Pandemic hoarding

[birdie55]

Sunhat,
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, beets need to be pressure canned.  Bummer about your loss. 

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/beets.html

[hooplady]

hooplady, if you are a Costco member you can buy chickpeas on line for $7.49 an 8 pack. They will charge you $3 shipping unless you meet the minimum order. I am not sure, but I think $75 might be the minimum. Walmart has lots of dried garbanzo beans and some canned varieties. Be prepared for dented up cans from Walmart.

Thanks! Not a Costco member right now, tried Walmart and there were few available for shipping and most were crazy expensive. I'm thinking retailers in general have changed their shipping schemes to allow for holiday madness. Actually ordered something in glass jars a few weeks ago from Wal-mart and they arrived intact...I was pleasantly surprised!

[OtherJen]

This fall, I tried water-bath canning beets without pickling them when a friend told me that they did it all the time when she was a kid, but unfortunately they've all gone off. Most of the seals are still intact, but they've gone murky and I'm not interested in risking botulism. I'll be throwing out all 30l today.  Pity.

On the plus side, the various vegetables that I dried for the first time have stored very well and have been making a great addition to soups.

You win some, you lose some! I count myself s fortunate to have a full enough pantry and bank account that the loss of the beets is more of an experiment gone wrong than a hardship.

Yeah, for most vegetables you either have to pickle them to bring down the pH or pressure-can them because the natural acid level isn't high enough to prevent microbial growth. That's a sad loss!

[couponvan]

couponvan, you may already be aware of this but if not, you can buy Nutrisystem gift cards for $79.99 and the value is $100.

I personally have never bought them but have seen them offered.

Yes, they come from Costco this way.  It works out to about $300/month, which is cheaper than the college meal plan that was offered, but still more than what a reasonable cost/self control would be.  It was nice he didn't really have to go to the grocery store other than for some minor fresh produce of which they have an open air market to buy from.  It reduced his temptation. 

At home, we have way to many crap snacks around that make it hard to control.  I know I should do better - but we went through the whole if we die from COVID routine.  LOL. Now we're more on the we need to be healthier in case we catch it fence, but we have two really skinny teenagers in the house who don't need low calorie.

OK - back to pandemic hoarding....

[mm1970]

I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.

I'm a bit of a map nerd, so I looked that up.  Holy cow, that's...um...north.

Our challenge is the amount the teenaged boy can eat...and the fact that he's the only one who can eat that way.  We noticed a few weeks ago that DS2 was getting a tiny bit chubby.  Didn't really think anything of it, because our kids basically would "chub up" for a week or two right before sprouting up.

Then he didn't sprout up like we expected...we came to realize that every time the teenager wanted a snack, he also wanted a snack.  Our snacks are generally less healthy now than 6 years ago when DS1 was this age...I was a lot stricter and we weren't all stuck together 24-7 in COVID-land.  Neither kid is getting as much exercise as normal (though we do stuff as a family and make them get exercise every day.)  I mean, on a normal school day, DS2 would play before school, morning recess, lunch recess, and after school program.  School lunches and snacks are super healthy.

So, we reverted back a bit to our old ways of ... you know, dessert night is Tuesday and Friday.  Yes, you can have nutella on toast for breakfast, but only 3 days a week.  Thirsty?  Have some water.

[hooplady]

Chickpea crisis averted, may have strayed slightly into the realm of hoarding. Target pickup went smoothly, so much so that I needed to kill time and ended up making a quick stop at Aldi (was trying to avoid visiting a store at all but oh well). Four cans at Target for $.59, and since there are currently no limits at Aldi (had been 4 per customer for a while), got a full dozen for $.50 each. Stocked up on garlic too.

Already flush with tahini so my hummus habit should be handled for several weeks.

[Villanelle]

I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.

I'm a bit of a map nerd, so I looked that up.  Holy cow, that's...um...north.

Our challenge is the amount the teenaged boy can eat...and the fact that he's the only one who can eat that way.  We noticed a few weeks ago that DS2 was getting a tiny bit chubby.  Didn't really think anything of it, because our kids basically would "chub up" for a week or two right before sprouting up.

