Pandemic hoarding

[mm1970]

[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.

Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.

Yep.  We have more grocery options - 99 cent only and Sprouts, but they are harder to get to for me, and I am lazy.  I love Trader Joe's, but they are contractually required to pick locations with shitty parking lots (we have 3, and this is true of all of them).

We are fairly lucky that we rarely get rolling blackouts like the rest of town.  My theory is that we must be on the same grid as the hospital, or something.  When my fridge died a couple of years ago or so, I ran to work to grab my mini-fridge.  That, combined with our spare mini-freezer, and coolers worked fine.  The back mini-freezer has large ice packs in it at all time.

I like be stocked up, but with a teenaged boy in the house, it's still not enough.  Our closest store has been having issues staying stocked with dairy.  Today I went, and they were finally stocked and had a sale with the "Just for U" coupon on cheese.  Unfortunately, I had a new phone and wasn't logged into my account.  Then, I couldn't get the login right.  Well, now I have a new account...

[Cranky]

Toilet paper?

That Sh*t is expensive.
I have gone without, last few years.
Think about it... you are flushing paper down the toilet.
Whats wrong with hands, then wash with clean water?
its what half the planet is doing.

I think modern man has come a long way from using hands which is pretty darn unsanitary. There are other ways to wipe your butt without buying toilet paper. Back before disposable diapers, people used to put the dirty cloth diapers in a pail and wash them in the washer. You could set up a similar thing with clean rags and use a pail to keep the dirty rags in, then wash them. Other way is to buy a bidet. A one time expense.

https://pistachioproject.com/2016/04/why-you-should-switch-to-family-cloth.html

I will stick with expensive toilet paper. One expense I don't mind spending money on.

Also, people who don’t use toilet paper tend to be male - most of my tp use is not poop related. ;-)

[Roadrunner53]

I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!

[OtherJen]

I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!

There were still good stocks of Kirkland TP and paper towels at the local Costco on Friday (I bought one of each on the normal replenishment schedule), but people were going nuts. One lady had three packs of each piled on her cart, plus several cases of bottled water. I was tempted to point her towards the aisle with tin foil, but she looked a bit frantic and I decided the risk of being attacked wasn't worth the potential personal entertainment.

[MudPuppy]

That got a chuckle out of me. A chuckle pre-coffee, even!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!

For delivery to my zip code Costco has both Kirkland bath tissue (TP) and Kirkland paper towels, limit one of each.

I'm not planning to buy more of either.  I still have 24 rolls of Viva paper towels, bought last November.  And 96 rolls of our preferred toilet paper, plus a bit more in an open box. I got those early in summer when prices when back down.  I also see a box of Scott Professional 2-ply, which I think we didn't really like but we also didn't donate it (like we did with two other huge boxes of individual rolls). We can keep that on hand as our "emergency stash" should prices on the Scott rapid dissolve go up again.

Our Costco has self checkout now.  And I saw it at one of the grocery stores near us, but I can't remember which one.  Target and Walmart have had it for years, as have Home Depot and Lowes.  The more these companies can get us to do for them, the less they have to pay employees.

[jim555]

I stopped buying paper towels entirely.  Now I have a stack of face towels that work fine.  Still working on getting rid of the TP.

[Roadrunner53]

Yes, stores would love to do away with employees. They could save on wages, insurance and any perks people might get. They are slowly integrating these self check out systems to get customers used to it and finally pull the plug. Younger people won't know the difference because they will have grown up with self check outs. What gets me is that there is no discount for checking out your items and bagging them too! I refuse to go to self check outs if I have a choice. There are a lot of elderly people that cannot adapt to it, handicapped people and others. I personally hate it. What is next for us customers to do in the stores? I already mentioned operating the deli slicers, maybe we can stock the shelves, sweep the floors, package meat in the meat department.

[jim555]

I like self-checkouts.  Once you get used to it it is so much easier and faster. 

