Expensive Grocery items

[tinlizzie]

May I relate another place that eats dollars in a big way? The local organic farmer is cranking up for the season (us being backwards down here in S. Florida), and today I spent some $$ on her Dragon's Tongue Beans, some Burgundy Beans, and, since the spinach was gone when I got there, some greens labeled "Yukina." I'll have to do some research to see how to use the greens - never heard of them before. Does anyone know what they are? (forgive me if I should ask at another thread). Produce is pretty pricey in general, and I pay extra for the freshness and organic-ness -- money well-spent, I hope, but awfully quickly gone. At least the cat won't have eaten it.

Used to live "up North" and know how produce prices soar in the winter-time. Sure do miss the apple harvest.


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"The pleasure of gratifying whim is very great. It is known only by those who are whimsical." Boswell's Journal

 

[taxlady]

May I relate another place that eats dollars in a big way? The local organic farmer is cranking up for the season (us being backwards down here in S. Florida), and today I spent some $$ on her Dragon's Tongue Beans, some Burgundy Beans, and, since the spinach was gone when I got there, some greens labeled "Yukina." I'll have to do some research to see how to use the greens - never heard of them before. Does anyone know what they are? (forgive me if I should ask at another thread). Produce is pretty pricey in general, and I pay extra for the freshness and organic-ness -- money well-spent, I hope, but awfully quickly gone. At least the cat won't have eaten it.

Used to live "up North" and know how produce prices soar in the winter-time. Sure do miss the apple harvest.

...................................
"The pleasure of gratifying whim is very great. It is known only by those who are whimsical." Boswell's Journal

Whenever you start to resent the extra $$$ it costs for organic, remind yourself that it's good for the soil and the planet; it's healthier for you; and It almost always has more flavour.

If I could afford it, I would buy all organic, locally produced food.

 

[FrankZ]

Whenever you start to resent the extra $$$ it costs for organic, remind yourself that it's good for the soil and the planet; it's healthier for you; and It almost always has more flavour.

At least that is what the marketing tells us.

 

[taxlady]

At least that is what the marketing tells us.

Do you think that is mostly marketing hype? Why? All of it or just which parts?

 

[FrankZ]

I have never bought into the "organic" marketing stuff. I suppose it is the scientific part, organic contains carbon.

There are things that are naturally occurring that if it got on one's food well... it would make life bad.

Besides, all this "organically grown" and such was done hundreds of years ago, people lived to 30. Nowadays life expectancy is waaaaaaaaaay up and we have better living through chemistry.

 

[taxlady]

I have never bought into the "organic" marketing stuff. I suppose it is the scientific part, organic contains carbon.

There are things that are naturally occurring that if it got on one's food well... it would make life bad.

Besides, all this "organically grown" and such was done hundreds of years ago, people lived to 30. Nowadays life expectancy is waaaaaaaaaay up and we have better living through chemistry.

I agree the terminology is poor, but "natural" wouldn't really have cut it. Have you seen what heavy use of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers does to soil? Have you tried tasting "organically grown" food? I don't say it usually tastes better for any other reason than personal observation.

I don't think that we have better eating through chemistry. We have better health because we are better educated, we have vaccines, we have modern surgery, etc.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

I did a simple test with organic strong bread flour V non organic, I borrowed two identical bread machines and made identical mixes, the organic loaf was 15% bigger.

We eat mainly organic meat, I just know that the farmer has to take care of his animal better as he cannot resort to drugs as much.

The chickens I buy take 14 wks to mature, they are more than twice the cost of the cheap supermarket bird, the taste and texture is like chalk and cheese. We now regard a chicken meal as a treat not a stomach filler.

 

[tinlizzie]

I find that I entered my post re organic beans & greens in the eggs & cheese forum. Pardon me. I'm going back to FAQ's to learn how to better navigate and properly do posting on DC. Hope you regulars will cut us learners some slack, and thanks.

