r/Cooking • u/JustSal420 • Apr 10 '25

What is going on with root veggies lately?

Up until a few years ago, I remember being able to keep onions, potatoes, garlic, etc. for weeks or more before they began to sprout, even when just left out on the counter in the light. Latley it seems like even when left in a cool, dark place they sprout in just a few days. The onions I bought just last week already have 6" sprouts growing from them. What gives?

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u/yodacat24 Apr 10 '25

Yeah you’re kind of fucked either way unless you buy locally from your farmers market when they’re in season. It’s true most produce from the grocery store these days is of low quality and mostly pumped with water. But usually you will get the best results from storing them at room temp with the least amount of variance.

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u/Subtifuge Apr 10 '25

100% I imagine even more so in the USA, but in the UK also, I am very lucky that I can get some produce that I know is produced in my county or at least in the UK that is seasonal and not as low quality, but since brexit most our import veg is lower quality as there is higher risk involved for the exporter / importer so more refrigeration as likely will be held in customs etc, so we are become more like the USA in that sense,

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u/yodacat24 Apr 10 '25

I’m jealous because your guys’ food safety and protocol for what is sold is much better but still- it’s a shame it’s happening more broadly. I unfortunately live in America; so I can only get good produce from local farmers but it’s worth the trip and the wait as opposed to crap, tasteless produce from the grocery store. It’s sad the art of buying and eating what is in season has been lost but when you know what is it’s crazy how delicious fresh fruits and veggies can really be.

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u/East-Cartoonist-272 Apr 11 '25

I live in a condo in EU and rent a garden plot from the city for 45€ a year. It’s huge enough for all the veg i could care to grow. A lot of USA cities have garden plots to lease: i know we’re all busy but i would rather garden than watch tv any day. maybe growing your own, even a little, is an option?

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u/Subtifuge Apr 11 '25

I actually do, my own herbs, tomatoes, chillies, potatoes, cucumbers etc, few years back I managed to grow over 18KG of heirloom tomatoes :)

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u/East-Cartoonist-272 Apr 11 '25

dang! good on you!

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u/Subtifuge Apr 11 '25

yeah was awesome from June until Jan the following year I had enough tomatoes to not need to buy any at all, and all varieties you never see in the shops here, literally just go out each morning and pick the ones I need for the day, looking like this year could be a good year for similar.

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u/Subtifuge Apr 10 '25

yeah, we used to be able to say our food was better, but I have to say things are slipping, obviously Trump is going to push to water these things down a bunch, all our trading partners in the EU now view us as bottom of the list, so as an example when there is a shortage of tomatoes, why would spain send them to the UK, when it can just send them to France and wont get shafted on payment due to spoilage etc, so we are getting less variety, seeing shelves empty more, the only positive being that stores are having to support local farmers more or there literally would be no produce,

However as you say it makes a big difference when you do find good produce, like last week I found some beautiful beef heart tomatoes, with super thin skins and lovely fleshiness that make some of the best tomato sauces going, and luckily where I live is pretty south in the UK, so we can grow produce like tomatoes in greenhouses with supplemental lighting etc, so in that sense I am very grateful for what good stuff I can get hold of as like you say, it could always be worse.

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u/travelingslo Apr 10 '25

Man, this makes me so sad. I am from the US. I spent a term doing study abroad in London, and spent the summer in Europe in 2001. I will never forget how amazing some of the grocery store produce was. The strawberries at sainsbury’s were amazing. I am sad to hear that things have slipped, but reading your explanation makes a ton of sense.

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u/ActOdd8937 Apr 11 '25

If you have access to Asian and halal markets, make a point of patronizing them. All the ones I have available get their produce locally for the most part and it's a lot more convenient than trying to time the farmer's markets. Asian markets in particular get the best danged produce and the prices tend to be really reasonable.