Grocery shopping tips during Coronavirus quarantine #2

[PayrollNerd]

Water bath canning is fairly easy and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Mainly a deep stock pot with a rack in the bottom. Tomatoes work well. I made some arrabbiata sauce that was really good. Just heated it with a can of clams and put it over pasta with a little Parmesan. Also when I make my salsa it’s half Roma half on the vine tomatoes to make it thicken slightly with cooking. Some jalapeños, serranos, habaneros, onions, cilantro, garlic and Mexican oregano, oh and salt. yum.

I caved and bought canning equipment. It will be here Thursday. I got a little canning kit with the tools and a big pot with a temp thing on top. Not a pressure canner as they scare the tar out of me. I figure with the 3 of us meal prepping, we'll get a lot of use out of it. The Roma tomatoes are getting ripe so our first project is marinara sauce. Plus someone mentioned that even if the power goes out, your food won't spoil like it will in a freezer.

This is what I picked. On the company's website it is back ordered but I found it on Amazon.
Roots & Branches VKP1130 Harvest Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner with Temperature Indicator, Holds 7 Quart Jars, 20 Quart Liquid Capacity
Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner - 20 Qt | Roots & Harvest Homesteading Supplies

Norpro Canning Essentials Boxed Set, 6 Piece Set
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Norpro-Canning-Set-6-Pieces-Green/17470269

 

[Gardener1850]

I caved and bought canning equipment. It will be here Thursday. I got a little canning kit with the tools and a big pot with a temp thing on top. Not a pressure canner as they scare the tar out of me. I figure with the 3 of us meal prepping, we'll get a lot of use out of it. The Roma tomatoes are getting ripe so our first project is marinara sauce. Plus someone mentioned that even if the power goes out, your food won't spoil like it will in a freezer.

This is what I picked. On the company's website it is back ordered but I found it on Amazon.
Roots & Branches VKP1130 Harvest Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner with Temperature Indicator, Holds 7 Quart Jars, 20 Quart Liquid Capacity
Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner - 20 Qt | Roots & Harvest Homesteading Supplies

Norpro Canning Essentials Boxed Set, 6 Piece Set
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Norpro-Canning-Set-6-Pieces-Green/17470269

Water bath canning is really easy. I recommend getting a Ball Blue Book and follow the directions and recipes in there to make sure your recipes are safe. Ball has been the standard for safe canning practices for 100 years. It will also walk you through all the things you might not know as a beginner to canning. I see the paperback copies have gotten ridiculously expensive but the kindle version of the 2015 edition is only 8.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Bo...keywords=Ball+Blue+Book&qid=1591814926&sr=8-5

I hope you find it both rewarding and a fun activity to do with your family. Beside preserving your food, it's also a great way to make affordable gifts. As long as your gift recipients don't have dietary concerns such as allergies or diabetes, most people will love a jar of homemade apple butter, jam, jelly, pie filling, etc.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Water bath canning is really easy. I recommend getting a Ball Blue Book and follow the directions and recipes in there to make sure your recipes are safe. Ball has been the standard for safe canning practices for 100 years. It will also walk you through all the things you might not know as a beginner to canning. I see the paperback copies have gotten ridiculously expensive but the kindle version of the 2015 edition is only 8.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Bo...keywords=Ball+Blue+Book&qid=1591814926&sr=8-5

I hope you find it both rewarding and a fun activity to do with your family. Beside preserving your food, it's also a great way to make affordable gifts. As long as your gift recipients don't have dietary concerns such as allergies or diabetes, most people will love a jar of homemade apple butter, jam, jelly, pie filling, etc.

When I was a teen I did canning. I remember a lady from church teaching me. I remember the water bath part. However, maybe some things have changed. I figure it’s a skill my 20 somethings should know too. I inherited some cookbooks and I think there may be one on canning.

The 3 of us have so many food allergies too so we cook in bulk anyway. My freezer is almost full. Once we get the marinara sauce done, I want to do vegetable soup. We eat it year round.

Yesterday it was strawberry bread and today it was chocolate banana bread. I’m actually sitting at the boat ramp waiting on my marine biologist and her crew to come in. I’m passing on some veggies and bread. Her coworker is gluten free, dairy free and egg free also. We like to give her a treat too.

