~ Did you know that Walmart comps the prices of produce from local stores? They do! But, be aware that your local farmer’s market may have a fresher selection and fewer pesticide-coated varieties available.
~ Buy bagged produce instead of single items and weigh the bags! The weight listed on the bag is the minimum required. Some will be heavier. If you don’t need 3 pounds of onions, chop them up and freeze them. Too many apples in a bag? Make applesauce and freeze it. What to do with all those oranges? Make orange juice and… you guessed it… freeze it!
~ Focus on produce that you can eat. That might sound strange but think about how much produce you actually throw away: huge hunks of rind from watermelons and cantaloupe, stems from grapes, and so on. Buy 100% consumable produce when possible.
~ Save money on produce priced per pound by shaking off excess water before bagging it and pinching off that extra growth of stem from grapes. I have even heard of a lady removing all of the grapes from the stem before buying it but I have never been that bold.
~ Don’t buy anything that you cannot consume within one week, unless it is something hearty like potatoes.
~ Before it goes bad, freeze it. Frozen broccoli florets are easy to steam or add to frittatas, and so are many other vegetables. For fruit, you can use them in smoothies. Bananas (peeled, cut and frozen) can be thawed and mashed for banana nut bread. Just make sure you wash, dry and cut up the produce before you freeze it.
~ To avoid going to the store for produce each week, purchase produce for one week and canned varieties for the next week.
~ If you are wanting to switch to organics but the price throws you for a loop, switch on the produce items you use the most or on the dirty dozen list.
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