposed to be the acceted practice but if the room temperature is greater than 15 or 18 degs why not pop it in the fridge for a bit.

Hope the link works, just a trip down memory lane, Lonnie Donegan video.

I have right now got lambs liver in my freezer, bought it fresh 10 days ago, we ate the calfs' liver the butcher gave us as freebie as it was the last piece on the tray. I could go right now and buy pigs, calfs' and lambs liver, along with ox hearts, tongues and tails, tripe also if that's your liking, along with pigs trotters, shoulder bacon (which you rarely see in supermarket) as well as other cuts you never see in the supermarket.

[Johnny Kieran]

as i said in a previous post, we are all used to seeing many tropical fruits and veg on our shelves, but to eat tomatoes or the scottish raspberries in season is beautiful, but most of this stuff in the supermarket has no real taste. who has eaten a decent strawberry of late, except in the height of our summer. most fruit shipped here is picked well before its ripe, to allow for travel, anyone who has eaten a pineapple on your travels abroad knows how wonderful it can be, but don't expect the ones in our supermarket to taste anything like it. i grow my own veg, and to eat potatoes straight out of the soil and cooked is a world apart , same with carrots, peas, cabbage etc.

- - - Updated - - -

To add to the above, anyone who grow their own veg, try a tomato called *sungold*, they are really something again.

You're right there Keith, you can't beat anything grown in the garden for taste, especially tomatoes. Last years were the best I ever tasted, even through all that hot weather we had. Can't wait to get started again. Even the best tomatoes from supermarkets only have a slight taste.

[James Curry]

I wanted to make a steak & kidney pie the other day. treid several supermarkets, could not get any kidney or liver. Asked why they had no offal. Answer no one buys it. Me being Mr happy said if you don't stock it you cannot buy it. We sell ready made pies in the chill section. Stick your ready made pies mate.

We were out for a drive the other day and stopped in a village as I spotted a butchers. Got the kidneys and as you said Tony there was all sorts of cuts of meats & offal you very rarely see in supermarkets here in the UK. Thankfully we have a good big market in Birkenhead. You pay a bit more but at least you can get what you want.
Let's get back to the days of high street shopping, let's support our local traders and Tesco can shove (their every little helps)