 

[Lilibet]

Water bath canning is really easy. I recommend getting a Ball Blue Book and follow the directions and recipes in there to make sure your recipes are safe. Ball has been the standard for safe canning practices for 100 years. It will also walk you through all the things you might not know as a beginner to canning. I see the paperback copies have gotten ridiculously expensive but the kindle version of the 2015 edition is only 8.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Bo...keywords=Ball+Blue+Book&qid=1591814926&sr=8-5

I hope you find it both rewarding and a fun activity to do with your family. Beside preserving your food, it's also a great way to make affordable gifts. As long as your gift recipients don't have dietary concerns such as allergies or diabetes, most people will love a jar of homemade apple butter, jam, jelly, pie filling, etc.

I can vouch for how easy it is, although prepping the food can be labor intensive. I canned a lot in my late 20’s and 30’s...self taught...when we were doing our back-to-the-land thing. It was all food we either grew (tomatoes) or picked from friends’ trees (apples and pears minus the worms) or wild (blackberries). The colorful jars lined up on my pantry shelves were beautiful and satisfying and yummy...applesauce and apple butter, blackberry jam...oh my! The memories almost make me want to can again.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

We made our weekly trip to Nino Salvaggio's today and returned with a nice haul that should last at least a week. They've resumed weekly butcher shop specials, so we got several Bell & Evans chicken breasts, butterfly pork chops, and Nino's house-made sausage. Beautiful sword fish for dinner tonight, and I'm going to make Chicken Piccata tomorrow. Still no chicken livers, but the craving is gone since I upped my B12 dosage. Not making chicken liver pate will save me lots of calories. The luxurious pate with chicken livers, bacon, shallots, herbs, and Courvoisier (or other deglazing liquor) is a delicious way to enjoy liver, but it's not light on calories from fat

There was an abundance of fresh produce, and we got cantaloupe, gorgeous Washington cherries, bananas, red/orange/ yellow peppers, Michigan asparagus, sliced mushrooms, and a 3# bag of red potatoes for potato salad that DH has requested. Until last night when I was taking refrigerator inventory, there had been a lot of leftovers in storage containers. I hadn't noticed that there was a carton of Earthbound Farms baby spinach that was well past it's best-by date. It was slimy and had to be tossed I will try to be more vigilant because I feel badly about having to throw away good food

The only shelves that were sparsely stocked were beans and some pasta products. We didn't need any dairy products, but that department has been sparse at times, too. We have plenty of beans and pasta, but I got another can of black beans so I can make veggie burgers. We can do sausage and peppers on Father's Day. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Aldi is one of my favorite stores so I decided to mask up and wear my eyeglass shields over the eyeglasses.
I couldn’t get in the door for people fiddle farting around, blocking the entrance, kids running around buggies, pushing each other (and into me), people stopping to talk to the employee standing at the entrance, very few masks, kids touching stuff and throwing it in the aisles, no social distancing, people standing in the aisle blocking it while they chitchat on the phone. I walked out.

Back to curbside pickup.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Update to my marinara sauce saga:

I cut up garlic first thinking that would be the hardest part. I was wrong. Then, I cut up 12 cups of tomatoes. Out of the big case of tomatoes, that is all that was ripe enough. Then I cut up basil - that was definitely the hardest part. I bought 2 ounces and didn't think I had enough, once it was all chopped. I have never dealt with basil before.

So I only cooked 6 cups of tomatoes for almost an hour because I did not want to put it through a blender or food processor. I picked out the big chunks of skin, added the seasonings, had 8 jars bubbling away. I got 2 jars. Two pint jars!!! I processed them anyway because the sauce has to be hot, the jars have to be hot and the lids have to be hot.

I go lay down to take a nap but I can't sleep compliments of my weekly 40 mg of steroids I had yesterday. I'm operating on 3.5 hours of sleep. My feet felt better tho.

I went back to the farm veg store, got more basil. When I got home, I l0oked at what I had already chopped and decided that was enough after all. The first 2 jars looked more like spaghetti sauce rather than marina so I dialed back on the seasonings. Now the second batch - only 2 more jars, they are processing.

I can say it was my timing that was my biggest downfall. Not having the ingredients ready, not timing the water right, not realizing I needed to sterilize the jars after washing them, etc. made it a long day. I will get better. I think by early next week the rest of the tomatoes should be ripe enough.

