Stocking up (and Sprouting 101)

[blissful]

We do stock up on produce at the grocery stores during gardening season and especially during fall/winter. Then we keep them as is, or can/freeze/or dehydrate.
Pineapples were running $1/each large last week or the week before at Meijers, these are good canned or dehydrated.
Potatoes (russets) are $0.99/5lb bag at Kwik Trip in WI MN. (canned or dehydrated)
Sweet potatoes are on sale for $0.39/lb at kwik trip.
Onions just went on sale for $0.99/3 lb bag at kwik trip. (Use all winter, use in canned soups or canned on their own, dehydrated, or frozen.)
Aldi's pushed back prices for Thanksgiving to 2021 prices, check them out.
Aldi's carried avocados $1/for 3, medium size. (freeze once ripe)
Cranberries 12 oz bags 99 cents each at aldis. (canned, dehydrated, freeze) Usually any cranberries left in stock get cleared out in January for less, if you find them.

While you may not have a kwik trip or aldis near you, you might find these kinds of prices at your local grocery stores. Many of the grocery stores are owned by large corporations so do carry similar sales if they get produce in large amounts.

Citrus will be coming into season soon, hopefully we'll see good prices up here in WI.

 

[larry_stewart]

Those are some good prices.
Last week iceberg lettuce was $3 a head , this week $4. I refused to buy it. Not that the 1 $ is going to break me, but I just find it offensive.

 

[blissful]

Those are some good prices.
Last week iceberg lettuce was $3 a head , this week $4. I refused to buy it. Not that the 1 $ is going to break me, but I just find it offensive.

Lettuce and 3 romaine hearts prices are offensive as well. Some of the grain products I buy have doubled. It is sickening. Inflation, yes, but I think the market is also trying to see how high of prices it can bear. So if overpriced stuff sits on the shelves and rots, then let it rot.

 

[larry_stewart]

Its one thing if it was the most perfect lettuce Ive ever seen, but Ive seen grapefruit larger than these lettuce, and even the quality was poor. Of all the veggies I buy week to week, the lettuce topped the list of worst deal. Because of the garden, its been months since ive bought tomatoes, cukes, chard, potatoes, onions , garlic and string beans, so I really am out of the loop of what they cost.

 

[blissful]

People are not buying all the produce at the increased prices. Then the store we go to bags up things just before they start to rot, sells them at $0.99/bag. We bought two bags, each had a salad kid ($3.50 each) some cauliflower and carrots 12 oz each, then a lot of apples to fill the bags. Today we bought 4 of the 99 cent bags, one with 4 packages of sprouts, two with 4 packages of sliced crimini mushrooms, and one with 2 egg plants and a handful of grapes. I'm cooking down the mushrooms right now. It wasn't on our list, but at those prices, we'll take them! I've never seen this store with so many 99 cent bags of produce before. Usually they'll put a few bags out tuesday mornings but this is ongoing, that would otherwise be food waste.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I look for similar savings but don’t bother to stock up because I’m only cooking for one.

It seems like every week I find a deal on marked down meat, produce or bakery items that help me to keep costs down but truth be told, I usually squander those savings on some little treat or luxury.

It’s all about champagne living on a beer budget! ?

 

[blissful]

@Aunt Bea yes it is! Oh I can see these cooked mushrooms in our thanksgiving gravy and stuffing! We decided to cook up diced eggplant to have with noodles this afternoon. We ate the grapes. Now to figure out what to do about the sprouts. I might add them to a soup.

 

[blissful]

Necessity is the mother of invention. The large amount of sprouts hold up surprisingly well to being microwaved with rice. A heavily packed cup of them with a cup of veggie rice, microwaves down to about 1.5 cups and reminds me of an eggroll filling. The sprouts are softened but still crunchy, really good. I'd rather have sprouts than cabbage if I had the choice.

Today 5 of the 99 cent bags: 24 oz blackberries, 14 lbs of all kinds of tomatoes, 3.8 lbs yellow and orange peppers, 6 avocados. Our menu has changed quickly to tomato sandwiches, tomato salads w/guacamole. Blackberry sauce for our blueberry pancakes this morning. I'll be dicing peppers to freeze and making fresh tomato sauce!

 

[taxlady]

Necessity is the mother of invention. The large amount of sprouts hold up surprisingly well to being microwaved with rice. A heavily packed cup of them with a cup of veggie rice, microwaves down to about 1.5 cups and reminds me of an eggroll filling. The sprouts are softened but still crunchy, really good. I'd rather have sprouts than cabbage if I had the choice.

