Mayo

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Often secondary markets , like green grocers( out door markets etc ) are often selling older produce or produce rejected by a supermarket . In certain cases I know this for a fact."
Perhaps in the UK, Dave. But in the US? I don't know anyone, anywhere, in any city who thinks their supermarket has a better produce section that the local vegetable stores. Supermarket produce in general has to be bought in mass quantities, and top grade goods by definition are a select cut above that, not mass quantities at all. Then there's the handling, some chains and some stroes do better than others, but the small stores get it off the truck and into storage or on the shelf right away.
And when my supermarket was selling strawberries for $4.99 a pint, the fruit store a whole block away was selling the same brand, same quality, for $2.99 a pint.
Now one might say that Whole Foods does set a higher standard, very nice produce department. At their prices they can damn well afford hand-selected produce. But in the US, we wouldn't call them a supermarket, they're "onea those yuppie health-food stores."

My experience is limited to UK, Ireland and some Northern European distribution. Supermarkets generally have very specific contracts with growers and food processors. Issues like time to market , shelf life , product quality are very tightly specified . so growers prioritise product and shipping to suit major Supermarkets. All other supply chains tend to supplied after that.

Wholesale markets in particular are often supplied with produce that has been rejected by supermarkets , typically because it exceeded the allotted transport time. Since wholesale markets have less quality control and looser standards, and don't employ armies of QC people like major supermarkets.

Small specialist markets , restaurant supply chains etc, tend to arrange high quality vegetable sources from artisan producers. The mass public however tend to equate cute displays of vegetables in rattan boxes as somehow an indication of quality ( while in the back the grocer is decanting them from mass shipping containers.

( there's a reason why bulk van-to-van transfer software is a feature of all logistics software ! )

Not saying anythings wrong , but of you've ever been involved in food distribution, you'll know there are quite a few surprises.

Supermarkets tend to get bad raps because they maximise display time and use refrigeration and mood lighting to sell vegetables. Refrigeration is nearly universally bad for vegetables especially salad vegetables , but the produce in my experience tends to be first class. A supermarket has the clout to ensure it gets the best and fast.

My local Aldi or Lidl regularly has better vegetables then my local green grocers. A local specialist grocer virtually hand picks his wholesale produce , but his prices reflect that.

Dave

[hellosailor]

In the States, Aldi has a rep for good price but terribly limited selection. The produce I've seen was OK, but again, few choices.

As to van-to-van? Here the supermarkets get delivery mainly by tractor trailer, 18-wheel rigs. No small "vans", sometimes smaller "box trucks", sometimes very large box trucks, but no van-to-van transfers, the goods might make the "last mile" by van from a distribution point but the only vans I've seen have been to small butcher shops, carrying freshly slaughtered specialty meats. Its a different market over here.

[savoir]

Limited selection is what Aldi is all about. Figure out which of their products you like and focus on those. Aldi produce is NEVER old because it sells so fast that it doesn't get the chance.

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

me too , any good ideas for keeping the weevils at bay , had to dump more flour yesterday !!

Diatomaceous Earth will kill grain weevils. Us organic type grain farmers use it in our grain bins to keep the weevils from destroying hundreds of thousands of pounds of grain in storage.

Diatoms are a phytoplankton and their cell walls are made of Silica, and they desiccate those little bastards. They can really tax our farm system by reducing feed quality, feed with a lot of blood, sweat and tears (and money) in it, since we grow all of our own with feed prices so high. ORganic grain can be in the $600 a ton range easily, and we feed hundreds of tons so weevils are no joke around our place.

We feed DE to animals for internal parasites, so it may be just fine to mix in with flour and bake it your bread. Not sure what it would do to the poor yeasties....

[hellosailor]

"Limited selection is what Aldi is all about. Figure out which of their products you like and focus on those."
That's great if you are saying "I have ten dollars, what can I buy this week?" but not so good if you are looking for particular foods. I went in last year looking for clementines (similar to a small tart orange or sweet tangerine) which are in season only once yearly from the Azores. There are clones from other places, and the trademark and theft suits are a whole other kettle of fish. I would have settled for the clones but genuine celmentines often have a different flavor.
Anyway, Aldi had oranges, period. The supermarket? Had clementines. Aldi here can be a total waste of the costs of the trip, unless you're trying to see "What can I buy for ten dollars?".
And coming back on topic <G> my local supermarkets have a far wider range on condiments.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by cheoah

Diatomaceous Earth will kill grain weevils. Us organic type grain farmers use it in our grain bins to keep the weevils from destroying hundreds of thousands of pounds of grain in storage.

Diatoms are a phytoplankton and their cell walls are made of Silica, and they desiccate those little bastards. They can really tax our farm system by reducing feed quality, feed with a lot of blood, sweat and tears (and money) in it, since we grow all of our own with feed prices so high. ....

We feed DE to animals for internal parasites, so it may be just fine to mix in with flour and bake it your bread. Not sure what it would do to the poor yeasties....

Sound like the epitome of processed foods !!

Silica... as in silicosis!!

[hellosailor]

DE is also the "polish" in tooth polish (now called toothpaste) and the absorbent material in tnt sticks. I'm not sure how good or bad it is to *eat* but it certainly isn't uncommon, just isn't a big selling point like "evaporated cane sugar" these days.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Limited selection is what Aldi is all about. Figure out which of their products you like and focus on those."
That's great if you are saying "I have ten dollars, what can I buy this week?" but not so good if you are looking for particular foods. I went in last year looking for clementines (similar to a small tart orange or sweet tangerine) which are in season only once yearly from the Azores. There are clones from other places, and the trademark and theft suits are a whole other kettle of fish. I would have settled for the clones but genuine celmentines often have a different flavor.
Anyway, Aldi had oranges, period. The supermarket? Had clementines. Aldi here can be a total waste of the costs of the trip, unless you're trying to see "What can I buy for ten dollars?".
And coming back on topic <G> my local supermarkets have a far wider range on condiments.

Aldi never claim to be all things to all customers. Shop there for what they are good at and buy the rest somewhere else. Aldi was never about one stop shopping.

[Krogensailor]

"Do not swallow. Keep out of the reach of children. Get medical help, or contact a poison control center", that's what it say's on the back of all regular toothpaste tubes. I say regular because I'm sure there some higher quality product that isn't poison. But I'll bet the one in your house ain't one of them.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by savoir

Aldi never claim to be all things to all customers. Shop there for what they are good at and buy the rest somewhere else. Aldi was never about one stop shopping.

Nope that's Wally.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by Krogensailor

"Do not swallow. Keep out of the reach of children. Get medical help, or contact a poison control center", that's what it say's on the back of all regular toothpaste tubes. I say regular because I'm sure there some higher quality product that isn't poison. But I'll bet the one in your house ain't one of them.

Mine is regular Colgate,
" Children under 6 years of age should have adult supervision and use smaller amounts"

"Do not swallow"

Not quite as alarmist as your words.

Coops.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Nope that's Wally.

Wally ?

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

DE is also the "polish" in tooth polish (now called toothpaste) and the absorbent material in tnt sticks. I'm not sure how good or bad it is to *eat* but it certainly isn't uncommon, just isn't a big selling point like "evaporated cane sugar" these days.

I don't want to start or feed an argument, but that sound like your digging yourself in deeper.

But you do illustrate a good point. Trying to stay away from processed foods (or in this case, non food, has long been a "crazy maker" for me.

[Blue Crab]

Walmart. A-Z

[Krogensailor]

Mine say's 12 years old. What's "alarmist" about stating what is written on the tube?