Then he didn't sprout up like we expected...we came to realize that every time the teenager wanted a snack, he also wanted a snack.  Our snacks are generally less healthy now than 6 years ago when DS1 was this age...I was a lot stricter and we weren't all stuck together 24-7 in COVID-land.  Neither kid is getting as much exercise as normal (though we do stuff as a family and make them get exercise every day.)  I mean, on a normal school day, DS2 would play before school, morning recess, lunch recess, and after school program.  School lunches and snacks are super healthy.

So, we reverted back a bit to our old ways of ... you know, dessert night is Tuesday and Friday.  Yes, you can have nutella on toast for breakfast, but only 3 days a week.  Thirsty?  Have some water.

Covid has seen us develop a significat flavored water habit.  I'm okay with this because it's still essentially healthy, though it does cost more than tap water.  But I'm much happier drinking something with flavor.  Might this help satisfy the thirsty kids?

[Sun Hat]

@birdie55  , @OtherJen
I knew the guidance but still took a chance when a friend said that her parents just boiled the heck out of them when water-bath canning them plain when she was a kid. I'm normally a fervent rule-follower, but got a nerd's rush trying to see if I could boil my way around the guidelines. I won't be making that mistake again! Fastidious rule-following may not be adventurous, but it would have saved me a really gross afternoon of draining beet sludge!

(That friend is something of a superhero, but I'm not willing to get food poisoning to try to get her botulism-induced superpowers!)

[Roadrunner53]

Chickpea crisis averted, may have strayed slightly into the realm of hoarding. Target pickup went smoothly, so much so that I needed to kill time and ended up making a quick stop at Aldi (was trying to avoid visiting a store at all but oh well). Four cans at Target for $.59, and since there are currently no limits at Aldi (had been 4 per customer for a while), got a full dozen for $.50 each. Stocked up on garlic too.

Already flush with tahini so my hummus habit should be handled for several weeks.

hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!

[Roadrunner53]

@birdie55  , @OtherJen
I knew the guidance but still took a chance when a friend said that her parents just boiled the heck out of them when water-bath canning them plain when she was a kid. I'm normally a fervent rule-follower, but got a nerd's rush trying to see if I could boil my way around the guidelines. I won't be making that mistake again! Fastidious rule-following may not be adventurous, but it would have saved me a really gross afternoon of draining beet sludge!

(That friend is something of a superhero, but I'm not willing to get food poisoning to try to get her botulism-induced superpowers!)

Sun Hat, my Mom was an avid canner and she canned everything you can imagine and never had issues. She had a Ball canning book and followed the instructions to the letter. That was her bible. She would be in the kitchen, in August, with boiling pots of water and would can late into the evening hours. It was her pride and joy. She also won about 10 different ribbons at a local country fair for various canned items one summer. My advice is to pick up a Ball canning book! No shame in what you did because you learned from it...we all learn the hard way it seems! Buy your friend a copy of the Ball book too before she kills someone!

[lthenderson]

We buy dried chickpeas in bulk because they have always been plentiful, even during this pandemic and they don't have any extra things like preservatives. I then bring them to a boil for two minutes and let soak for a half hour, then bring to a boil again and hot pack into canning jars and pressure can them. I think we can get a bag of dried chickpeas for under $1.50 and that makes 6-8 pints of canned chickpeas.

When we are ready for hummus, we just open a jar and dump the contents into our blender along with our favorite ingredients. Usually lots of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, roasted red peppers, a couple spoonful of tahini, salt and some olive oil.  Blend thoroughly and enjoy.

[hooplady]

hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!

It's one of those things that I've been making forever so I don't measure most of the ingredients but here's my best guesstimate.

Two 15-oz cans of chickpeas/garbanzos. Drain and reserve the liquid from one can, add back as much as needed to bring to consistency of your liking.
1/4 -1/2 cup tahini
4-5 garlic cloves (note - I like it pretty garlicky!)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl olive oil
splash of lemon juice

Whomp it all together. I finally splurged on a Blendtec but in the past I've used a regular blender or a food processor. Heck, when I first started I was taught to make it by hand, smashing the chickpeas with a glass jar; this creates a very lumpy hummus which is how I prefer it, I find most Americanized versions to be too runny. Hope you like it!