[couponvan]

Our freezer got messed up over the weekend. (It started with DH and a late-night ice cream splurge when he didn't actually close the door all the way.)  Due to the freeze/thaw cycle that occurred, we have a BUNCH of freezer meals on the menu over the next few weeks.  I'm hoping to end the hoarding cycle after this.  When I bought my freezer/fridge in the extra-large version, I had visions of them being artfully arranged with the food where you could find it in the front just like they show on the ads.  Yeah right.  I've got a ridiculous hodge-podge of randomness.

I hate self checkouts. Unless its the Amazon Go store.  Then it's kind of fun and makes sense as it scans your groceries as you put them in the cart.  They need massively larger carts though!

[Nutty]

Y'all's comments about the self check out got me thinking.  It's almost like they expect us to pump our own gas, check the oil, tire pressure and all that.  Eventually, you won't need the gas station attendants.

Anyone else see a correlation? 

[SunnyDays]

I refuse to use self check out, for the same reason I refuse to pump my own gas.  It puts someone out of work and makes me do their job for free.  Whenever I’m told in a store that a self checkout is free, I make a point of loudly saying that I’m saving someone’s job.  To which I get a blank stare or an uncertain laugh.  I’m happy to wait in line as long as it takes, because I’m retired;)

[JoePublic3.14]

Y'all's comments about the self check out got me thinking.  It's almost like they expect us to pump our own gas, check the oil, tire pressure and all that.  Eventually, you won't need the gas station attendants.

Anyone else see a correlation?

Sure, just so it has limits and I am not doing my own root canals in twenty years. I mean, I am already expected to brush and floss.

I do like the self checkouts, especially when I am popping in for a couple things I forgot.

I have seen more places offer you a scanner to scan as you load the cart. There’s some good possibilities there also.

[reeshau]

I hate self checkouts. Unless its the Amazon Go store.  Then it's kind of fun and makes sense as it scans your groceries as you put them in the cart.  They need massively larger carts though!

Sam's Club has scan-and-go.  You have to scan the items, but skip the checkout just as effectively.  And the carts are plenty big.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

In practice I don't mind a self checkout, especially if I'm buying one or two items and the store only has one cashier open with a line.  But I know that situation comes up exactly because of self checkouts.  In theory, I'm against self checkout because it takes away jobs and we're not to a place yet where self checkout reliably functions as well as a human being -- and I don't think that can happen in grocery stores unless every item is packaged RFID or a similar technology that can be read without scanning items one by one.  To do that would take our choice in the produce and meat departments, etc., which has already happened at many stores.

I'm constantly figuring out how to manage as technology advances and large corporations take over, all while attempting to consider global climate change.  I used to have a farm stand just over a mile away, and now I have to go 5 miles, which isn't walkable (I no longer bike).  The non chain grocery store can't compete price wise with the chains, but more than that, they don't have quality produce and carry very little in the way of organics.  I can choose between a regional chain, several national chains, and the independent grocery store, but Sprouts is the closest in terms of walking at .6 mile.  If I expand my distance to a mile I can walk to Vons and Trader Joes.  The regional chain and Aldi have to be driven to.  This makes Sprouts the best choice overall in terms of distance, quality of produce, and organic options, although they aren't the best in terms of price, and their workers aren't unionized.  There just end up being too many variables!

I do see think offering a human cashier versus a self checkout or other options is likely to end at some point.  Consumers are easily trained and most want the lowest price possible and aren't thinking about the people whose jobs are going away.

[Cranky]

I’m still rebuilding our pantry system after our move.

I’ve noticed a lot more random out of stock items at all the stores, not any one category. The cat food we buy, which is evidently the only “sensitive skin and stomach” formula that is chunky, not pâté, is out of stock everywhere and not expected to be in until sometime next year.

It’s just still weird and I am trying not to run out of anything without a backup or two.

[OtherJen]

The beautiful brand-new Aldi in the neighboring suburb had no garlic, no frozen fish, and at least 10% empty shelves and fridge cases.

I think I'm going to put in an order for some bulk dry goods (beans, lentils, rice) and pet food and stock up on some canned goods for the winter. Start filling the chest freezer now that we're past the gross-hot season.

[StarBright]

The beautiful brand-new Aldi in the neighboring suburb had no garlic, no frozen fish, and at least 10% empty shelves and fridge cases.

