Kitchen Garden Forum

Why do we put fruit on display, often in the lounge?

My son has just asked me this question, and although I gave him several possible reasons, I have to admit that I don't really have a clue!

It looks decorative - but so do vegetables, and we don't stick those in the lounge!

Maybe it stems from the time when imported fruits - oranges, bananas etc - were so expensive that we wanted to show off the fact that we could afford them?

Do they keep better with plenty of air circulating around them?

Is it so we don't forget to eat them before they go off?

Has anyone got a better explanation?

Dear Bert, i'm sure it was down to the showing off factor, with the pineapple being the biggest show off of all, and it has just carried on from there.

In that case, next time I - sorry, I mean when I finally manage to - produce a perfect Romanesco cauli, I might stick it in a bowl in the lounge!

Dear Bert, if you've got it, flaunt it.

Well, one year when I had a rather colourful display of varying winter squashes, I did proudly display them all on my lounge window sill.

We do have a fruit bowl in the lounge but I'm not sure you would be interested in its contents. Apart from some fruit it also contains two elastic bands, a paper clip, one pretty fossil of a starfish, an old receipt, a packet of peppermints and a pencil with a broken lead!.

I imagine the habit dates back to olden times when the owner of fresh fruit, especially exotic fruit, would put it on public display as a sign of wealth and status. If you could afford bananas or oranges when they weren't available to the great unwashed, then you probably wanted it to be on display to your visitors. It would also keep it out of the kitchen and away from temptation from the hands of kitchen staff who would probably sneak items for themselves.

Lol Burt, let us know when you crack it ! Aren't they beautiful, I always get the urge to paint them ! No not literally,

That's a really good question, Mouse. I'm not sure I've ever thought about it before. I'm sure the displaying of expensive exotic fruit has something to do with it, although aren't there also expensive, exotic vegetables that we nonetheless don't display in the lounge?

My first thought was that perhaps it's also because fruit can be eaten as a snack at any time, so having them easily accessible where people might congregate would make sense. Whereas we tend to cook or at least otherwise prepare our veg, so they're better kept in the kitchen. I realise this wouldn't work with stuff like pineapple - you're not going to pick up a pineapple and bite into it, are you, but would work for apples, etc. Just a thought, and probably too prosaic and explanation.