Food in the time of a pandemic

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

I live in MA.   a little W of BOS

 

there are still a number of family owned apple orchards around

 

the ones that will last longer are off the main arteries feeding BOS.

 

there is a very nice one one town over.   but the better ones are N.W.

 

there are no arteries going that way.  one in Stowe , had a blackboard w harvest times

 

for the various varieties .   they do come in a different times.

 

they sold the apples in paper sacks w handles , same as local stores

 

but much cheaper.   they had a ' seconds room '  apples misshaped , as few blemishes

 

very very reasonable.  my favorite was ' Winter Banana ' , probably by name one.

 

I made a lot of Apple crisp back in those days , and apples to much on.

 

they had pies , some they made , and some made locally from their apples

 

fairly priced w nice crusts

 

but aside from the seconds room :  they made their own apple cider

 

non-pasteurized .  you kept it in a cool place for a week or so or more

 

and released the ' glass' from time to time , until the fermenting stopped.

 

then refrigerated it.   it came out fairly dry , and mighty tasty 

 

batches flavors varied w the apples used at the time.

 

it was about 2.50 $$  or so a gallon.  something you could not buy another way.

 

I hope they are still at it next fall.

 

You could get yourself a juicer...Kuvings is still 30% off.

 

[chefmd]

I ordered a box from misfits market with 50% off code BLACKFRIDAY50 code.  A cheap way to see if I like it.

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker  

 

do you have any idea how many apples it takes to make a gallon of juice ?

 

way way too many.

 

Ive been to several Cider Mills 

 

in W MA and upstate NY

 

it takes a lot of apples.

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, chefmd said:

I ordered a box from misfits market with 50% off code BLACKFRIDAY50 code.  A cheap way to see if I like it.

 

That's so great!

 

I just changed my box size to the bigger one for my next delivery which should be next Friday....I just want to see the amount difference. Plus, I'm really wanting to stay out of the store because I think the virus will be running even more rampant after Thanksgiving get togethers.

[rotuts]

I went to Tj's this AM for a Blitz.

 

they have senior hour 8:00 to 9:00.

 

I got there @ 7:58  and got  'Plagued-Up '

 

this is stressful for me , overly so.  TJ's is very careful , and there were 5 people in front of me  

 

and the line started moving before I joined it.

 

I know where all the stuff is , and I noted the shelves were fully stocked.

 

they only had one fresh pecan pie , and I was very tempted.

 

I didn't get a few things as i forgot them

 

I felt like being in a candy shop w a blank check.

 

but much much more decadent :  being in a fully stocked TJ's w a blank check 

 

on the way there , about a 12 minute drive from my house

 

there is a large Maul.   the parking lot was full.  Black Black Friday.

 

I wondered how much Maul stuff people really needed, @ a risk level to them , and

 

others.   but I didn't really need anything @ TJ's , 

 

so to each their own.  but Im sure the risk level @ TJ's , w 5 people in the store

 

is as low as its going to get.

 

new since the last time I was there , perhaps a month ago :

 

they have a marker at least 6 feet from the cashiers station , where you wait while they

 

check out your cart.  then you take the cart past the plastic shield and pay though the

 

Visa/MC gap.    you don't stand in front of the shield while your cart is being checked out.

 

makes some sense .  what ever it takes to keep my Friends at TJ's healthy.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, rotuts said:

@JoNorvelleWalker  

 

do you have any idea how many apples it takes to make a gallon of juice ?

 

way way too many.

 

Ive been to several Cider Mills 

 

in W MA and upstate NY

 

it takes a lot of apples.

 

And time is something you do not have?

 

[kayb]

9 hours ago, chefmd said:

I ordered a box from misfits market with 50% off code BLACKFRIDAY50 code.  A cheap way to see if I like it.

 

 

Bet you love it. Like @Shelby, I upped mine to the larger size this week. Pretty significant difference in quantity.

[curls]

16 hours ago, chefmd said:

I ordered a box from misfits market with 50% off code BLACKFRIDAY50 code.  A cheap way to see if I like it.

 

Thank you for the info! I’ve ordered a box too. Mine is scheduled to arrive next Saturday. Looking forward to seeing how this all works. Went with the smaller of the two box sizes.

[curls]

Every time I go grocery shopping I look for Lysol, Clorox wipes, and Ball jar canning lids. I have seen various wipes. Yesterday, at Wegmans, they had restocked Ball canning lids (regular and wide mouth)! They also had Ball jar bands and one case of jars. Strangely other aisles had added limits to things I hadn’t seen issues with previously — only one per customer for aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and plastic take away containers. I did not check the status of the toilet paper and paper towel aisle (we have a good supply).