[hooplady]

We buy dried chickpeas in bulk because they have always been plentiful, even during this pandemic and they don't have any extra things like preservatives. I then bring them to a boil for two minutes and let soak for a half hour, then bring to a boil again and hot pack into canning jars and pressure can them. I think we can get a bag of dried chickpeas for under $1.50 and that makes 6-8 pints of canned chickpeas.

When we are ready for hummus, we just open a jar and dump the contents into our blender along with our favorite ingredients. Usually lots of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, roasted red peppers, a couple spoonful of tahini, salt and some olive oil.  Blend thoroughly and enjoy.

Yep, that's basically it except for the red peppers - I have used them as a garnish occasionally. I actually got some dried chickpeas too...tried cooking them from scratch once before and they were awful, I think I didn't add enough salt.

[Roadrunner53]

Thanks hooplady, I wrote it down and would make it asap but alas, I have no tahini. So, that is on my list to buy! Thank you!

[lthenderson]

We buy dried chickpeas in bulk because they have always been plentiful, even during this pandemic and they don't have any extra things like preservatives. I then bring them to a boil for two minutes and let soak for a half hour, then bring to a boil again and hot pack into canning jars and pressure can them. I think we can get a bag of dried chickpeas for under $1.50 and that makes 6-8 pints of canned chickpeas.

When we are ready for hummus, we just open a jar and dump the contents into our blender along with our favorite ingredients. Usually lots of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, roasted red peppers, a couple spoonful of tahini, salt and some olive oil.  Blend thoroughly and enjoy.

Yep, that's basically it except for the red peppers - I have used them as a garnish occasionally. I actually got some dried chickpeas too...tried cooking them from scratch once before and they were awful, I think I didn't add enough salt.

They take a lot to cook down from scratch I would imagine. After boiling and soaking mine, I process them at 10 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes which would equate to a whole lot of boiling. I have never added anything salt or otherwise to the jars that I can them in but I do add salt with other ingredients when turning them into hummus.

[PMG]

I make hummus from dried beans regularly.  I haven’t noticed them taking more time than other dried beans. Usually I cook up 1.5-2.5 pounds and process it all in to hummus then I freeze it in 8-16 ounce containers. Easy to pull out the day before a long day and have lunch to go.

[GreenSheep]

Thanks hooplady, I wrote it down and would make it asap but alas, I have no tahini. So, that is on my list to buy! Thank you!

If you have a food processor and some sesame seeds (or if sesame seeds are easier to get than tahini), toss the sesame seeds into the food processor, blend them till smooth, and now you have tahini! Just like making nut butter. It could take several minutes and some pausing to scrape down the sides, depending on your machine, but it's an easy one-ingredient food!

Bonus: No need to clean the food processor after making sticky, gooey tahini if you're just going to make hummus right away!

[mm1970]

Chickpea crisis averted, may have strayed slightly into the realm of hoarding. Target pickup went smoothly, so much so that I needed to kill time and ended up making a quick stop at Aldi (was trying to avoid visiting a store at all but oh well). Four cans at Target for $.59, and since there are currently no limits at Aldi (had been 4 per customer for a while), got a full dozen for $.50 each. Stocked up on garlic too.

Already flush with tahini so my hummus habit should be handled for several weeks.

hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!

@Roadrunner53

https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/cooks-illustrated-restaurant-style-hummus-380146

This is my favorite hummus recipe.  Easily can use dried chickpeas that you cook first.

[Roadrunner53]

Still searching for Prime rib roasts. All I can find is PR roasts that are $12.99 a lb! Last year they were $5.99-$7.99 a lb.

Anyone having any luck finding sales?

The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I had an eye doc appointment yesterday but I cancelled it a few days before hand. I am just not comfortable to have the doc so close to my face doing the exam. Put it off till February. UGH, who knows how bad the virus will be by then.

Here is a good one! My shelf stable 8 oz. milks were on the verge of expiring so I froze them. Worked out perfectly. Last night I decided I needed two of them to make a sauce. I didn't plan this till the last minute and wanted the milk defrosted. So, I threw them in the microwave and set it for one minute. Well, that was a bad idea! Within a few seconds, the microwave was sparking and the containers were had charred edges then a fire started on the parchment paper I had in the microwave! I am shrieking a little hearing the popping then the fire. I opened the door and took out the milks then the parchment that was on fire and threw it in the sink! DUH to me, the containers are made of layers of some kind of plastic and aluminum material.  I knew this but totally forgot. So, lesson learned! Take it from me, defrost in warm water or take out to thaw earlier! Hahahaha! Thank goodness the microwave didn't conk out and I am even more thankful that I didn't leave the room like I have done a thousand times before when I start the microwave!

