organic, non-organic and taste...

[Eric D]

I'm not sure if this is the right group but I expect that some here can give advice.

Often when I eat non-organic vegetables raw I think I can taste the pesticides. There is a stinging sensation in my mouth even though I've washed them thoroughly.

I'm trying to turn to organic but so far that seems to taste like manure smells or maybe the smell is just overwhelming.

Are there any organically grown vegetables that don't have this flaw or does anyone have any suggestions.

thanks Eric

[Steve Young]

"Eric D" wrote

Yes, probably so Eric, ( [e-mail]) though several other groups may be better suited:

rec.gardens rec.gardens.edible uk.rec.gardening

I've taken the liberty to include 'rec.gardens.edible' in this discussion.

Just because they aren't certified organic, doesn't mean they contain pesticides, nor would it mean that manures weren't used on the soils. In fact, non-organic farming may not compost the manures at all and spread directly onto the fields. Even organically grown foods may contain pesticides. (ever taste chrysanthemum? ;)

Organic / non-organic delineation is not drawn by manures and pesticides. And as another has stated, manure for organic growing is composted and the resulting material is absent any of its odor. Perhaps something else is at play here?, like the stronger, more robust flavors from organic produce?

Steve Young

[Billy]

Problem is that this question resonates with one asked every year by a guy who asks about canned fruit smelling rotten. But for the moment I'll suspend my better judgement.

Simple test. Have someone give you the same vegetables (one organic, the other not) in a blind tasting. Keep score of correct vs. incorrect. 50% would be blind luck.

The tongue can only taste sweet, sour (acid), salty, and bitter. All other flavors are composites made by your nose. Salt, acid, and thorns would give a sharp pain on the tongue.

Hope this helps.

[rossr35253]

It may be that many organically grown vegetables are also heirloom varieties which, in many cases, are more flavourful than modern hybrids. That being said, if one took a package of certified organic seeds, planted and raised half those seeds using organically accepted methods and the other half using normal, non-organic methods, I don't believe anyone could tell, by taste alone, which of the resulting produce was organic and which was not.

Ross

[David Hare-Scott]

A very odd perception.

So is this one.

As another suggested do a blind taste test and see if you still have the same experience. You would need to do quite a few samples (not just one of each kind) for this to be reliable and of course all should be quality fresh produce washed in water from the same source. Ideally it should be double-blind, that is the person who administers the test and keeps the records does not know which is which.

I am taking this at face value but feel a little suspicious that it might not be a report of fact.

David

[David Hare-Scott]

Not having yet seen any good evidence to the contrary I think you are very probably right.

David

[George.com]

discussion.

I suspect an amount of the taste argument actually comes down to eating things fresh and seasonal rather than things artifically ripened or stored for longish periods. For example, a ripe apple off the tree most often tastes better to me than the same variety cool stored for weeks on end.

rob

[Carol]

We on the autism spectrum, like the fellow you're thinking of, often have hyperaware senses; ie, chances are canned fruit IS slightly rotten, but very few sense it. In any case I suspect you'll be seeing more and more similar questions in the gardening groups, as more people turn to organic. The difference in taste between fresh organic and "other" does tend to highlight any oddities, in my experience. Most of the posters won't be as obsessive as the canned fruit questioner, but the only answer many times may be "if it tastes bad, don't eat it." Pretty good advice all around, actually.

[Billy]

Fair enough but this poster started out by complaining of a stinging sensation which was attributed to the food being organic or not. (I'm too tired right now to look up the exact quote.) Organics do seem to have more phyto-nutrients but how this relates to the poster's reaction is beyond me.

Thanks for your observation.

[doofy]

I think carrots might be a different animal. If you have always eaten non-organic, it might be hard to taste the absence of chemicals, but if you're used to tasting clean food, that chemical taste will definitely pop out. Does for me anyway.

[McGerm]

If I boil this down this discussion is about:

1. Does organic food taste better than conventional?
2. Do some organic foods have an 'overly earthy' flavor and can you taste pesticides or off flavor in conventional foods?

1. Scientifically in controlled blind taste tastes of foods of the same variety, from the same locality, and of the same storage life ...No difference in taste. -BUT- In marketing studies by various organic organizations and food companies, consumers say overwhelming that organic foods taste better. This difference has been ascribed to being part real and part perceived. The REAL component is that in the store the organic produce tends to be more local and fresher at the in season times of the year. The PERCEIVED component is that since it costs more it must be of better quality all of the time.

2. Tougher one to answer, but it probably comes down to some people being super tasters, 1000 taste buds per square centimeter, and everyone else having about 40-200 taste buds per square centimeter. Most chefs tend to be super tasters, the professional panels at food companies are all certified super tasters, and if you cannot stomach the taste of salty, fatty, and sugary foods or if broccoli is nauseatingly bitter to you ... you may be a super taster.

Me, I love the taste of broccoli and do not know how anyone could call it bitter. For me I would say it has a sweet green flavor like canned peas or cooked spinach. I guess that means that I am probably a non- taster with only 40 taste buds per square centimeter.