Hi MH,
HELLO

pardon my ignorance but I am trying to work something out,
and OK

I know you are the man to know!
WOOPS.....YA KIDDING CORRECT! I WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO PUT 30 YEARS IN A LEAD HOLE OF A FACTORY....SO I AM FAR FROM BEING CONSIDERED; "THE MAN TO KNOW"...BETTER SAID, YOUR A SURVIVOR AND CAN YOU PASS ANY TIPS DOWN ON HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM..

I've been buying cases of oranges for sometime.
They come in a box of 10lbs and are "certified organic"
(whatever that means these days!!).
WOW, I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE EVER SEEN AN ORGANIC ORANGE, BUT THEN, I LIVEWAY TOO FAR NORTH AND I DON'T SHOP AT THE EXPENSIVE PLACES.

Ideally I would like to grow my own or get them from a
local farmer, but currently I do not have the facilities
or live close enough to an area to obtain them,
so they are via "mail order".

Although they generally taste good and look decent - they
are certainly better than anything I can pick up from a
local supermarket.

However, many time 1 or 2 of the oranges will develop a
blue mould on them and of course has to be thrown away.
1 ORANGE TO A BOX...I HAVE NOTICED THIS FOR YEARS...IT IS LIKE 1 ORANGE SACRIFICES ITS SELF FOR THE REST TO BE OK.....I OFTEN BUY ORANGES IN EARLY JAN AND KEEP THEM UNTIL EARLY JUNE AND BY JUNE; 1-2 ORANGES HAVE TO BE THROWN AWAY...NOT BAD ODDS.

Now, is the blue mould or good thing or a bad thing.
IT IS EATING THE ORANGE, SO NOT GOOD FOR US TO EAT AS FAR AS I AM AWARE OF...IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT APPEAL TO ME...BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND, ALL HUMANS ARE EATING MOULD ALMOST DAILY ON THEIR FOODS, IT JUST HAS NOT GROWN THICK ENOUGH FOR THE HUMAN EYE TO SEE IT.


By good I mean - does the fact that these oranges
developing mould show that they are "fresh" and therefore
are "returning to the earth" quickly, or does this show
that they have been "sprayed" etc?
I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY ALL HAVE BEEN SPRAYED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY WERE SHIPPED ACCROSS STATE LINES.

I also buy "organic" apples from the same company.
however, with these I have noticed that they stay good
for weeks and weeks sometimes!!
again - not sure if this is a good or bad sign.
GOOD ORANGES STAY GOOD FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS IF KEPT COLD.
APPLES OFTEN HAVE WAX ON THEM THAT MAKES THEM LAST.

any light shed on this would be greatly valued,
best wishes, Dirk.
IF IT LOOKS GOOD, TASTE GOOD; THEN IT IS EATABLE FOR THE MOST PART.

BLESSINGS,
MH