[Michael in ABQ]

My wife went grocery shopping this morning. She stopped at Costco to get gas (no line for a change). At 8:15 there was already a line of 100ish people lined up for what I believe is their early opening at 9:00 for seniors - regular opening is 10:00.

She went to another grocery store and there were some limits on things like 2 milks (we normally go through 4-5 gallons a week). She noted that almost all the frozen vegetables were sold out. Some of the more expensive organic brands were still in stock and a few less desirable things like collard greens. But regular peans, corn, green beans, etc. were basically all gone.

Our state (New Mexico) has been on a new lockdown for about two weeks as cases and deaths have increased about 5-8x in the last month or so. This despite having some of the most restrictive public health measures in the country since March. Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.

[Villanelle]

My wife went grocery shopping this morning. She stopped at Costco to get gas (no line for a change). At 8:15 there was already a line of 100ish people lined up for what I believe is their early opening at 9:00 for seniors - regular opening is 10:00.

She went to another grocery store and there were some limits on things like 2 milks (we normally go through 4-5 gallons a week). She noted that almost all the frozen vegetables were sold out. Some of the more expensive organic brands were still in stock and a few less desirable things like collard greens. But regular peans, corn, green beans, etc. were basically all gone.

Our state (New Mexico) has been on a new lockdown for about two weeks as cases and deaths have increased about 5-8x in the last month or so. This despite having some of the most restrictive public health measures in the country since March. Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.

Do you have Amazon Fresh available in your area?  It seems like it would be well worth it to avoid all that.  In my HCOL area, my very unscientific research with a very small sample size showed Fresh is actually cheaper for me than my local grocery store, or probably about the same once I add the tip in Fresh. 

There are very rarely limits on items.  I'm regularly buying produce and meat with no issues.  There were a few weeks in the very early days that meat was hard to come buy (random items, and often the expensive organic varieties were pretty much always available).  Mine even has toilet paper and paper towels currently available, several options. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Still searching for Prime rib roasts. All I can find is PR roasts that are $12.99 a lb! Last year they were $5.99-$7.99 a lb.

Anyone having any luck finding sales?

The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I had an eye doc appointment yesterday but I cancelled it a few days before hand. I am just not comfortable to have the doc so close to my face doing the exam. Put it off till February. UGH, who knows how bad the virus will be by then.

Here is a good one! My shelf stable 8 oz. milks were on the verge of expiring so I froze them. Worked out perfectly. Last night I decided I needed two of them to make a sauce. I didn't plan this till the last minute and wanted the milk defrosted. So, I threw them in the microwave and set it for one minute. Well, that was a bad idea! Within a few seconds, the microwave was sparking and the containers were had charred edges then a fire started on the parchment paper I had in the microwave! I am shrieking a little hearing the popping then the fire. I opened the door and took out the milks then the parchment that was on fire and threw it in the sink! DUH to me, the containers are made of layers of some kind of plastic and aluminum material.  I knew this but totally forgot. So, lesson learned! Take it from me, defrost in warm water or take out to thaw earlier! Hahahaha! Thank goodness the microwave didn't conk out and I am even more thankful that I didn't leave the room like I have done a thousand times before when I start the microwave!

I haven't seen prime rib roasts as low as I found them before Thanksgiving, which was $4.99/#.  I bought 4 but never made it back for more.  Thanks for the tip on the Paula Dean cooking method -- we had a perfectly medium rare roast.  This week our Sprouts has the prime rib roasts for $8.99/#, which is more than I'm willing to pay since I still have 3 in the freezer.

Same grocer who had the $4.99 prime rib roast has choice beef chuck shoulder roasts for $2.99/# this week, another "lowest price of the year" and one I don't see often.  I'd have to go into the store to get that price, however -- it's $5.19/# using Instacart.  And I can't be sure they'll actually have it in stock.

