You may have seen marked down produce in your grocery store, but how do you figure out if you’re spending a little bit of money on a lot of great veggies or throwing away a few bucks on mushy avocados that no one can bear to eat?
The reduced produce section at my local grocery store has a sign that says, “Just as good for many uses.” True, most of the time. Here’s how to pick the good buys from the mush.
Top 3 Reduced Produce Strategies
- Best time to shop: mornings, usually, or whenever your store stocks the shelves.
- Always, always, always price check with the store’s regular prices and current sales. I often see reduced produce for the exact same price as the perfect-looking counterparts twenty feet away.
- Know what you can use – be sure that you know how to use or preserve what you’re buying within a few days. Just before going away for a weekend is not the time to buy 25 pounds of slightly bruised apples.
Great Deals
- Apples and pears– Usually reduced because of bruises, which can be cut out easily (or made into applesauce). Unless there’s mold on the fruit, you can always find something to bake with apples and pears.
- Citrus and potatoes – Usually reduced because some items in the bag went bad and the bag had to be opened. Squeeze them oranges! As long as citrus isn’t squishy and potatoes aren’t visibly damaged, go for it!
- Peppers, sweet and hot– There’s a big range here. You’ll notice everything from small imperfections that can be cut out to spongy parts that are unacceptable. Take a good look and be wise.Peppers can be so expensive, though, that as long as you’re paying less than $1-1..50/lb, and they look decent, you’re getting a good deal. I love buying a tray of spicy peppers, because they’re often 29 cents a pound and don’t even weigh enough to charge up to a dollar for a dozen or so. Remember that you can freeze peppers without any special treatment, so do so right away when you get them home.
- Lettuce - Often reduced because the outer leaves of organic or bulk lettuce got wilted. Look for crisp leaves and decent color. If there’s very much brown, wilty, mushy stuff at all, skip it. However, because they are very lightweight, romaine hearts are often super cheap.
- Zucchini squash – Often reduced because of nicks that should not affect the quality too much once you cut them out.
- Cauliflower - Price check with your store’s sales, but as long as the veggie isn’t too spongy, I think you can trim the brown spots and call it dinner!
Be Careful
- Berries - Be extra picky about moldy or rotten berries since a few bad ones can really ruin the whole batch. Like peppers, because berries are so expensive, they can be a sweet treat in the reduced section. Most berries can be quickly and easily frozen and put onto homemade yogurt or cereal right from the freezer. You can also make mushy (but not moldy) berries and other fruits into homemade fruit roll ups.
- Avocados – These delicate gems are notorious for being wayyyyy too soft. They’re totally unusable when they get beyond ripe, so if there’s any give at all beyond a pear-ripened firmness, don’t do it. BUT – if I can buy a tray of five for a buck and two are acceptable quality, I’ve still gotten a good deal. Always do the math and don’t forget to use them right away!
- Cucumbers – I don’t know why, but reduced cukes are nearly always disgusting.
- Herbs – If it doesn’t look good enough for the store to sell, it’s probably not good enough for your dinner plate, either.
- Vegetables particularly can lose vitamins and nutrients as they get farther from the field. You don’t want to bother with broccoli that’s lost most of its color, for example.
If your grocery store doesn’t have a reduced produce section, ask to speak to the manager and suggest it. It’s really a win-win for the store and the consumer, as long as you’re savvy about using fruits and veggies that are slightly past their prime.
Sometimes I feel slightly past my prime when I’m grocery shopping with three cranky kiddos, so I can relate to the veggies, can’t you?
What’s your favorite way to use up imperfect produce?