Slightly off-topic but extremely relevant. The elementary school I used to work at in a large, poor urban area had a garden and 2-3 days a week the garden would be tended. From K-5th grade, each group of kids did age-appropriate tasks on the garden and they overwhelmingly looked forward to garden time each week. They grew a variety of climate and season appropriate produce and during the winter, there was an indoor “garden” (spices and a few other things that could be easily grown inside). During harvesting season, local people came in to show the kids simple, healthy things that can be made with the produce. Extra harvested veggies were given to the students to take home.
With all the stupid things that we make school age kids do, it blows my mind that this is not something we’re funding and mandating for every single school in the US.
Why do we prefer looking at blemish-free skin v pimples?
Billions of dollars and years decades of brainwashing?
I mean, it’s likely not natural. It used to be that pasty white and thicker bodies were ideal. Now billions are spent on tanning and get thin quick schemes.
Tans & weight norms are cultural preferences, not bacterial infections. Show me a culture that prefers pimples over blemish-free skin.
That’s not necessarily an accurate comparison. I’m sure there are cultures out there that don’t place a lot of emphasis on whether or not skin is blemished or not. Just like even those of us who don’t mind the blemished fruit probably wouldn’t go out of our way to find the blemished fruit.
Please name a culture that does not prefer blemish-free skin. Even cultures that deliberately “adorn” skin w tattoos or keloid scarification likely prefer a blemish-free palette.
Blemish makes it vulnerable to rot. Even before it goes rotten, blemish tastes different, not good. I wouldn’t buy produce with blemishes knowingly. If blemishes are large, you have to cut out a lot. Why get 80% for the full price? I don’t know how’s this is even a question.
I don’t mind misshapen (organic corn w irregular kernel rows) or exotically colored (purple carrots) produce, but I don’t want blemishes. Like @iglooo sez, blemish is a precursor to rot.
Those ugly summer tomatoes are usually the best.
I’d take a less than perfect looking man who was sweet and a had a personality over the perfect looking, boring, plain vanilla men. Same goes for my fruits and veggies. 
It’s more like freckles than pimples.
I listened to something on NPR this week that was talking about how when we made all our vegetables look beautiful (in particular by making them less apt to bruise during shipping) you not only get rid of the taste, you also get rid of a lot of the nutrients.
Whenever our supermarkets sell locally grown “ugly tomatoes,” those fruits are not discounted at all. Even the ugly tomatoes at the farmer’s markets I have been to command a high price.
Are these simply irregularly shaped, perhaps w growth scars? I don’t have any issues w that.
I associate “blemishes” w insect/ fungal damage. Yuck.
U haven’t seen “perfect” produce until you’ve been to japan-- scary…
When I think ugly tomatoes, I talking misshapen, scarred, might even have a nose. Definitely not perfectly round. Insect damage to me is different and I’d cull those out if I am buying. If I was growing my own, those with insect/soft spots, I’d cut out and use for sauces.
Post #32, I’ve heard of the melons from Japan. Interesting, none of my homegrown tomatoes are ugly, no weir shape ever. How do you get weird shape? The only time I had problem is blossom end rot.
The melons do look perfect. I remember ordering melon seeds and the catalog did mention that this the variety for perfect Japanese melon but the taste was not as good.
Yes! What doschicos said!
Again, there is a huge difference between a blemish and a spot that is going bad.
I’ve never noticed a “blemish” fruit going bad quicker than others… then again, produce rarely sits around my house long enough to go bad
You know it’s a slow day when we’re debating the roundness of tomatoes & melons… Maybe there’s a regulatory job waiting for us in the EU.
Do you get this nagging feeling that we’re in a thread inside this thread?
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1774244-why-is-this-a-thread-p1.html
There’s a clear difference between " ugly" as in less perfect shape and color and in bruised and damaged produce.
Damaged cells rot faster. I will buy produce with skin imperfections but not bruises. Having grown up picking berries, I understand the dichotomy between taste and shipping qualities. That doesn’t mean I’ll buy rotting blackberries.