My favorite grocery store just remodeled and retooled their whole set-up. The biggest difference is in the fresh vegetable and fruits section.
When did people become unable to cut their own vegetables? Just about every vegetable I can think of except potatoes and zucchini comes already peeled, and sliced or cut into bite-sized chunks! Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, squash. I can’t believe all the pre-peeled onions and garlic cloves for sale! There are at least 35 kinds of pre-bagged salads. Fruits and melons are available pre-sliced too.
What the heck is up with that?
Why would anyone want to buy mass-produced, cut-up fruit that can’t be washed?
Pre-cut veggies are not nearly as flavorful as fresh cut! Although you can at least wash most of them successfully.
Peeled onions wrapped in clear plastic, as pretty and clean as they may look, still have to be washed - for the same reason you wash any store purchase: Who knows how clean the last hands to handle them were, or whether the product was sneezed on, or worse! I am willing to bet money most of the pre-peeled stuff, which is usually labled “pre-washed” is not washed before being consumed. But it darn well should be.
Plus, so many of these pre-cut & packaged things come in little foam or rigid plastic boxes. It’s just a waste of resources and a land-fill bonus, IMO.
Don’t people have knives anymore? Can’t we cut our own vegetables? They taste so much better fresh cut and keep so much better uncut! I don’t get it.
Do you buy this stuff?
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24 comments:
*hangs head in shame*
I buy the pre-cut celery sticks. Once I bought the zuchini and yellow squash. However, like you, I don't like to add waste to the landfills so the only thing I buy now are the celery sticks. And, that's only because the fresher ones don't look good. Oh, I also buy the already sliced mushrooms for DH's spaghetti. Oh, and I buy the already peeled baby carrots. Oh, and I buy the lettuce in the bag. Damn. I do buy a lot of pre-cut stuff.
I love the convience of it. Washing and cutting is the most tedious thing about cooking. Especially lettuce. I truly HATE washing lettuce.
I do still buy onions that need to be peeled. Are we supposed to wash onions? Who knew. I've never done that.
I very rarly buy any precut veggies for the very reasons you list, though I will admit to the baby carrots. I tried the salad in bags, but if I didn't use the whole bag right away I ended up tossing it. I also get really grossed out by the packages in the mean department that have the marinades already on them. Especially the chicken with a lemon based marinade. It sits in the cooler and cooks from acidity and makes me feel ill to look at it.
meat department
I buy the baby carrots, does that count?
That's really about it. 99% of the time, convenience isn't that important to me for that much more of a price. I hand't thought of the landfill issue.
I don't mind chopping veggies & fruit. It's part of the experience for me. It's almost relaxing.
However, if I make an appetizer veggie pizza (the cold one), I'll load up on the veggies at our salad bar so there is no food waste. For example, I like radish slivers on veggie pizza, but would never use a whole bunch of radishes in a few weeks time. Thus, I buy two radishes from the salad bar (where I get a container of mixed stuff & then pay by the ounce). It actually works out MUCH cheaper than buying all those whole bunches of veggies at the supermarket.
I agree with Survey, those pre-marinated meats are really disgusting.
After reading your response to the last question on Arkie's blog, I now understand your desire for full size veggies *giggle*
Two words Rachel Ray.
She is basically taking over the world and we all should be very scared.
Nookie stole my response.
*stares at Nookie*
Vegetables that have served a higher purpose are not reused, in case you were wondering.
*off to Google Rachel Ray*
Okay, I Googled her.
I rarely watch the Food Network, although I have enjoyed it the few times I did watch. Between reality TV and L&O *smirk* I have no more viewing time.
I remember watching Julia Child when I was a child. I thought she was batshit crazy but she was having so darn much fun!
Does anybogy buy those fully prepared meals for 2 or 4 that they sell in the deli?
You know, the "home-cooked" holiday meals. Turkey dinners with all the trimmings, etc. I actually have no opinion on those.
I can't imagine those "holiday meals" are actually any good. I don't even care for holiday traditional meals that much, anyway, let alone bland ones from the grocery store.
By the way, I made your adobo. Twas good!
I buy the precut celery and the pre cut broccoli. Oh and I buy the precut mushrooms for Michelle. Otherwise, I am very handy with a knife.
*juggles knives*
Ack!! maybe not that handy.
*reattaches big toe*
Kim, is that a cheesecake picture that you learned how to post from someone who learned how to post it from Survey? Good idea to buy a few pre-cut veggies from the market's salad bar!
Swami <---used cardboard for years
But I'm glad you're a fresh freak, Sally! I always have real garlic and fresh limes about.
Today I made my favorite pasta salad, which involves about 2 cups of fresh basil leaves. So yummy.
I've been known to buy the pre-cut fruit or veggie tray thingies right before a party when I'm worrying about cooking and cleaning and all that other stuff because I always manage to run out of time.
Other than that, no, I don't buy them.
I forgot about baby carrots. I do buy those occasionally.
Once in a blue moon, when I'm tired but in need of a salad, I will buy the lettuce in a bag. But it doesn't taste quite right to me so it's very rare.
I used to buy a couple pre-cut cauliflower for DD. I didn't want to buy a whole one and have it wasted. Then I discovered that a whole in-season cauliflower costs less than a couple pre-cut pieces and I stopped.
I bought a packaged salad once, but it tasted like plastic.
I hate to buy things that are overpackaged, so I mostly don't. Are you listening, corporations?
I'm not much of a veggie eater anyway, but I do buy the peeled baby carrots. The main reason is because they come in a smaller package than the regular carrots, the majority of which would just go to waste. I buy the uncut veggies if you are able to select how much you want, even if it costs a little bit more (like potatoes - cheaper to buy a 5 pound bag over selecting a few loose ones, but then I end up throwing out most of them, so I really didn't save anything anyway.)
Y'all are making me hungry!
*runs to fridge to get fresh veggies & ranch dressing to dip*
I practically live off the "baby" (mechanically wittled old) carrots and hummous. I consider myself incredibly rich that I can afford to buy the chopped carrots.
I also buy the salads, as they are cheaper and there is less rotton lettuce in my fridge that way.
I still have 5 lb bags of carrots for cooking.
I grew up with a garden, so I still feel that most veggies taste like water. Especially tomotoes. I love fresh tomatoes. I will pay in gold bullion for fresh tomatos off the vine.
I admit to buying the already cut up watermelon, only because it takes FOREVER to eat a whole watermelon, and it takes up way too much space in the fridge before I can eat it up. So, when watermelon is in season I will buy it already cut up. Cuz I'm lazy.
And the whole time I am eating it I am appropriately ashamed of my lazy ways.
I feel exactly the same way about tomatoes, Bob. Tomatoes taste best eaten within 30 minutes of picking them, still warm from the sunshine. Perfection.
Sadly, I live in a fully shaded place and can't grow them here. I picked my very sunniest spot (4 hrs a day!) and tried, but no success.
Happy Mother's Day!
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