I think I'm going to put in an order for some bulk dry goods (beans, lentils, rice) and pet food and stock up on some canned goods for the winter. Start filling the chest freezer now that we're past the gross-hot season.

I went shopping in the store last month for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

I was shook by the empty shelves. As an old millennial, empty shelves only happened in the USSR. I have truly never known anything but fully stocked and abundant grocery choices.

[Jenny Wren]

I haven't noticed empty shelves around here, but I might not shop in the hard hit departments - dairy, produce, and bulk pantry goods seem to be well stocked. The only meat I buy is my son's chicken breasts and turkey bacon, no beef or anything like that. We order our TP from No. 2, and the box comes every 6 months reliably thus far. I have noticed that the cats' wet food selection is spotty, with different flavors/brands out of stock on what almost seems a rotating basis. Fortunately they aren't picky eaters. I am a bit confused about their dry food, though. I may stockpile an extra bag to keep in reserve. They'd definitely eat something else, but this food agrees well with my old man's tummy.

Price increases are severe and across the board, though.

[GreenSheep]

I haven't noticed empty shelves around here, but I might not shop in the hard hit departments - dairy, produce, and bulk pantry goods seem to be well stocked. The only meat I buy is my son's chicken breasts and turkey bacon, no beef or anything like that. We order our TP from No. 2, and the box comes every 6 months reliably thus far. I have noticed that the cats' wet food selection is spotty, with different flavors/brands out of stock on what almost seems a rotating basis. Fortunately they aren't picky eaters. I am a bit confused about their dry food, though. I may stockpile an extra bag to keep in reserve. They'd definitely eat something else, but this food agrees well with my old man's tummy.

Price increases are severe and across the board, though.

Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!

[jim555]

Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!

Who does No. 2 work for?

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Price increases are severe and across the board, though.

The price increases are definitely significant, and I've started seeing even more shrinkflation in grocery items, especially some of the store brands that had been holding out.  Store brand Rocky Road ice cream for DH is down from 1.75 to 1.5 quarts just since April, and it hasn't been going on sale.  It's still cheaper than any other brand though.

Milk prices have been holding steady, but eggs are higher and I haven't seen good sales like they used to have at Aldi.  Three years ago at Aldi the regular price was 79¢ a dozen and 59¢ on sale was common, with a few big sales at 49¢ (September 2018 I bought 12 dozen eggs at 49¢ a dozen). By the time the pandemic hit 99¢ was an everyday price and 79¢ was the sale.  But now $1.79 is the regular price and I rarely see them go on sale.  I think we mentioned it before, but potato prices seem to be way up.  Apple sale prices look more like Fall 2019's regular prices.

We're eating really simply.  I buy cream and milk to make creme fraiche and yogurt, which is cheaper than buying sour cream and yogurt already made (because I want organic, zero additives, and to know they weren't made with dried milk, which manufacturers don't have to disclose).  I grind wheat and bake our bread, biscuits, tortillas, etc.  Our complex carbs are potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and brown rice, plus the breads I bake.  We eat basic and in season produce.  I buy a chicken every other week and make the carcass into stock for homemade soups.  We eat "red" meat once a week (beef -or- pork -or- lamb), chicken once a week, and that's it other than occasionally using bulk sausage or bacon in sweet potato breakfast bowls.  Beans are twice a week, a meatless soup (using chicken broth, so not vegetarian) is twice a week, and I try to make a more interesting vegetarian meal once a week, like Indian-style potatoes, homemade pizza, etc.  We eat a lot of eggs, usually in an egg casserole with plenty of vegetables.  We're eating fewer smoothies now that fall has arrived, mostly because they cost a lot more than eggs and toast with an apple or a side of sautéed cabbage.  Cutting down on the more expensive meals (meat, smoothies, etc.) is the way I foresee keeping our grocery expenditures down with the rising prices.  I think twice about topping our egg casserole with a $1 avocado -- now I plan one avocado a week instead of four.

