Beef about potatoes

[Bytor]

Is it me, or is this year a bad year for potatoes (amongst other things...)? It seems like every bag I get, regardless if Yukon, Russet, red or etc, they are damaged, bruised, got funky hard marks on them and just aren't good. Maybe it's me, but I don't recall having so many bad ones in a bag. The one store I sometimes shop at now keeps them refrigerated. I have a feeling that just expedites their demise when I bring them home and store them in a closet. I do hang them and keep in a well ventilated sack, but they are just unpredictable now a days. Anyone else having the same issues?

 

[noboundaries]

Yep, I've noticed the same thing at my chosen grocer, but it is a discount chain. Their entire veggie and fruit lineup has shown a similar decline, not just the potatoes.

A higher end chain near my home has a better selection of everything at 2 to 3x's the price. I chalk up the decline in my discount chain as cost saving choices they are making. I don't buy nearly as much fruit from them as a result. We've narrowed our veggie choices, too.

I now set the potatoes in an uncovered bin on the kitchen counter. It has extended their life a couple weeks. I now buy 5 lb bags instead of 10 lbs. The large baking potatoes look like they've been on the losing end of a knife fight!

Oh, and I've had more onions go bad in the past year than I've had in 40 years of cooking!

 

[Hijack73]

I use a pretty aerated woven basket that sits on a slat shelf specifically for taties. It's no longer helping. Airflow isn't a problem. Ceiling fan runs quite a bit too in the kitchen.

I had a theory that the supply chains were saturated but with the shelves being emptied of - well - everything, the supply chain warehouses shouldn't be shipping old root veggies.


I don't know if it's the fertilizer, the washing chemicals, the seeds, the strains or whatever but produce goes to hell quick.

Yet a pack of wallyland ground beef has a use by date 10-12 days out..... And you wonder why I won't eat it unless I grind it.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Yup same problem here as well as the onions. But they have had some bad weather being dry in some areas and flooded in others. No excuse for the machinery marks on them though.

Warren

 

[SmokinAl]

You know I have gone to potato flakes in a box, for mashed potato’s, You don’t have to worry about the quality of the baking potato’s in the store & honestly I like them better.
Al

 

[gmc2003]

Large russets are almost as hard to find these days as Tri-tips were. Even Costco hasn't had them the last few trips I've made. Since it's only the two of use, I've used the Bob Evens pre-made for mashed and have been eating more frozen fries then before. We've also been eating more rice lately.

Chris

 

[HalfSmoked]

You know I have gone to potato flakes in a box, for mashed potato’s, You don’t have to worry about the quality of the baking potato’s in the store & honestly I like them better.
Al

Al we use a lot of Idaho instant potatoes for events and one of our secrets is we use 1/2 the amount of water and milk for the other 1/2. Big difference in the taste and quality.

Warren

 

[noboundaries]

Okay. Sometimes it takes my memories a while to catch up with my thoughts, or threads posted here.

I read a while back in the Spring that the covid shutdown, especially schools and restaurants, has massively impacted the potato and vegetable markets. Millions of tons of potatoes were plowed under because schools and restaurants weren't buying them.

There had to be a better way of handling that situation. (Please, don't get political). Plowing food back into the ground...wow.

 

[sandyut]

fresh vegies in general have marginal at best.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Refrigerating Potatoes, is Bad News Bears! The cold converts the starch to sugar, but not in a good way. When cooked the flesh turns Gray and/or streaky Black.
Never chill potatoes below 55°F. Basically store in a Cool, Dimly Lit or Dark area like a Cabinet, Pantry or Cellar.

Fruits and Veg were either crappy or just not available. There were no stone fruits available in my area of PA most of the summer, and the few times they showed up , they were mealy and dry. Watermelons were good. We did not see nice Corn until the end of August. Vidalia Onions were nice but the seasonal availability was shorter than usual here.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Interestingly, on the East Coast, a company called " MISFITS " has sprung up to purchase, at a greatly reduced rate, the Less Than Perfect, fruits and vegetables that would never make it to Retailers and are selling them directly to the public, passing on the savings. Availability changes with the season. There is a West Coast company doing a similar distribution but the name escapes me.
I'm looking at a Subscription pretty hard...JJ

 

[Winterrider]

I have 12 mounds of Yukon in the ground yet ( looks like good production under the one I dug so far) and 10 more mounds of reds ( Not good results underground) so that will get me by for quite awhile yet. Way better tasting than the store bought IMO. Onions didn't make the trip this year for some reason.

 

[BuckeyeSteve]

I recently bought some Yukon's and they looked really good on the outside, but when I cut into them they all had black spots on the inside.

 

[SmokinAl]

Al we use a lot of Idaho instant potatoes for events and one of our secrets is we use 1/2 the amount of water and milk for the other 1/2. Big difference in the taste and quality.

Warren

Ha Ha, we do the same, sometimes use fat free half & half!
Al

 

[bbqbrett]

Okay. Sometimes it takes my memories a while to catch up with my thoughts, or threads posted here.

I read a while back in the Spring that the covid shutdown, especially schools and restaurants, has massively impacted the potato and vegetable markets. Millions of tons of potatoes were plowed under because schools and restaurants weren't buying them.

There had to be a better way of handling that situation. (Please, don't get political). Plowing food back into the ground...wow.

Yeah, that was right. It got a little better when things started reopening a bit but a whole lot went to waste. I have been lucky as the Fred Meyer near me has had some pretty good taters. I don't eat them a lot but the ones I have gotten a hold of have been good.

 

[JLeonard]

Interestingly, on the East Coast, a company called " MISFITS " has sprung up to purchase, at a greatly reduced rate, the Less Than Perfect, fruits and vegetables that would never make it to Retailers and are selling them directly to the public, passing on the savings. Availability changes with the season. There is a West Coast company doing a similar distribution but the name escapes me.
I'm looking at a Subscription pretty hard...JJ

I've looked at that also. If you go with it let me know what you think.
Jim

 

[HalfSmoked]

Thanks for the like JLeonard it is appreciated.

Warren