I was planning a curbside pickup for mid-week, but Sprouts sent out a $10 coupon so I might do it Sunday (last day of coupon).  I'd need to place the order soon though -- usually I can get a slot within a couple of hours and already the earliest is middle of the day tomorrow.  I could easily wait though, and see if they send out another coupon.

DH managed to get his eye exam in October.  Mine isn't due until February, but I probably won't go until I've been vaccinated.  Out of the 4 of us, I'm the only one who managed to get to the dentist this year.  My 6 month exam was cancelled in March, and I went sometime this summer (time is lost on me right now).  All 3 guys decided not to go in May, then procrastinated over the summer and now they don't feel safe going.  DH had a coworker exposed at a different dentist last week.  He'd overheard them talking about a potluck, and sure enough this week he got the call that he'd been exposed and needs to quarantine.

I'm glad the microwaved milk fire wasn't any worse!

[Cranky]

I am reaping the benefits of my previous pandemic hoarding. ;-)

I went into Aldi towards the end of October, and I’m not going into the grocery store again until I’ve been vaccinated. We do pick up from Giant Eagle, and a produce box from the local coop.

GE was out of a lot of weird things last week but had reasonable substitutions. Scott tp was on sale and I ordered a 12 pack because we’d just finished one off, and they did have that.

When I buy a rib roast I get it from my neighborhood IGA. Alas, I’m not going in there (or anywhere else - they’ve been very good, really.)

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I'm battling anxiety regarding locks downs, safety, and food/paper goods shortages.  I keep telling myself we're fine, we have plenty of food, enough toilet paper and paper towels, etc. and I still find myself wanting to stock up.  I guess mostly I want that $2.99/# chuck roast, as I can see a long winter season (not in weather, just in how we feel) and beef stew sounds incredibly comforting.  But we don't have to have it.  Chances are our area of the state will go into a major lockdown Sunday, limiting all retail to 20% capacity, even the "essential businesses" like grocery stores.  I imagine the grocery stores are crazy busy today.

(I think the anxiety will abate some once we do get the order to go into a stay at home order, as I'll know for 3 weeks there's no reason to obsessively doom-scroll about it.)

I did a Costco order Wednesday, and they were still out of heavy cream.  I'm displeased about this, as I use it in our holiday cooking, and they have the Horizon brand which only has added gellan gum instead of polysorbate whatever and carrageenan.  I'd prefer Trader Joe's heavy cream most of all (no additives at all), but that store is far too crowded even with them supposedly adhering to reduced occupancy.  Aldi is also out of cream.

Target just cancelled a paper towel order I made two weeks ago.  I'm hoping they don't cancel my toilet paper order -- we really need to use the septic/sewer safe TP that dissolves easily and won't clog pipes.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I am reaping the benefits of my previous pandemic hoarding. ;-)

I went into Aldi towards the end of October, and I’m not going into the grocery store again until I’ve been vaccinated. We do pick up from Giant Eagle, and a produce box from the local coop.

GE was out of a lot of weird things last week but had reasonable substitutions. Scott tp was on sale and I ordered a 12 pack because we’d just finished one off, and they did have that.

When I buy a rib roast I get it from my neighborhood IGA. Alas, I’m not going in there (or anywhere else - they’ve been very good, really.)

It's good to read this, Cranky, because I know I shouldn't go into a grocery store again until I've been vaccinated as well.  No sale is really worth getting Covid for.

[Poundwise]

Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.

That sounds awful. The Costcos up here don't have the 75 person limit, and the limit is two people per household (though I have started to do two trips per visit, that is, I fill up one cart, check out, then do it again so that we have only one person exposed.)  I haven't been there for a few weeks because both nearby Costcos are now in areas exceeding 6% positivity rates.

Are there any food deliveries or farm shares in your area?  We get a Misfits box every two weeks, and I'm thinking of getting milk deliveries (which also deliver other fresh goods such as eggs, OJ, sausage, fresh bagels and cream cheese.) Not the cheapest option, but we can afford it for a few months and it will save us trips to the store.

The kids continue to be snacking scourges. At least hybrid school has started up again so they are out of the house a couple of times a weeks (and school lunch is free to every child in New York State for now, it's great).  Ordinarily we don't eat so much frozen or prepared food, but my time is disrupted a lot with remote schooling and volunteer work.