[Roadrunner53]

Costco is hit and miss. The other day no Kirkland TP or Paper towels, then they were in stock the next day so I ordered one of each. I have not really shopped in the stores much since the pandemic started. Once in a while I go but mostly curbside. When I do curbside I order a ton of stuff like eggs, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, frozen fries, onion rings. I get sauces in glass jars. I tried to order sauces from Walmart and that was a fiasco. Broken glass and sauce everywhere. Bad news! Will not do that again. So curbside I do anything in glass jars like olives, pickles, roasted red peppers. I still order a lot of stuff from Walmart, Costco and Target. Sometimes Boxed. I order my dogs prescriptions, dog food and other dog supplies from Chewy. They are good and ship quickly.

[GreenSheep]

Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!

Who does No. 2 work for?

Haha, my little brother was obsessed with that movie, so I've seen it eleventy thousand times. (You know, back in the days when there was one screen in the house for watching movies, so siblings had to, like, get along and stuff.) That popped into my head when I saw the company name, too. :-)

[SunnyDays]

Walmart has not had bananas in stock for over a month here.  The clerk said “shortage” when asked why, but other stores have had them all along, so don’t know the real issue.  I’ve seen some empty spots every trip, but nothing else as consistent as bananas.

I’m still eating down my stock, but will start building it up a bit in about a month.  One thing the pandemic taught me is how far my groceries go (quite a long way) and what I can cook with a bunch of random ingredients.  So now I’m less concerned about being stocked up.

[debbie does duncan]

There was / is a big drought on the west coast.
 Many Christmas tree farms did not get the rain they needed this yr of grow on their trees.
They will not be shipping any trees this yr.
 Wait for it.

[abhe8]

me!! I have a large family and plenty of storage space, and I was caught a little off guard last year, so I am definitely stocking up. I have always ordered dry foods twice a year, but now I am making sure I have 2 of each item, as many are still OOS when I go to place my next order. I've also realized how nice it is to never run out of things, but rather just put in a big order every 6 months (dry pantry food) or every 1-2 months (other consumables). We grow/process our own eggs, chickens, rabbits and purchase beef and pork about twice a year, so that leaves just produce for my weekly grocery runs.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

We're pushing out the grocery shopping another week (last order was Thursday 9/23 and it wasn't a full shop).  Instead of my planned potato cheese soup I made tuna cheddar chowder since we're out of potatoes.  I also made fresh whole wheat rolls, and DH made a salad (the romaine is from the 9/18 shop and has been keeping well).  We'll eat the same meal again tomorrow night.  This afternoon I made some whole wheat tortillas for Sunday, and we'll have quesadillas and half a bowl of soup each, to finish it off.  We have cabbage for salad or slaw.  For breakfasts we have eggs and some stale homemade bread we can toast, along with either sautéed cabbage or sliced apples.  We can also make smoothies.  Monday and Tuesday's dinners will be based on beans and rice, along with some cabbage and salsa (and the rest of the homemade tortillas), and Wednesday I plan to braise a pork butt.  I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with meals when we haven't shopped.  Since we lost everything in the refrigerator/freezer and didn't get a replacement fridge until the 17th, I don't have a fridge and freezer full of all sorts of forgotten things.  Right now the only complex carbs I have for side dishes are wheat berries, popping corn (which can be ground and turned into polenta), and rice.  We're super low on vegetables at this point, with the salad makings, a couple of onions, a shredded large cabbage, a small amount of celery, and some frozen broccoli rice that I usually save for making egg casserole.  We're better off on fruit, with plenty of apples as well as frozen mango, strawberries, and blueberries.  The milk is gone, but we have heavy cream, homemade creme fraiche, homemade yogurt, and some cheese.  Oh, and we have eggs and butter.

I'm currently planning out how to go back to shopping once a month, so pushing out another week is good practice.

[MudPuppy]

Relative drives a store delivery truck for a large corporation and said their fleet has been dwindling. Apparently they are not having success getting parts to repair the trucks in a timely manner when they break down. Decided today to get a pack of lightbulbs and 4 of my allergy shmuck HVAC filters so I don’t find myself on the wrong end of a supply chain delay there. Might go ahead and get my brakes done a few months early.