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, curls said:

Every time I go grocery shopping I look for Lysol, Clorox wipes, and Ball jar canning lids. I have seen various wipes. Yesterday, at Wegmans, they had restocked Ball canning lids (regular and wide mouth)! They also had Ball jar bands and one case of jars. Strangely other aisles had added limits to things I hadn’t seen issues with previously — only one per customer for aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and plastic take away containers. I did not check the status of the toilet paper and paper towel aisle (we have a good supply).

 

A small hardware store out in rural New Mexico that we visited recently actually had both sizes of the Ball canning lids, as well as full sets of jars! It was all I could do not to buy some. I don't expect to need any more until next summer, and someone else in Animas might need them sooner. But boy, was I tempted.

[Franci]

My mother in law, agitated, called my husband and was pointing below the bookshelves. Since the conversation was in Chinese I didn’t understand what she saw... I thought an iguana or a cockroach but it turned out to be a crab 🤣🤣🤣 my husband put it in the freezer to add to the next fish soup 😁

[heidih]

@Franci - where did the crab wander from!?!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

While perusing Charles H. Baker Jr. for orgeat, my eye fell upon a receipt for the Quarantine Cocktail.  I don't think I shall make it.

 

[Toliver]

I noticed that the Walmart Neighborhood Grocery Store I shop at seems to have given up on charcuterie, for the rest of the Pandemic and beyond.

The section they had with the finer meats and cheeses has completely disappeared to be replaced with the usual string cheeses and shredded cheeses. 

Perhaps the clientele just didn't "get it" or buy it, I guess (which makes me wonder why I shop there  ).

[curls]

On 11/27/2020 at 7:12 AM, chefmd said:

I ordered a box from misfits market with 50% off code BLACKFRIDAY50 code.  A cheap way to see if I like it.

 

@chefmd have you ordered or received your box yet? What do you think?

 

Yesterday I was scheduled to make selections for my box. Scheduling opens around 4pm... I was busy and couldn't get to the site until around 8:30pm... there was still a selection but not too many things that I interested me (did not need  onions, limes, lemons, or green bell peppers) so I cancelled this weeks box and will try again next week.

 

I hope that your experience was better!

[kayb]

I've learned it's best to sign on as early as you can when your window opens. I was late last time, and several items were out.

[Shelby]

9 minutes ago, kayb said:

I've learned it's best to sign on as early as you can when your window opens. I was late last time, and several items were out.

I wondered that....I was a little late on my first order and saw some things were already gone.  This time I set an alarm on my phone.  Nothing was sold out.

[kayb]

26 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I wondered that....I was a little late on my first order and saw some things were already gone.  This time I set an alarm on my phone.  Nothing was sold out.

How did you like the bigger box? Or have you gotten that size yet?

 

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, kayb said:

How did you like the bigger box? Or have you gotten that size yet?

 

It's supposed to be here Friday  

[curls]

9 hours ago, kayb said:

I've learned it's best to sign on as early as you can when your window opens. I was late last time, and several items were out.

Yes, I’m going to try to log in when they open. I liked a lot of the produce that was sold out — need to sign in sooner so that I can get a box that I want to cook from!  Want to try this out a few times so that I know if this is the right thing for me or if I just stick with grocery shopping & delivery (if/when COVID gets worse around here).

Edited December 2, 2020 by curls (log)

[chefmd]

17 hours ago, curls said:

@chefmd have you ordered or received your box yet? What do you think?

 

Yesterday I was scheduled to make selections for my box. Scheduling opens around 4pm... I was busy and couldn't get to the site until around 8:30pm... there was still a selection but not too many things that I interested me (did not need  onions, limes, lemons, or green bell peppers) so I cancelled this weeks box and will try again next week.

 

I hope that your experience was better!

Mine will arrive on Thursday.  Will report on it.  

[heidih]

My interesting fun Uber driver just now is the west coast manager for a major acai berry distributor. He said mostly sold for smoothie places and since they were already set up for take-away the businesses are doing well  

[heidih]

I've noted the friendlier nature of some during the Pandemic.  The clerk at Ralphs (Kroger) commented on my brie and I said liked the one from the producer for Murrays (NYC Greenwich) they no longer had. She said the other bigger Kroger about 3 miles away had a special area with those cheeses and a knowledgeable cheese guy!!! Life is sometimes beautifully strange.

[kayb]

I was perched at the keyboard and ready to order today when my Misfits Market window opened. They were out of nothing. So early ordering is the key.

 

[curls]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

I was perched at the keyboard and ready to order today when my Misfits Market window opened. They were out of nothing. So early ordering is the key.

 

Wonderful! Looking forward to seeing your next box. I’ve set an alarm so that I can order early.