[NotJen]

The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I did my usual shop on Thursday morning, and I didn't see any empty shelves, even though things are ramping up in my area.  Meat was full, baking products were full, lots of everything (except cucumbers, shrug -- oh, and the one flavor of wet cat food my cat will eat).  The TP aisle was sparse, but there were still big packs available in several different brands.

I'm still shopping in person because my store is never crowded in the mornings.

I am trying out a Misfits box next week, thanks to a Black Friday 50% discount.  I haven't worked out how much more expensive it is than my normal veggie purchases, but they do seem to have some things right now that my local store doesn't.

[Roadrunner53]

I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation. I was on Youtube and this woman demonstrated how you can freeze taters. What she did was have a big pot of boiling water on the stovetop. Then, into a basket she could lower into the pot of water she cut up the taters into 1/2 inch squares. She did about 2 lbs. per batch. She dropped the diced taters into the boiling water (in the basket) and waited till the water came back to a boil then timed it for 2 minutes. After that, she dropped the basket into a pot of cold water to quickly cool down the taters. Then after a minute or so, let the basket drain. She would cut up an onion into dices and a pepper into dices and add them to the ziplock with the potatoes. She would remove as much air as possible from the bag then put in the freezer. She said she would make potatoes O'Brian with them. She lets them defrost overnight in the ziplock in the fridge. Boiling the taters stops the enzyme activity which can cause the potatoes to turn brown while frozen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5Zj2SOMpg

I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.

[Roadrunner53]

Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

WOW, K_in_the_kitchen $2.99 for chuck roast!!! I would figure out a way to grab up a few of those to stick in the freezer!

Glad the Paula Deen cooking method for prime rib came out for you! We have used it for years and for us, it is the only one we will use. The Hub sometimes puts a coffee rub on the outside and always sticks garlic into it. Now, if I can only find some of these prime ribs without breaking the bank!

[NotJen]

I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.

I used to freeze potatoes when I had a lot from my CSA, or when one was too big for the individual serving I wanted.  Just parboil or even par-cook in the microwave, and freeze  - cut to whatever size you want to use later.  I’ve also frozen a tray of mashed potatoes, which heats up well in the oven.

[Poundwise]

I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation.

Do you store onions in the same location as your potatoes? Since I found a separate location, my potatoes last longer (though they still occasionally go bad). Many also say that storing an apple with your potatoes helps a lot; I may have tried it in the past but probably let the apple go bad and stopped.  Has to do with plant hormones.

[Poundwise]

Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

Same!  It was the jicamas that broke me down.  We tried one and didn't like it... I think we ended up throwing out three jicamas which is wasteful. With kale, I do a very good winter greens soup from Annie Somerville's Field of Greens cookbook.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5150aca3e4b0b73e823496d6/t/51c38482e4b09752bb438325/1371767938079/WinterGreensSoup+%281%29.pdf

[Roadrunner53]

I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation.

Do you store onions in the same location as your potatoes? Since I found a separate location, my potatoes last longer (though they still occasionally go bad). Many also say that storing an apple with your potatoes helps a lot; I may have tried it in the past but probably let the apple go bad and stopped.  Has to do with plant hormones.

Yes, potatoes and onions are in close proximity. Really have no where else to store them. I will try an apple. My luck it will rot and attract fruit flies!

[Poundwise]

@Roadrunner53 Yeah, the onions are ruining your potatoes.  Is it possible you could hang the onions from a hook somewhere farther from the potatoes?

[Roadrunner53]

@Roadrunner53 Yeah, the onions are ruining your potatoes.  Is it possible you could hang the onions from a hook somewhere farther from the potatoes?

Mmmm, will have to think about that!

[the_fixer]

I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation. I was on Youtube and this woman demonstrated how you can freeze taters. What she did was have a big pot of boiling water on the stovetop. Then, into a basket she could lower into the pot of water she cut up the taters into 1/2 inch squares. She did about 2 lbs. per batch. She dropped the diced taters into the boiling water (in the basket) and waited till the water came back to a boil then timed it for 2 minutes. After that, she dropped the basket into a pot of cold water to quickly cool down the taters. Then after a minute or so, let the basket drain. She would cut up an onion into dices and a pepper into dices and add them to the ziplock with the potatoes. She would remove as much air as possible from the bag then put in the freezer. She said she would make potatoes O'Brian with them. She lets them defrost overnight in the ziplock in the fridge. Boiling the taters stops the enzyme activity which can cause the potatoes to turn brown while frozen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5Zj2SOMpg

I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.