[Roadrunner53]

I don't know if this is helpful to anyone or not but I purchase the UHT milk that comes in 8 oz. size from Costco. It comes in low fat and whole milk in a case of 18. I don't use milk much so these little containers of milk are really great! Just have to keep an eye on the expiration dates but they are usually fairly long. I had some that were expiring and didn't need them so I froze them and made sure to use them first rather than out of the new case. After thawing them out, they were excellent. Over the years I have wasted so much milk, now there is no waste.

Another thing I have just 'discovered' is potatoes in cans. They come in whole, sliced and I think diced. I have only bought whole so far and they are pretty darn good! I run out of potatoes and onions often since I don't go to the store much. Trying to find alternatives.

Does anyone know of a source for sliced dehydrated onion? I don't want the teeny tiny bits. I would like bigger pieces.

[MudPuppy]

These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK

[Roadrunner53]

These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK

Will look into it, thanks!

[TomTX]

These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK

That looks remarkably similar to the one from the Costco spice section, though at a higher price.

[MudPuppy]

I’ve never been to a Costco before, so I can’t speak to that, but if so and they have access to one, so much the better!

[DesireeD]

[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.

Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.

After the headaches of trying to buy staples like pet food, gluten-free oatmeal, dried beans, peanut butter, and any kind of canned goods 18 months ago, I keep the pantry well-stocked with shelf-stable goods, even though there's an Aldi 1.5 miles from my house (their shelves were as bare as everyone else's in March 2020). This is a great reminder to stock up on those items and scan my pantry for other low stocks before my next Costco trip. Our fridge died during a July heatwave, and 2 weeks later we lost some of the food in our borrowed small fridge due to a power outage, so I'm less trusting of refrigeration units and less likely to hoard fresh/frozen meat deals.

       I keep adequate stock of canning supplies and propane so that I can quickly convert my frozen meats and berries into canned meat and jam, in the event of a power outage. That gives me peace of mind that I won’t lose my stored meat.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

[OtherJen]

Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

[calimom]

@OtherJen we once went to an Easter dinner at a friends, where a spiral cut ham was served. I was assisting with cleanup, and the host was just about to toss the bone - I told her I wanted it for split pea soup. It's crazy when people toss out such crucial elements of another meal!

[SunnyDays]

^^^^^^^

I know, it kills me too.  It pains me to see all the chicken bones being discarded at buffets!  Could have made SO MUCH SOUP!!!  I also freeze veggie water for soup - more nutrients than plain water.

[Missy B]

Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Blasphemers!
And seriously, that is like the most return for effort of practically anything.

[Roadrunner53]

The first thing I do when I cook a turkey is to bring out the slow cooker and put in some onion, celery and carrots. When the turkey is carved, the scraps and bones are thrown into the slow cooker. Including the cooking broth from the turkey. I add a little water to it. Then I let is cook all night on slow then wake up to delicious soup aroma in the morning! I sometimes deconstruct the broth and meat and freeze separately until ready for it. This last time there wasn't a lot of turkey meat so I added chicken to it. Made a 9 X 13" casserole (pot pie) with biscuits on top. It was scrumptious!

I also use a ham bone for pea soup and yummo!

I am on the East Coast and as far as I know we don't have Azure Standard out this way. However, I went to the website and they have a drop off service every few weeks all over the USA! Seems they have a tractor trailer and there are volunteers that coordinate the deliveries. They find a place where the truck can pull in and out easily as well as people picking up their orders. I am kind of interested in this! Anyone here done this before? I just contacted the coordinator in my area to see where the drop off place is. For me the town that it is located in is about 15 miles away. It is a nice drive on a two lane road and is scenic. It says the shipping fee is 8.5%. So I assume if you buy $100 in food, the fee would be $8.50. This is all new to me!

K_in_the_kitchen, I have had that happen to me too with chickens. I think it is a conspiracy with the stores. I have had the organ meat taken out too without asking for them to do that. You figure if every day they remove the organ meat, they can repackage it to be sold. Things that used to be scrap, can be sold to make money!

[OtherJen]

Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Blasphemers!
And seriously, that is like the most return for effort of practically anything.

Right?! I even make stock from rotisserie chickens. I remove the meat and throw all of the stock ingredients in my pressure cooker. An hour later, I have 2 quarts of stock with very little effort.

