RE: [Rawschool] Seeded vs. seedless fruits

[Guest guest]

Sure Laurie!

 

Almost all fruit available today is hybridized to at least an extent. Some

fruits are

considerably more hybridized than others. And in some cases, the hybridization

is done with the

specific intent to alter fundamental characteristics of a food. Here are a

couple of examples:

 

1. Heirloom tomatoes are all hybrids, with nearly 7000 varieties in existing

last time I

checked. Each hybrid is the creation of a particular farmer, blending existing

varieties to

produce desired effects...higher or lower acidity, " meatier " or more " watery "

texture, and so

forth. But throughout all such hybridization of which I am aware, the basic

shape, flavor,

seededness, and various other defining characteristics of tomatoes remain

unaltered. To my

knowledge, all heirloom tomatoes have seeds, they are fully capable of

reproducing themselves.

Were this not the case, the line (type) would be lost; it would be

" self-extincting " . So

heirloom tomatoes are generally viable in Nature, they are strong enough to

survive on their

own.

 

2. All oranges are also hybrids. The original, underlying fruit family is

tangerines. If you

bite into almost any tangerine, it is loaded with seeds. The line will continue

indefinitely.

Now juice oranges, such as the Valencia variety, typically have at least a few

seeds. Navels

typically have none, they are a " seedless " variety. All oranges are weaker than

tangerines; they

need much more " care " and " support " to survive. And navels are much weaker in

Nature than even

Valencias; they are more fragile. Were people to stop propping them up with

additives, they

would , in all likelihood, self-extinct within a fairly short time period.

 

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to alter such a fundamental

characteristic as

reproductive capacity in any creature, whether plant or animal, without

seriously undermining

the overall viability of that creature. It suffers from many diminished

capacities, it is more

vulnerable (usually much more) to predators. Another way of saying this is that

it possesses

diminished vital capacity, literally less capacity to live. Ultimately, the

drive and capacity

to reproduce are fundamental to all life; any species that loses either this

drive or this

capacity becomes extinct.

 

So for use there are at least two issues to consider:

 

1. The nutritional value of any fruit reflects the underlying biological or

vital capacity of

the plant, on which it grows, to function in Nature. Where that capacity is

diminished, so is

the food value of the fruit. Therefore, when we choose to purchase and eat

seedless fruits, we

are choosing something that is " less than a full glass " , so to speak.

 

2. From an ethical perspective, when we buy seedless fruits, we are voting for

production of

intentionally weakened varieties. Perhaps we better serve ourselves and the

planet by choosing

to vote for stronger, viable, self-sustaining varieties.

 

Hope this is helpful!

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

 

_____

 

Rawschool [Rawschool ] On Behalf Of

las_lala

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 1:28 PM

[Rawschool] seeded vs. seedless watermelon (was Re: Kidney Stones)

 

 

..

 

<http://geo./serv?s=97359714 & grpId=15120587 & grpspId=1600060950 & msgId=91\

59 & stime=1153341

065> More, please. :-)

 

Thank you,

 

Laurie