That is what we do with potatoes. We use the fresh ones for a while and as they start getting a little older and we think they are nearing the peak we cut them up and thrown them into boiling water for 2 mins, into an ice bath then vacuum pack them and into the freezer they go. (FYI do not vacuum pack with onions the onions and garlic are not able to be vacuum packed unless cooked)

We use them for breakfast skillets or in the oven with EVOO and some spices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[the_fixer]

This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Roadrunner53]

the_fixer I am surprised that they wouldn't refund you over the phone. I have had issues with things delivered to my house thru Peapod division of Stop & Shop and they have always refunded me. You should call again later in the day and get someone else on the phone. Or ask for a manager. It does make you wonder if things are flying off the shelves, how you could get rotten veggies! Seems it would be fresh as could be. The one time I was totally disgusted is when I got ground meat and it was brown and red. It had an old smell to it too. I am totally convinced that they took old meat and mixed it with new and sold it to me. I was not going to eat that meat no way, no how! I called them up and told them exactly what I thought about it and was promptly refunded. I also order veggies from Misfits and have ordered from Imperfect foods. I have had many mishaps with Imperfect foods. Missing items, boxes delivered a day late in the summer and the meat was warm. I called them up, complained and they were so good and refunded me too. They were having growing pains I think. The delivery service is a well known one and for some reason they just didn't care that the package had perishables and just decided to deliver when it suited them. Imperfect foods selects the delivery day and the delivery company is supposed to abide by it. They must have crabbed to them because my packages started arriving on the correct date and no warm stuff. This of course was during the summer when temps went to 90 degrees for days on end. Ice packs only last so long!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the early months of the pandemic we ordered our produce from a local business, which is a combination produce wholesaler / deli sandwich shop / prepped produce and meal kit company.  During the pandemic they added in retail produce (not prepped) and then other perishables and staples.  Without a doubt, the produce was fresher than what we could buy at the grocery store in non-pandemic times.  Once we returned to going to stores I was surprised by the lower quality of produce during the pandemic, which has been even worse when someone else is choosing for us.

The local place is more expensive, but we may very well return to them if produce goes farther downhill this winter.

[the_fixer]

the_fixer I am surprised that they wouldn't refund you over the phone. I have had issues with things delivered to my house thru Peapod division of Stop & Shop and they have always refunded me. You should call again later in the day and get someone else on the phone. Or ask for a manager.

I am sure if I persisted or asked to speak to a manager they would have done it over the phone. I know they did it a few years back when I arrived at home to find my steak and salmon did not make it back to the cart while being bagged.

With everything that is going on in the world it just did not seem worth pushing the issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[the_fixer]

This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the early months of the pandemic we ordered our produce from a local business, which is a combination produce wholesaler / deli sandwich shop / prepped produce and meal kit company.  During the pandemic they added in retail produce (not prepped) and then other perishables and staples.  Without a doubt, the produce was fresher than what we could buy at the grocery store in non-pandemic times.  Once we returned to going to stores I was surprised by the lower quality of produce during the pandemic, which has been even worse when someone else is choosing for us.

The local place is more expensive, but we may very well return to them if produce goes farther downhill this winter.

Good to know, I will have to see if I can find a place like that but not really sure where to look.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

WOW, K_in_the_kitchen $2.99 for chuck roast!!! I would figure out a way to grab up a few of those to stick in the freezer!

Glad the Paula Deen cooking method for prime rib came out for you! We have used it for years and for us, it is the only one we will use. The Hub sometimes puts a coffee rub on the outside and always sticks garlic into it. Now, if I can only find some of these prime ribs without breaking the bank!

We bought 14 roasts, for a total of 32# (they weren't that big) / $94.  After I wrapped and bagged them I realized I could have bought twice as many and still fit them into the freezer.

