Less than perfect produce??

[thatchairlady]

One of the markets I use always has a rack of less than perfect produce for CHEAP. NOTHING is ever rotten or gross... just not picture perfect. Stopped on way home from work and made some great buys. Two BIG bunches of beets, about 6 each... stems/greens a little funky but nothing wrong with the beets... for $1. Two bags of lemons (12 total) and 1 bag of limes (12)... Total of $3... and for the life of me, cannot see one thing wrong with any of them!?! Two big bulbs of fennel for $1... fronds a bit droopy but bulbs fine.

Cleaned everything up and sure they'll be fine for quite a while in fridge till I use them.

This market give MAJOR discounts ($1-2 to 50% off) on meat/poultry when items are still 2-3 days BEFORE sell-by date. Great for stocking up.

Everything I buy is either gonna be eaten/cooked within a day or so or repacked into individual servings and frozen for later.

ANyone else have a section like this in their market?

 

[pacanis]

Hi chairlady, or can I call you "that"
Welcome.

No, none of the stores around me have a produce section like that, but they all seem to have a meat section that reduces greatly if the exp date is coming up quickly. I've picked up some great deals myself, browsing for those packages. Cooked some that night and froze the rest right away. And I always buy family sized packages anyway, so it's worked out to quite a savings.

 

[Neverless]

No Ive never seen any markets around town that sells produce like that although i wish there was. Like pacanis said, the market only a few minutes away from me will sell meat for cheap if its close to experiation or previously frozen, I bought two large marinating steaks for $1.89 each, ate them the next night after marinating them in a mushroom peppercorn sauce, they were great.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Alas - not around here. Although sometimes the Safeway will have a bin of just-about-to-rot bananas for $.10/pound that folks buy to make banana bread.

Years ago, back in NY, there was always a rack of really cheap substandard veggies. It was terrific for folks like me who had rabbits & chickens.

 

[Neverless]

I worked in one restaurant that would throw away so much left over veggies, bones etc. It was insane, I finally started taking it all home for stocks, because it was such a waste

 

[babetoo]

,

One of the markets I use always has a rack of less than perfect produce for CHEAP. NOTHING is ever rotten or gross... just not picture perfect. Stopped on way home from work and made some great buys. Two BIG bunches of beets, about 6 each... stems/greens a little funky but nothing wrong with the beets... for $1. Two bags of lemons (12 total) and 1 bag of limes (12)... Total of $3... and for the life of me, cannot see one thing wrong with any of them!?! Two big bulbs of fennel for $1... fronds a bit droopy but bulbs fine.

Cleaned everything up and sure they'll be fine for quite a while in fridge till I use them.

This market give MAJOR discounts ($1-2 to 50% off) on meat/poultry when items are still 2-3 days BEFORE sell-by date. Great for stocking up.

Everything I buy is either gonna be eaten/cooked within a day or so or repacked into individual servings and frozen for later.

ANyone else have a section like this in their market?

we have a new one called fresh and easy. great buys there that are like yours. go bout once a month there for fruit.

babe

 

[Claire]

I wish. Wal-Mart is both the savior and bane of my existance. They sell produce that you wouldn't feed to your pet pig. At least at my local piggly-wiggly I can get them to throw away stuff that isn't edible. But we can't even get day-old bread at a discount.

 

[GrillingFool]

I have learned that just after 5pm is the best time to shop my local Kroger's store.
That is when the Produce, Cheese/Deli, fresh meats/seafood and lunch meats get
scanned for items soon to expire.

Sometimes it's just stupid, how much there is. Bags of spinach, $2.99 for 99 cents.
Most of the produce is the bagged stuff, but that's ok for me.
Mushrooms a bit dodgy but perfect for cooking... 50 cents a pound.
$24.99 a pound cheese for $3.99.
Catfish, fresh, $2.39 a pound.. same with salmon and some others.
Recently got 8 pounds of organic ground beef 85/15, for $2.49 a pound.
And it goes on...

 

[quicksilver]

I wish. And a great idea. I'd love to buy a bunch for our food kitchen. Buying and donating a pound or two of something does them no good when they have to feed so many. They'd have to make so many different things it would not be feasible. And I'm sure many more people would be able to donate, as well.
I see our local walmart filling dumpsters with tons of produce and bakery every time I go. I think they through out the meat somewhere else.

 

[GuardianAngel]

If it's on a sale rack for our stores it's most likely rotten. I got a package that had green peppers which looked fine but smelled when I opened them. I love Produce Junction. They have it in South Jersey. I usually can find what I need there for a fraction of the price of the grocery store.. Now if I didn't live in North Jersey it would be perfect. I stop there everytime I visit my family and spend about $30-40 on which I would spend $60-100 in a regular super market. I also love meats are on sale sometimes. You just need to be careful as you need to cook or freeze right away, not a problem in most cases. But for $2 off or $1 off a poind I always find something to do with it

 

[simplicity]

We have one store, part of a national chain, that has a rack of produce past its prime. I don't buy because I wouldn't use them fast enough.

Same store has an in-house bakery and an "Oops, we baked too much" rack that is sold at a discount. I check that out every time I go. There is also a discount bin for meat and poultry based on expiration date. I buy things there as well, take the product home and cook it the same day.

In the same store, the deli staff has begun to take the remnants of cheese and cold cuts, place them in small packages and sell at a discount. These sell very quickly

It's great to live in a competitive market.

 

[larry_stewart]

When I lived in philly, there was a market about 1/2 hour from here i lived , i think it was called Produce Junction. This was when gas wasnt an issue, so driving there just for produce ( and a nice ride in the country ) was great. Everything was packaged as $1. 2 lbs of mushrooms for $1, 8Lbs of onions for $1, 10 lbs of potatoes for $1. You couldnt pick which ones u wanted, but becuase u got so much for your money, even of u threw one or two things out, it wasnt a big deal. I would go sunday morning, but a few boxes worth of things ( no one left with bags, only boxes of produce), and id cook all day long ( instead of studying).

The other place in philly was the Italian market ( the one rocky ran through in Rocky 1). There are tables and tables of produce from local farms/ vendors. Each trying to out do the next so u get great deals. It is along a street which is lined many Italian stores ( cheeses, olives, meats, bakeries...). Always came back with a lot of produce > Everytime we go back to philly to visit, we make a stop at the Italian market to get some produce for the ride home ( usually 3 pounds of grapes for a dollar) and a box of 100 soft , hot, right out of the oven Philly pretzels for under $20.

 

[buckytom]

most food stores around me have a rack or shelf with reduced produce. much of it past prime.

i've noticed some of the customers and cashiers give me an odd look, almost of pity, when i buy a few of the packages from those racks. i feel like explaining that it's for my birds, but i'd rather look poor than be known for having 4 grand worth of pets.