[Dicey]

Haha, my SIL is Chinese. She left China as an adult. She laughs at what Americans discard. In China, she says, every part of every animal is used, not just boiling carcasses for stock, lol.

Lately, DH has been deep frying the Thanksgiving turkey. He brines it first. I've been told the process makes the carcass bad for soup, so.I haven't tried. Anybody know for sure?

[jrhampt]

Haha, my SIL is Chinese. She left China as an adult. She laughs at what Americans discard. In China, she says, every part of every animal is used, not just boiling carcasses for stock, lol.

This is true, but I've never been particularly interested in eating chicken feet for an appetizer like they do :-P  Apparently we ship a lot of our chicken feet over there.

[TomTX]

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Picking up the first turkey of the season in a few hours. Always make stock with the turkey carcass or chicken bones.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

My parents made a turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, and never once saved the carcass and made broth.  Never once in my entire childhood did someone make broth in our kitchen.  Soup came from a can.  At some point my mom tried the "Soup Starter" product, but she quickly decided canned soup was easier.

[Cranky]

Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

[RetiredAt63]

Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

Do you like Jello?  Much the same.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

The first thing I do when I cook a turkey is to bring out the slow cooker and put in some onion, celery and carrots. When the turkey is carved, the scraps and bones are thrown into the slow cooker. Including the cooking broth from the turkey. I add a little water to it. Then I let is cook all night on slow then wake up to delicious soup aroma in the morning! I sometimes deconstruct the broth and meat and freeze separately until ready for it. This last time there wasn't a lot of turkey meat so I added chicken to it. Made a 9 X 13" casserole (pot pie) with biscuits on top. It was scrumptious!

I also use a ham bone for pea soup and yummo!

I am on the East Coast and as far as I know we don't have Azure Standard out this way. However, I went to the website and they have a drop off service every few weeks all over the USA! Seems they have a tractor trailer and there are volunteers that coordinate the deliveries. They find a place where the truck can pull in and out easily as well as people picking up their orders. I am kind of interested in this! Anyone here done this before? I just contacted the coordinator in my area to see where the drop off place is. For me the town that it is located in is about 15 miles away. It is a nice drive on a two lane road and is scenic. It says the shipping fee is 8.5%. So I assume if you buy $100 in food, the fee would be $8.50. This is all new to me!

K_in_the_kitchen, I have had that happen to me too with chickens. I think it is a conspiracy with the stores. I have had the organ meat taken out too without asking for them to do that. You figure if every day they remove the organ meat, they can repackage it to be sold. Things that used to be scrap, can be sold to make money!

Azure Standard doesn't have co-op stores, just the trucks.  I've been participating in a "drop" for 15 years now.  I've never been charged a separate fee for shipping -- it looks like that's because my state is close enough to Oregon to avoid the fee.  The 8.5% is probably still a good deal.  The whole business is them picking up from suppliers and making drops to customers, along a predetermined route.  More of the suppliers and customers are in the west, so it probably costs them more to go farther out.  Anyway, I love Azure Standard.  The one thing you should probably know is meeting the truck isn't at a set in stone day and time -- you have to be flexible.  The driver might encounter traffic, road closures, or severe weather, which could slow them down as much as a full day.  Occasionally everything is going great and they're a little early.

The way this butcher cut my chicken the back was huge -- I would have been mad not to get it.  I like to make my broth with the cooked bones and the raw back.  Organic whole chickens at Sprouts come prepackaged and don't have the organs.  I have to choose a chicken, then take it to the butcher counter and ask them to cut it for me.  I suppose I could do it myself, but it doesn't cost anything for them to do it and saves me the mess.  Sometimes if I have freezer room I'll have them cut 3 or 4 chickens, then come home and divide it for the freezer, putting all the thighs together, etc.

I wonder what they do with the backs if they don't give them to the customers?  Maybe there's a butcher taking them all home and making great stock.

[Rusted Rose]

Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

Do you like Jello?  Much the same.

I've never liked Jello much at all. But that's because of the sugar, not the gel.

The gelatin from stock is supposed to be full of collagen and good things for skin and hair and anti-aging and whatnot. Besides, when the stock is reheated, all that just melts again to liquid.