I found my canning book from 1990!! It is still relevant! I also was reminded by reading it, that I cannot water bath can veggie soup. I have to pressure can veggies. I remember we pressure canned years ago but it was my ex-hubby that did it. I am too afraid I will explode the house. I think I will ask my friends if anyone has one they can teach me to use and let me borrow.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Aldi is one of my favorite stores so I decided to mask up and wear my eyeglass shields over the eyeglasses.
I couldn’t get in the door for people fiddle farting around, blocking the entrance, kids running around buggies, pushing each other (and into me), people stopping to talk to the employee standing at the entrance, very few masks, kids touching stuff and throwing it in the aisles, no social distancing, people standing in the aisle blocking it while they chitchat on the phone. I walked out.

Back to curbside pickup.

Holy Germs Batman! I would have bailed too.

Me and two of my friends decided to go to Walmart on Sunday. They push the cart, I point, they bag, I pay. I looked at the line just to get in and Nope’d right out of that. One friend got in line because she really needed something there. My other friend said, I can go to the dollar store with you if you want me to. I told her to go on home and rest up. I did get what I needed at the dollar store. Quick and easy. I also did a return at Staples. Quick and easy. Interestingly enough most people were wearing masks too.

 

[mickey2942]

CSA Day
New carrots, baby beets, butter lettuce, radishes, radicchio, Napa cabbage, green onions, cilantro, mint. And this is the SMALL share!

Gonna make a bit of kimchee, maybe some cabbage rolls. Enjoying the CSA box, it is like "Chopped". And 12 eggs, fresh, free roam. They are big, brown eggs, often double yolks.

I signed up for the egg share in April, every thing was so crazy then. But, it is fine. We eat a lot of egg .

 

[PayrollNerd]

CSA Day
New carrots, baby beets, butter lettuce, radishes, radicchio, Napa cabbage, green onions, cilantro, mint. And this is the SMALL share!

Gonna make a bit of kimchee, maybe some cabbage rolls. Enjoying the CSA box, it is like "Chopped". And 12 eggs, fresh, free roam. They are big, brown eggs, often double yolks.

I signed up for the egg share in April, every thing was so crazy then. But, it is fine. We eat a lot of egg .

That all sounds yummy to me. I like the mystery of my produce each week. I always do some meal planning based on what sounds good. I pick up my produce on Mondays and finalize my menu. It keeps it interesting. Tuesday is usually meal prep day. Plus if you get something new you can try a new recipe.

 

[JrzyGirl70]

@BetteDavisEyes it is not just your local stores that don't have chicken livers. I've been trying to purchase for some of my customers for a few weeks now. Producers are not really concentrating on packing the livers for retail customers right now, due to lack of employees at plants and several production facilities still being closed they need to get the more valuable chicken parts packed and out the door. I could only get a 30lb frozen box and my customers were not happy, I was told possibly the end of this coming week 5lb tubs might be available.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

[B]@BetteDavisEyes[/B] it is not just your local stores that don't have chicken livers. I've been trying to purchase for some of my customers for a few weeks now. Producers are not really concentrating on packing the livers for retail customers right now, due to lack of employees at plants and several production facilities still being closed they need to get the more valuable chicken parts packed and out the door. I could only get a 30lb frozen box and my customers were not happy, I was told possibly the end of this coming week 5lb tubs might be available.

Thanks for sharing this. Most of the time, I get a 1# tub that is in a freezer at Salvaggio's. Sometimes they will have fresh chicken livers in the poultry showcase of meat department, or you can ask them to get them from their workroom. It probably sounds strange to have a craving for liver since many people do not like it, but I crave chicken livers or liverwurst occasionally and figure that it might be due to low B12 levels. I considered getting a chunk of Boars Head fresh liverwurst yesterday, but the deli counter was busy and too congested to wait in line. By the time chicken livers are available, I'll probably have forgotten that I wanted them

 

[JrzyGirl70]

Thanks for sharing this. Most of the time, I get a 1# tub that is in a freezer at Salvaggio's. Sometimes they will have fresh chicken livers in the poultry showcase of meat department, or you can ask them to get them from their workroom. It probably sounds strange to have a craving for liver since many people do not like it, but I crave chicken livers or liverwurst occasionally and figure that it might be due to low B12 levels. I considered getting a chunk of Boars Head fresh liverwurst yesterday, but the deli counter was busy and too congested to wait in line. By the time chicken livers are available, I'll probably have forgotten that I wanted them [/QUOTE

Every blue moon I get a craving for a liverwurst sandwich on lightly toasted rye bread, with a slice of red onion and a smidge of mustard. When I was younger, my grandmother always had "Mother Goose" liverwurst in her refrigerator and I probably would never eat it if I hadn't grown up on it. Now that I am thinking of it, I will probably have to stop at Shop-Rite this week. LOL!

