Does size matter?

[Biloute]

No no no ! This thread is not about what you think, naughty you!
I am talking about the calibrated fruits and vegetables that we find, lined up like little soldiers, on the shelves of our supermarkets.
Does an apple have to be 6,857 +/- 0.142 centimeters in diameter to be acceptable?
Here, we are fortunate to have local producers who sell, for a very good price, uncalibrated fruit that has been rejected by this elitist system in terms of size.
Thus, we buy all our meat and all our fresh and excellent quality fruits and vegetables directly from cooperatives, which also allows producers to earn a better living since there is neither the wholesalers' margin nor the transport fee.
How do you do your shopping?

[Blaze]

We buy our veg straight from one of two bio farms near here so things come in all shapes and sizes which makes the much more interesting ! We are also fortunate to be given apples and pears by friends with lots of trees, and we grow some soft fruits ourselves (strawberries, raspberries etc).

[niemeyjt]

With that heading, I thought it was an entirely different topic under discussion.

I was going to say "Of course it does".

Have you tried hanging wallpaper without it?

[Doug]

Iv'e always said its not what youv'e got its what you do with it.
As for fruit and veg, we go to our local market on Sunday mornings, lots of store holders with very good local grown produce.

[niemeyjt]

I always buy the cheap big bags of Class 2 apples in the supermarket - once they have been through the juicer you cannot tell what class the fruit was.

So no, it does not matter.

[Hotrodder]

Couldn't care less about size or shape as long as its not expensive. That usually rules out anything we find in the weekly markets, and there are no co-op type things near us. Its Lidl usually for that sort of thing. If it doesn't look very good or comes from abroad we usually do without. Would love to support local producers but until we have comparable income to them we can't do it.

[Pathca]

Morrison’s in the UK do a range of wonky veg and fruit
A friend went glamming on a farm and as part of it they had a tour of the farm. The perfectly shaped steaks went to Waitrose,the not so perfect to Aldi!

[exile]

We grow much of our fruit and veg and what we don't or can't grow we tend to buy from our local supermarket or our less than local greengrocer.

The supermarket prides itself in selling local produce where possible often naming the grower and I have to say I had not really noticed the uniformity of the produce, indeed sometimes it is rather less than uniform.

[Bayleaf]

As mentioned elsewhere, size and shape doesn't matter - but price usually does. Eating apples are an exception, 'cos no-one likes a fluffy apple! Bananas are usually only available in supermarkets, and we do grow easier stuff at home and share it with the wildlife ...

This Saturday there is a small fête des pommes et châtaigner in our nearby town, St Yrieix La Perche. Local growers put crates of apples down, and you help yourself and fill a 5kg bag for a tenner or so, depending on the variety. This is the only place I've discovered a small apple called Opel - and it's the best apple I've ever tasted. They are available direct from the apple "factory" just the other side of St Yrieix, but the smallest quantity is a box of 13kg for 26€! I may have to start a syndicate for that!!

[niemeyjt]

This is the only place I've discovered a small apple called Opel - and it's the best apple I've ever tasted. They are available direct from the apple "factory" just the other side of St Yrieix, but the smallest quantity is a box of 13kg for 26€! I may have to start a syndicate for that!!

This - http://www.opalapples.com/ ?

or https://www.bienmanger.com/1F36894_Pomm ... e_Bio.html