Today 5 of the 99 cent bags: 24 oz blackberries, 14 lbs of all kinds of tomatoes, 3.8 lbs yellow and orange peppers, 6 avocados. Our menu has changed quickly to tomato sandwiches, tomato salads w/guacamole. Blackberry sauce for our blueberry pancakes this morning. I'll be dicing peppers to freeze and making fresh tomato sauce!

Sounds good.

What kind of sprouts is that? Mung bean, alfalfa, something else?

 

[blissful]

@taxlady, the brand is River Valley Sprouts. I usually sprout my own so this was fun to try a store type. They pack A LOT of sprouts in the little square cubes. It says 5 ounces each-it's a LOT. Two kinds 'Tangy' clover and radish sprouts. And "Garlic" alfalfa onion and garlic sprouts. I know radish sprouts are a little 'hot' or tangy, but these really seemed like mostly clover sprouts. The sell by date: 11/21, today, but they are still looking very good.

 

[taxlady]

@taxlady, the brand is River Valley Sprouts. I usually sprout my own so this was fun to try a store type. They pack A LOT of sprouts in the little square cubes. It says 5 ounces each-it's a LOT. Two kinds 'Tangy' clover and radish sprouts. And "Garlic" alfalfa onion and garlic sprouts. I know radish sprouts are a little 'hot' or tangy, but these really seemed like mostly clover sprouts. The sell by date: 11/21, today, but they are still looking very good.

Thanks for the info. I was afraid it was mung bean sprouts and I don't like having to break the roots off of those. I used to grow my own sprouts, but some days I just don't have the energy to pay attention to them and give them a rinse. It's good to know there is something else that can be done with them when they are nearing the end of their life. I sometimes get "micro greens" from the place I get my produce baskets. Most of the micro greens are no bigger than sprouts, but they are only reasonably priced on special and if I use them up.

 

[blissful]

If you don't like the rinsing routine of sprouting, you could try this. Take a 20x10 inch flat ($1) with soil ($1) in it, wet it down, sprinkle it with seeds and set it in front of a window. Cover with newspapers for a few days to conserve moisture, then uncover when the sprouts start pushing up the newspaper. Let it grow and cut off bunches as you need them, rinse and eat. After they are gone, mix up the soil, and start over.

 

[larry_stewart]

I haven't grown sprouts in awhile, I've tried a few different methods, never the one you show. above , Bliss. Think Ill try it out this year.

 

[taxlady]

If you don't like the rinsing routine of sprouting, you could try this. Take a 20x10 inch flat ($1) with soil ($1) in it, wet it down, sprinkle it with seeds and set it in front of a window. Cover with newspapers for a few days to conserve moisture, then uncover when the sprouts start pushing up the newspaper. Let it grow and cut off bunches as you need them, rinse and eat. After they are gone, mix up the soil, and start over.

I'm planning on that. It's how Lufa Farms, the produce basket place sells them. Well, except they use a small coconut mat instead of soil. They may put a bit of some sort of potting mix on it. Now, I just need to get the seeds. If you grow them indoors, do you really think they need to be rinsed before eating?

 

[larry_stewart]

The only way I'd rinse them is. if some of the soil came up. with them. when harvesting,but if clipping with. scissors, that shouldn't. be an issue.

Years ago. I sent. away for a. sprout growing kit. It used. some kind of. synthetic fabric-like mat to growth them on. It worked well, but when that mat got wet, it smelled like wet laundry that has been sitting around for a. few days (like socks or feet). I dont use those mats anymore.

 

[blissful]

I don't know if you NEED to rinse them, but I rinse them and it's easy to accidentally pull up roots and dirt.

 

[taxlady]

I don't know if you NEED to rinse them, but I rinse them and it's easy to accidentally pull up roots and dirt.

I agree that's it's easy to accidentally pull up dirt. Even with those mats, when there is a bit of potting mix on them, you sometimes get dirt, especially when the sprouts are in a tray of some sort. I have learned to pull out the mat before cutting them. Much easier to avoid pulling up roots with dirt that way. That's also why I want to use those coconut mats.

 

[taxlady]

Oh, another question about growing sprouts: where are good places to buy the seeds?

 

[GinnyPNW]

Oh, another question about growing sprouts: where are good places to buy the seeds?

I like True Leaf Market Seed Co for lots of seeds, especially for Sprouts and Microgreens.

I grow mine as hydroponic gardens:

 

[blissful]

I buy my sprouting seeds on Amazon. They last a very long time. I use about 3 T each time I start them in a quart jar. I need to stock up on broccoli sprouts.