6 Fruits and Vegetables That Taste Best When You Grow Them Yourself, Home Gardeners Say

Vegetables grown in your own garden always seem to taste better than the ones bought at the grocery store. But which ones are truly the best? One gardener on Reddit posed this question to the online community, asking for advice on which vegetables are worth growing at home. They wrote: "While I know most homegrown veggies will be inherently better taste-wise, I'm looking for those with the biggest difference. My experience tells me tomatoes are a must, but are there any others that people might not think about?" The question elicited hundreds of comments. Here are the most popular homegrown edible plant recommendations discussed in the thread.

Tomatoes

Many commenters agree that homegrown tomatoes taste much better than those purchased at the grocery store. "Most people don't know what a tomato is supposed to taste like, and hence we put up with the garbage at the grocery store," one Redditor commented. "Once you've tasted a fully ripened Brandywine, just off the vine and still warm from the sun, then you know what a tomato is supposed to taste like."

Peas

If peas aren't something you usually reach for at the store, try growing them in your backyard. "You can’t get a pea as good as a garden pea anywhere else," a fellow Redditor commented. "I remember growing peas for the first time and eating them fresh from the pods. Oh my goodness, I never knew peas could taste that good," wrote another commenter.

"I’ve always hated them, but I will eat mine right off the plant, and they’re so delicious. My only regret is that I didn’t plant more," shared one Redditor.

Green Beans

Homegrown green beans have a lot of mileage in the kitchen. "My husband planted a bunch of green beans last year, and I was like 'meh, not the biggest fan of green beans.' But OMG, we had tons of freezer bags of them because I didn’t know what to do with them, started adding them to soups and pastas over the winter. It was such a delight to have garden fresh (frozen) veggies for recipes over the long, cold winter," read one comment.

Another Redditor wrote, "I'm not sure why they always seem to be so awful from the store," adding that they're able to store homegrown green beans in the fridge for much longer than store-bought ones.

Asparagus

One Redditor noted that store-bought asparagus often has a bitterness that "homegrown just doesn't have." They added: "None of my kids liked asparagus until I started growing my own, and now they love it."

Another commenter shared a gardening tip, saying: "Asparagus has the benefit that they are expensive to buy, and are perennial, so with a bit of care, they'll be back every year. Takes a few years to get going, but if I had the space, I'd be doing that."

Strawberries

Although not technically a vegetable, many comments recommended growing strawberries. One person wrote: "Homegrown strawberries taste a million times better than what you can get at the grocery store. Bright red, super sweet, even red on the inside instead of white and hollow."

Another poster noted that homegrown strawberries are "way better than store bought, but the season is pretty short, so that's the downside to dedicating a portion of your garden space for them."