Seedless Watermelons

[eatyourbroccoli]

Are they GM or are they bred to be seedless?

I cant find seeded watermelons ANYWHERE. I swear I dont even think they exist anymore ;)

[RawChicky]

I know seriously!!!! The only place I've ever seen them lately is at an organic farm by my house (I know I'm so lucky!) People probably like seedless better because it's less of a hassle, but I'm not sure we should be messing with fruit like that to the point you have to travel far away to get a good ol' seeded watermelon!!

[RawChicky]

Are they GM or are they bred to be seedless?

I cant find seeded watermelons ANYWHERE. I swear I dont even think they exist anymore ;)

Yeah I don't know how they do it

[garden granny]

I don't know how they grow them seedless. I'm not having any problems finding seeded watermelons down here in Georgia. All the grocery stores and Walmart have them.

[RawVegan4Health]

I haven't had any troubled finding seeded here in Kansas City area either. They are always so much BIGGER than the seedless ones, I think that is the reason the stores still carry them.

I have seen seedless watermelons for a long time. I would imagine these were bred since GM is something still fairly new(ish). I don't know for sure however. My guess is that at this point there are both bred seedless and GM seedless varieties.

[LightLover]

Are they GM or are they bred to be seedless?

I cant find seeded watermelons ANYWHERE. I swear I dont even think they exist anymore ;)
---
Not all seedless watermelon's are GM; we also have these in Europe;
Not all GM's have seeds...:D
--

ll

[Raw Mom]

No trouble finding them here in Vermont. I think it was David Wolfe that said the seeds are good for you. That women with breast cancer should juice seeds of watermelon. I think he also said we should be leary of fruits that have been altered to not bear seed. Just what I heard.....:confused:

[RawVegan4Health]

Victoria Boutenko says a similar thing in one of her books, either Green for Life or 12 Steps to Raw foods (can't remember which). She says that millions of years of evolution have caused fruits to work the way they do. they only become sweet and tasty when they are ripe and the seeds are ready. They change to bright colors and smell good to attract animals to come eat them, thus scattering the seeds. If the animals eat the seeds and they pass through, guess what? Fertilizer for the seed to grow! How perfect is that? She says that seedless plants do not go through the same chemical changes becuase they have no seeds to spread, so the fruits do not have the same nutrients. I have no idea what research supports this, but I thought it seemed a logical enough explanation for me. I prefer seeded watermelons because I eat the seeds! Yum! Not to mention, good for you!

[eatyourbroccoli]

:( stupid toronto and their seedless summers

[Ginger]

I totally do not trust sterile food.

[Dj 247]

I can't find watermellon or grapes with seeds where I live. I hope when summer produce comes around I will be able to buy some. It is pretty seedless in Southern Illinois!

[lavendarJ]

Dj what's your surrounding city; i'm in southern illinois and i only buy the seeded watermelons; I've had some grapes with seeds also (i'm close to St. Louis

[misslinda]

yeah, the hybrid issue is subject to debate but I do not care for seedless fruits. Bananas are out of my food choices as are oranges and other fruits that fit the [hybrid] definition.

[jeannieh99]

yeah, the hybrid issue is subject to debate but I do not care for seedless fruits. Bananas are out of my food choices as are oranges and other fruits that fit the [hybrid] definition.

I'm in Houston, tx. I have no problem finding seeded fruit of any kind. Usually the seeded watermelons and grapes are cheaper than the seedless.
Jeannie

[misslinda]

I'm in Houston, tx. I have no problem finding seeded fruit of any kind. Usually the seeded watermelons and grapes are cheaper than the seedless.
Jeannie


In terms of certified organic Jeannie?


I stick to Cert Organic at all possible --depending where I go, the choices are limited for non hybrid.

[jeannieh99]

In terms of certified organic Jeannie?


I stick to Cert Organic at all possible --depending where I go, the choices are limited for non hybrid.


Oh, no. I see what you mean. I was talking about just plain watermelons.
The only place I can find cert organic ones are at whole foods. Then you may be right. I usually can't afford all cert organic stuff, just yet.
I hope to at some point but as it is it's all I can do to keep my fridge stocked with fresh fruits and veggies.
Jeannie

[belleadonna]

How do You Know if Your Food is Genetically Modified?

By Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege

When polled only about one-quarter of Americans report having eaten genetically modified food. However, if you randomly pick an item off your grocery store’s shelves, you have a 70 percent chance of picking a food with genetically modified (GM) ingredients. This is because at least seven out of every 10 items have been genetically modified.

If more Americans were aware of this fact, the polls would certainly turn out differently, but Americans are kept largely in the dark about GM products, and most are not aware they are eating these foods because there are no labeling requirements for GM foods. This, despite the fact that there have been no studies done with humans to show what happens when genetically modified foods are consumed, and an ABC News poll (PDF) found that 92 percent of Americans want mandatory labels on GM foods.

