[gardener247]

as space is limited in my garden i was just wondering what crops do you find dont taste a whole lot better than those in the shops? i know all crops taste better because they are fresh but what ones aren't amazingly different?

[mumofstig]

IMO  onions and potatoes (apart from the new homegrown ones which are amazing) are not worth growing in a small space.

[peapod]

Spuds, peas, beans, toms and parsnips for me were a revelation

[earthing83]

I would agree with mumofstig. I also have very limited raised bed space and last year grew a lot of onions and some potatoes. Although they did well and tasted good, they do take up a lot of room and the difference in taste (to shop bought) was not enough to do it again. Especially compared to carrots, beans, young courgette etc.
 Also they are fairly cheap in shops anyway, I would advise to grow things that you love and that are also expensive when shop bought  

[viettaclark]

Try Swiss chard. You can keep cutting it, the stalks are lush and the greens are great. It grows all year....I've just had some in a salad today! And you can just leave it to get on with it. Can't buy it anywhere (why?) Wonderful!

[Lardman]

I've said before I can't see the point in main crop spuds.... but Onions MOS ? I haven't tasted a good shop bought onion for years  (even if mine were pants last year).

Chard wilts really quickly / badly. You'll find small leaves in mixed salads but I don't think I've ever seen larger leaves in the supermarket. Certainly worth the space, as you say I've still got smaller leaves to pick even now.

I hate to say it but cabbage would also be taken off the list if space is really at a premium.

[savbo]

fresh carrots are also a much better taste. And just-picked sweetcorn is like a different vegetable!

[prakash_mib]

as space is limited in my garden i was just wondering what crops do you find dont taste a whole lot better than those in the shops? i know all crops taste better because they are fresh but what ones aren't amazingly different?

All you get is a penny worth of satisfaction on challenging veggies.
In the last year growth I harvested 4 fings.
1.brocolli - didnt taste wonderfully different but slightly better
2. toms - nature didnt let them ripen and I had to pluck green and make curries and they did tasted better (not the best though)
3. Cues - Yes they are class apart. You wouldnt want to touch the shrink wrapped one again but we still buy them 
4. Strawberry - had 4 from one plant and havent bought strawberry from supermarket in 9 months.
There you go.. change is in the air.

On cost.
I did once bought rhubarb 3 stalks for 2 quid and i have one crown at patch which gave me atleast 12-15 stalks and they didnt cost much.
2 cobs cost £1.99 (best) or £1.66 (value) still everybody says cob to pan straght would taste a world apart (slurping.... never had one)

[JayG]

Top of the list for me when it comes to taste and texture compared to the supermarket version is sweetcorn. :happy:

Unfortunately it comes near the bottom of the list when it comes to the amount you get from the space taken up. 

[Sweet Pea 2]

Raspberries, new potatoes, runner beans esp. in a small space, you can pick the beans much younger than the supermarkets and they are fairly expensive.  Of course you will have space after the new potatoes are up, maybe plant some leeks or swede after that, but the leeks need to be started around now in a cold frame.  Carrots and Parsnips (if I could actually gropw a parsnip) worth their space too.  Not convinced by Swiss Chard, but my husband likes it, so we will do more of those too.  Peas are better but take up an awul lot of space.  I was shocked my the space Brocolli took up.

[GreenOwl]

I'm with Mum, onions are maincrop potatoes don't taste enough better to use space on them if its limited.

I don't have much space in the garden either and I gave up on brassicas generally.  I stuck to early pots, peas, beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, cucumbers and lettuce.  And an experiment every year.  (however, now I have an allotment...... which I haven't posted about yet because I know piccies are needed).

[Goosegirl]

I find calabrese, sweetcorn and early spuds great. Other things are better and it's more convenient to just dig up than buy in a rather wilted state. Taste is subjective - I cannot grow flavoursome tomatoes, and again it depends on the variety of veg you try and your soil.

[Dill The Dog]

I think one of the best sort of crops for taste difference, money saving, easy to grow, large crop from small space (even using containers) and for easy storage of surplus (freezing), has got to be beans. Especially runner and climbing french/fine beans.

They also have the bonus of looking attractive when in flower and they won't cost a penny the following year if you keep back a few beans for drying and sowing.

[strangerachael]

small, freshly picked broad beans are hard to beat

[dougsta]

I think one of the best sort of crops for taste difference, money saving, easy to grow, large crop from small space (even using containers) and for easy storage of surplus (freezing), has got to be beans. Especially runner and climbing french/fine beans.

They also have the bonus of looking attractive when in flower and they won't cost a penny the following year if you keep back a few beans for drying and sowing.

Agreed - in terms of VfM, space and taste - runners and climbing french beans are hard to beat.