 

[PayrollNerd]

What we all suspected all along.....

Who bought all the toilet paper? Study suggests who was most likely to stockpile during COVID-19

Researchers from Germany surveyed 966 volunteers from 22 countries, including the U.S. The participants were asked to fill out a psychological questionnaire, to supply demographic information — and to provide details on their toilet paper purchases and consumption during the last week of March.

What most surprised the researchers was the similarity in responses no matter which country people came from, said study co-author Theo Toppe, a doctoral student and research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
Toppe and his colleagues don’t know exactly why people hoarded — that question wasn’t asked on the survey. What they do know is which personality traits were most common amongst those who stockpiled.

When the researchers analyzed their data, they found that people were more likely to hoard if they were especially frightened by COVID-19. They also were likely to stockpile if they scored high in emotionality — that is, they tended to be more fearful, anxious, dependent and sentimental — and/or high in conscientiousness — folks who are organized, diligent, perfectionistic and prudent.

And while the study only focused on toilet paper purchases, stockpiling likely wasn’t limited to that, Toppe said in an email. “From our point of view, it seems plausible that our pattern of results — more threat goes along with more stockpiling — exists for other commodities,” he said.

Psychologist Neda Gould wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“This study tells us what we may have thought intuitively,” said Gould, a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Do you think stores will ever have food sampling again? Nino's always had tastings on weekends, and at times, it seemed like people ate their way around the store Other local gourmet markets and Costco offer samples, too. I think sampling will be deemed unsafe, and it's possible that we won't see this feature again for a long time.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Do you think stores will ever have food sampling again? Nino's always had tastings on weekends, and at times, it seemed like people ate their way around the store Other local gourmet markets and Costco offer samples, too. I think sampling will be deemed unsafe, and it's possible that we won't see this feature again for a long time.

We have a local market that has always done sampling, much like the grocery deli that offers you the first slice of what you want to buy. The spoons are small and disposable. It’s always been behind the glass display, handed out directly to you. I don’t see why that would need to be eliminated. It seems safe the way it’s been done.

 

[LadyL]

fun fact - I've only had one sample in my life and that's cause I was dying of thirst
samples have always grossed me out

 

[mickey2942]

Stores here are full of meat, chicken liver, whatever else people want. Must be part of living in a rural area, with less population.

I haven't really noticed higher prices, but I really haven't been to the store much.

I sort of miss the food samples at Costco. I could have a small bite of cheesecake or something.

Still have not purchased toilet paper, I usually stock up at the beginning of the year. 36 rolls from Costco lasts a long time.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

That all sounds yummy to me. I like the mystery of my produce each week. I always do some meal planning based on what sounds good. I pick up my produce on Mondays and finalize my menu. It keeps it interesting. Tuesday is usually meal prep day. Plus if you get something new you can try a new recipe.

I would love getting those "mystery" produce boxes I plan my weekly menus based on what is featured on the Marketplace and Rewards Specials email that comes from Nino Salvaggio's each Wednesday. DH gets Meijer emails with online coupons that reflect regular purchases. Jennie-O 3# ground turkey is currently featured at Meijer, but our freezer is loaded from yesterday's trip to Nino's. DH has until the 19th to use the coupon, so we will clear some space for the ground turkey. I make my grocery list on Wednesday as soon as I get Salvaggio's email and plan at least a week's worth of meals from featured products. There was so much gorgeous produce at Nino's yesterday that is was difficult to decide what to get. Michigan asparagus is exquisite, and I look forward to Michigan tomatoes and sweet corn later in the season. And then come winter squashes - acorn is our favorite, and we enjoy it a couple of times weekly in the fall.

 

[Tbone144]

Had to venture to the big store today instead of my little town store I try to usually go to. Needed big bags of frozen peas and corn for the ducks and some parsnips for my soup. They were out of some really odd things. No large chicken stock, limited selection of frozen juice, no graham crackers, pasta sauce was hit and miss, no vlassic pickles, and some other assorted odd things out. Big bags of frozen peas were almost out, bought the last one and some smaller bags. Plenty of rice, tortillas, bread, bleach, hand sanitizer. I almost feel like we should set up a trading post for members in other parts of the country that are lacking things but I know there are regulations about shipping bleach and hand sanitizer (corrosive and flammable), however I wouldn’t mind picking up a big bag of rice from someone if they are willing to pay shipping or yeast if it’s available, etc..