Even more concerning is the fact that genetically modified organisms are not easily contained. The Washington Post reported "techniques for confining genetically engineered ... organisms are still in their infancy, and far more work needs to be done to make sure the new products do not taint the food supply or wipe out important species." As a consumer, one way you can voice your resistance to these widely untested, experimental organisms is by not purchasing GM products, a task that is not easy to achieve when you consider the extent to which GM products have already saturated the American market.

There are, however, several ways to reduce your chances of eating GM foods--if you know where to look.

Buy Organic

Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that your food has not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is certified organic must be:

Free from all GM organisms

Produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers

From an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs

However, GM crops are becoming more and more prevalent, and the spread of GM seeds and pollen is a major concern. Even organic products may be contaminated with traces of GM elements that have been spread by wind or insects such as bees.

Read Labels


GM soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically engineered crops. When looking at a product label, if any of the following ingredients are listed there’s a good chance it has come from GM corn or soy (unless it’s listed as organic):

Corn Derivatives

corn flour and meal
fructose and fructose syrup
(unless specified non-corn) corn syrup

malt
baking powder
(corn starch is the usual filler) malt syrup

malt extract monosodium glutamate maltodextrin

sorbitol mono- and diglycerides starch

food starch modified food starch confectioner's sugar

dextrin vitamins that do not state
"corn-free"

Soy Derivatives

most miso soy sauce tamari textured vegetable protein
(usually soy)

teriyaki marinades tofu soy beverages soy protein isolate
or protein isolate

tempeh shoyu lecithin or soy lecithin many non-stick sprays
rely on soy lecithin

bread pastry margarine
Mayonnaise and salad dressings also may include lecithin.

As you can see, there are many products that may contain GM soy or corn derivatives (or GM vegetable oil). Some of these products include:

infant formula
salad dressing
bread
cereal
hamburgers and hotdogs
margarine
mayonnaise
crackers
cookies
chocolate
candy
fried food
chips
veggie burgers
meat substitutes
ice cream
frozen yogurt
tofu
tamari
soy sauce
soy cheese
tomato sauce
protein powder
baking powder
alcohol
vanilla
powdered sugar
peanut butter
enriched flour and pasta
Non-food items include cosmetics, soaps, detergents, shampoo, and bubble bath.

Aside from corn and soy, other GM foods grown in the United States include cotton, canola, squash and papaya.

Look at Produce Stickers


Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically engineered. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 9, and GM fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 8.

For example:

Conventionally grown PLU: 1022

Organically grown PLU: 91022

Genetically modified PLU: 81022


In terms of fruit, another strategy is to avoid hybrid varieties, which are fruits that have been altered by humans. Typically hybrid fruits contain more sugar than regular varieties so they taste sweeter and can be picked out because generally they don't contain seeds (seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, etc.). Although there are also seeded hybrid varieties, avoiding seedless fruits is one of the more prominent ways to avoid hybrid fruits.

Avoid Processed Foods

About 70 percent of all processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients, and the food manufacturers themselves often don’t know for sure whether their products contain GM elements. There are many reasons why processed foods are not optimal for your health--for instance they often contain trans fat, acrylamide and little nutritional value--so avoiding them will not only help you to cut back on the amount of GM foods you are consuming, but will also boost your health.

[Dj 247]

Dj what's your surrounding city; i'm in southern illinois and i only buy the seeded watermelons; I've had some grapes with seeds also (i'm close to St. Louis

I live a few miles outside of Centralia Illinois. I try to shop in Fariview Heights once a month. Do you know of any great places to buy produce or of a good healthfood store in that area? I went to Dierbergs and they had some raw items. I didn't look for seedless watermellon or grapes when I was there.

[misslinda]

Oh, no. I see what you mean. I was talking about just plain watermelons.
The only place I can find cert organic ones are at whole foods. Then you may be right. I usually can't afford all cert organic stuff, just yet.
I hope to at some point but as it is it's all I can do to keep my fridge stocked with fresh fruits and veggies.
Jeannie

lol, oic, now I see what you mean too :p

that's okay Jeannie, you do the best you can---and you are!

[Zuri]

yeah, the hybrid issue is subject to debate but I do not care for seedless fruits. Bananas are out of my food choices as are oranges and other fruits that fit the [hybrid] definition.

Yeah I noticed oranges (most not all) don't have seeds anymore. I really don't appreciate my food being messed with. :o I haven't seen a watermelon or had one, that has black seeds in I don't know when here in Maryland. I find a few random black seeds here and there though, just not a lot.