 

[tinlizzie]

But now that I'm here...the produce I get from the farmer down the road and which was picked yesterday or even today is so much fresher than any coming by truck to the grocery store - that in itself makes it more healthful, doesn't it? And I have no way to prove that taking in fewer pesticides with my food is more healthful, but the psychological effect makes me think it is. Ditto the flavor -it all tastes very good, even if I am just fooling myself.

 

[Alix]

Edit: I've moved all the stuff about organic stuff and its expense to its own thread. Enjoy all!

 

[Poppi G. Koullias]

I've always bought organic produce and meat because their flavour is all there on the plate. What I haven't otherwise grown, I buy from markets, from people I trust, the food which I know tastes great. If organically grown fruit and veg weren't tasty, I wouldn't buy it. Simple as that.

Two weeks ago I bought a sheep for the freezer. It was hogget, what would in my country be from one to two years old. The sheep was locally reared and its meat lovely. It weighed something around 40 lbs, was far cheaper than our supermarkets whose current prices vary between £5.99 kilo for chump chops to way hight of about £16.00 Kilo for fillet or leg. So I managed to get a pure bargain, oganically reared sheep for no more than £1.55 lb.

Some say "yay" and others, "Nay". But that's their opinions, so I go by what I know and seeing a tray of cherries, or beans looking all nice and at a good price, then I'll buy it, take it home and enjoy life, my eating life, to the full.

 

[Zhizara]

Imported cheeses. I'm trying to buy at least one fancy cheese every shopping day as a splurge. I love cheese.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I find that I entered my post re organic beans & greens in the eggs & cheese forum. Pardon me. I'm going back to FAQ's to learn how to better navigate and properly do posting on DC. Hope you regulars will cut us learners some slack, and thanks.

We always cut learners some slack and we are more than happy to teach you the ropes and help with learning the forum structure. Some of us, me, are still learning the ins and outs of moving things around! Welcome TinLizzie!

 

[roadfix]

I'm not into all the organic hype.
For produce I go to the local Asian market where prices are much lower than supermarket prices, and other ethnic markets.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You are lucky, Roadfix, to have the ethinc markets. Once the farmer's market fold for the year I am back to supermarket produce...makes me glad for http://www.goodfoodstore.com/, very similar to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

I mention them enough, thought I'd give you a look-see.

 

[Poppi G. Koullias]

Truffles. It's a weakness I have. That truffles IMO, top everything gone before... so I would take pig, take a week's vacation, drive a certain place around Modena or Alba and maybe...

 

[babetoo]

meat in general is very expensive. fish even more so, unless on special. i eat more fish than other meats, so just have to put up with it. try to buy on special and freeze. not always easy. here trader joe's is even more expensive that supermarkets. simply can not afford it.

 

[tinlizzie]

Re Good Food Store, Princess, if the quality of the food is as good as the quality of their flyer, Wow.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Re Good Food Store, Princess, if the quality of the food is as good as the quality of their flyer, Wow.

Oh, it is! It's hard to stay out of there and away from the deli and cheese counters. Their bulk foods is outstanding. The service is fantastic, I can't say enough good things about them.

They do their best to provide at the local level before searching farther afield to keep the shelves filled.

Pricing: they are just pennies more on produce than the supermarket and their produce is much better. Meats are worth every penny I spend. Canned goods are competitvely priced.

Tomorrow is Good Food Store day...now if I can just not even go near the deli...

 

[Sprout]

I've seen enough information to convince me that buying local is healthiest, but not enough to convince me that buying organic is, for myself or my planet. For every study that says that organics are safer there is a study that says they aren't any safer. I've also never found a conclusive study saying that organic food is any more nutritious than other freshly picked, in season food. There are definite benefits to pumping fewer chemicals into our soil, but organics often take 4 times the resources to produce, taxing our natural resources much more heavily. The whole matter is further complicated by the fact that studies are rarely done by disinterested parties. That said, JIC, I try to buy a little of both, and try my best to keep myself and my family healthy in other ways, and protect my planet by recycling, conserving energy and resources, and using cloth diapers.