[r0m4n0]

The article hinted to this toward the end but less water makes for better tasting watermelons. I moved from CA to NY and noticed that the watermelons were sourced from Florida when I moved. Watermelons from Florida taste so much worse than CA. Hit or miss on good ones, I’d literally throw out 90% of them (or blend for juice).

Something else I’ve noticed is that you basically can’t find normal seeded watermelons anymore. Do stores and growers not produce them anymore because they don’t sell? I miss how much better those tasted as well, and their shape. It’s interesting how the demand for certain types of produce in areas can make it basically impossible to get a variety. Most grocery stores now carry the same types of produce in the US, it makes for rather boring cooking (ignoring specialty stores and co-ops that are hard to find outside of cities)

[da_chicken]

That's not the amount of water, or FL vs CA.

It's because you now live 1,000 miles away from where they were grown. Fruit that needs to survive that much travel isn't going to taste very good because it needs to be harvested early and it needs to not be bruised when it finally gets to the store.

Nearly all your fresh fruit is going to suck compared to what you got in CA. The exceptions are going to be apples and cherries.

[ars]

That simply isn't true. It takes less than a day to drive 1,000 miles. So how early exactly are you talking?

It takes exactly the same effort and time to pack something for 100 miles as for 1,000 miles.

But there is a difference! Stuff shipped a long way costs more in shipping, so they'll ship the best stuff, because the can charge the most for it.

So actually far away places get the best produce, and CA is left with the cheaper stuff that isn't worth selling far away.

[skeeter2020]

>> But there is a difference! Stuff shipped a long way costs more in shipping, so they'll ship the best stuff, because the can charge the most for it

This is not always true. If the "best" is delicate or easily damaged they sell it locally at a big discount and ship the tougher ones further. A good example is lobster; the best is sold cheaper near where it is caught while the oldest, toughest and most durable is shipped around the world at a huge premium.

[ars]

Do you have a citation on this? Because I did some research/reading, and this appears untrue.

The best lobster is shipped - the only benefit of being local is lower prices, because you don't have to pay for shipping.

[Ericson2314]

It makes no sense in these terms I agree, but the produce in NYC absolute does suck compared to SF. And the restaurants likewise barely with dishes emphasizing vegetables either unless you shell out a lot of money.

I dunno what's going on but it's a bummer.

[kortilla]

FL to NY is half a day on a truck. That’s not the reason.

[lotsofpulp]

I would not move away from the west coast for this reason alone.

[pronlover723]

As someone that's lived in Japan and France I miss good produce, something I rarely find in California (SF/LA). I get that California's produce might be better than the rest of the USA but it's only so-so compared to many other places.

[mgerdts]

Seeded watermelons have gone extinct in the mass market grocers in my area. They are available (when in season locally) at the co-op I shop at, as well as at farmers markets. I'm not sure if it is the fact that they are seeded or that they may be a variety that doesn't need to travel 1000 miles that makes them taste better.

[eru]

> Something else I’ve noticed is that you basically can’t find normal seeded watermelons anymore.

We can still get them in eg Singapore just fine.

[snarfy]

Oranges are in a similar situation. All I can find are navals, which are gross.

[lotsofpulp]

Cara cara oranges in Dec to Feb months are nice.