[Sca-cooks] New Topic - Farmer's Market vs Chain Grocery

[Huette von Ahrens]

--- Pat <mordonna22 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I went to the State Farmer's Market in Montgomery Monday.  Bought tomatoes (real tomatoes, not
> pink plastic balls), Chilton County Peaches, Sweet Potatoes, Southern Field Peas, and Baby Lima
> Beans.  The beans and peas were already shelled in quart bags.  I paid $8.00 per quart.  Today I
> bought frozen quart bags of locally grown Southern Field Peas and Baby Limas from Food World for
> $4.00 a bag.  The Chilton County Peaches at Food World were 3/4 the price of the Farmer's
> Market.  The Sweet Potatoes are also a better price.  All the produce (except the tomatoes) was
> much better looking at the grocery.  I will probably only return to the Farmer's Market for
> tomatoes in the future.  
> Has anyone else had a similar or different experience?  
>  
> Mordonna

Living in Los Angeles, it is much easier to find a Chain Grocery than it is a Farmer's Market.
Although, there are several every day of the week here somewhere in one or another suburb.  The
trick is remembering when and where they are.

However, the key I have found is that the quality of the Farmer's Markets foods are better than
the Chain Groceries, IMHO.  Especially with fruits.  While beans, peas and potatoes have a fairly
long shelf life, fruits don't, especially fruits like tomatoes and peaches.  When you compare the
taste of a vine ripened tomato to a picked green and gassed to look red tomato, you never want to
eat another Chain Grocery Store tomato again.  Ditto with the soft fruits.  The peaches and
apricots that I have picked ripe from my trees are infinitely better that anything that a Chain
can provide because the Chain fruit has been also picked too early, gassed and frozen.  I would
rather pay more for really properly ripened fruit than pay less for inferior fruit.

Huette

Remember that while money talks, chocolate sings.

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