I wasn't going to go out, but I really wanted these roasts.  So I doubled masked, took my hand sanitizer, and told myself I wouldn't stay if there was a long line to get in or if it was crowded.  DH offered to come with but I didn't see any reason to have two of us go.  No line, and while it wasn't empty, it wasn't Saturday busy, either.  It was easy to stay socially distant, and I was able to get out in under 30 minutes (a threshold I've seen referenced).  There was plenty of meat in the cases, although I didn't look to check varieties.  TP and paper towels were sparse, but not non-existent.  I didn't go down every aisle, but I didn't see any obvious empty spots.  Oh, except for lard -- no lard.  It's tamale making season, so I suppose that's why, but I was a bit bummed.  DH did a Whole30 in November and I was thinking we'd fry our annual New Year's Eve tacos in lard since he isn't eating corn oil.

They even had 91% isopropyl alcohol, which the guys use for bike maintenance and electronics.  I saw hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, but I didn't need any.  They had heavy cream (with polysorbate 80, but at this point I give in).  And I remembered to get mineral oil for the cutting boards so I wouldn't have to pay outrageous online prices.

[MustacheExplorer]

Anytime I order cans from Walmart or Target they come dented. Walmart is number one the worst when it comes to securely packaging items. Target is a close second. Heaven forbid if you order something like spaghetti sauce in a glass jar! I have had total glass shards and goopy sauce at the bottom of the box. I now load up when I do curbside to avoid disaster.

I think Walmart ships cans that are already dented.  I usually  have to go through a few cans to find an undented one on the shelves inside the store.  I don't understand why that is.

[Roadrunner53]

MustacheExplorer, In my case, they just throw a bunch of cans in the bottom of the box with one air filled tiny pillow. No cardboard to protect anything, no dividers, no attempt at all to try to protect anything. Just one big box of cans smashing into each other for their long journey. When they arrive it looks like they shoveled them out of a bombed out building. Fortunately, I am stocked up and when I need more stuff, I will get it thru curbside shopping or Costco. Costco sells the cans in six packs or 8 packs bundled together so they are not smashing around in the box.

[GreenSheep]

Meanwhile, I've ordered pillows from Amazon a couple of times recently, and they came packed in a big box with... air pillows. So that my pillows... don't break on the way here...?

[GuitarStv]

I was forced to return some broken pillows just the other day.  They bounced around too much in the box.

[MyAlterEgoIsTaller]

Yesterday I got an Amazon package that had 2 big stickers on the box saying that it could not be shipped by airplane, due to containing lithium batteries. It was my order if yarn and vitamins. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

My regional chain is doing another "lowest prices of the year" sale on meat.

Beef Rib Rib-Eye Roast Bone-in (Standing Rib Roast) $4.99/#
Whole Trip Tip, Trimmed $3.99/#
Bone-in NY Steak $3.99/#
Pork Shoulder Butt 99¢/#
B/S Chicken Breast 99¢/#

But ... none of these are marked "Choice" in the ad.  Indeed, inside the ad the have Choice Beef Rib Bone-In Rib-Eye Roast for $8.99/#.  So these aren't exactly the lowest prices if they aren't Choice, because we've had these prices for Choice beef in the past year.  It is the lowest price for pork butt and b/s chicken breast.

I don't think it's enough to tempt me into the store.

[Dicey]

MustacheExplorer, In my case, they just throw a bunch of cans in the bottom of the box with one air filled tiny pillow. No cardboard to protect anything, no dividers, no attempt at all to try to protect anything. Just one big box of cans smashing into each other for their long journey. When they arrive it looks like they shoveled them out of a bombed out building. Fortunately, I am stocked up and when I need more stuff, I will get it thru curbside shopping or Costco. Costco sells the cans in six packs or 8 packs bundled together so they are not smashing around in the box.

I think I mentioned upthread that I recently bought an eight-pack of black beans at Costco and every damn can was dented. I just grabbed a random case when I was there and never imagined what horrors the shrink wrap and cardboard were hiding. I could return them, but the waste would be ridiculous. We'll just make a concerted effort to use them up, which is of course, the opposite of why I bought them.

[SunnyDays]

I learned from volunteering at a food bank that dented cans are okay as long as the dent isn’t so long or deep that it comes to a point at the ends or as long as the sealed area isn’t dented.  These are more likely to cause tiny holes that allow air in and can cause bacteria to grow.  A modest, shallow dent on the side isn’t likely to be harmful.