It is Saturday and so that means that we pick up our produce baskets! We try to get the Organic Basket when they are available and we were able to get one this week. We use the co-op Bountiful Baskets that is here in the West. We pay $25 for an organic basket and $15 for a conventional basket.
When you are part of a co-op, it is mystery what you will get each week! There are time that we get things we do not like and this week is one of them! This week, the basket contents seemed to not be quite as much of a savings from the grocery store, but still a little cheaper than if we had gone to the grocery store to buy these organic items.
Here’s a picture of we got!
- 1 bunch of organic spinach
- 1 bunch of organic celery
- 1 pint of organic blueberries
- 2 organic red bell peppers
- 1 bunch of organic broccoli
- 1 HUGE organic spaghetti squash (when we post our frugal, healthy menu later – you will see Spaghetti using the squash in place of the noodles – super yummy!)
- 1 lb. organic carrots
- 3 lbs. organic apples
- 3 lbs. organic yams
- 1 pint or organic grape tomatoes
- 1 large fennel – yuck, yuck!!
We received a fennel in one of our baskets a while back. We asked many of you how to prepare it and we received some wonderful suggestions and many of you that really like it. Well…. the verdict in this house was that we HATED it! The licorice flavor was waaaaayyyy too strong and we did not it eat after preparing it. So, we will be taking this to church tomorrow and let someone else have it that likes it 🙂
We have also posted this information before, but we wanted to keep posting it in these posts so that everyone reading can have some ideas on how to get involved with a produce co-op:
There are many produce co-ops and grocery co op groups and it’s various forms across the nation that you can join and be a part of. A good place to start looking is at a the site localharvest.org (which id going to help you get organic local food) or coopdirectory.org (I am not sure how updated this site is as our area’s listings were old and many not listed, but at least worth a shot!) or search produce co-op your state under google and see what listings come up.
Kari@CashAndKari
Oh no! I have to admit I use to be a fennel hater too. I don’t like the licorice flavor either. The only why I like fennel is sliced really thinly into strips and baked in the oven with some olive oil and parmesean cheese (until the fennel looks slightly brown and carmelized).
We’re thinking about joining a CSA this summer, but haven’t made a decision yet on which farm we’ll choose. I love that the baskets include produce that we might not normally buy. Hopefully that will force me to start cooking at home more.
Elissa Wery
Is this for Bountiful Baskets? I’m starting this next week. Do the $15 baskets get the same produce as the $25 baskets (without being organic, of course)?
thriftycas
HI Elissa – Yes, this is Bountiful Baskets. No, they do not have the same items. You can see our previous baskets from the last several months at this link as some are the conventional $15 basket and most the $25 basket to give you some ideas!
https://thethriftycouple.com/category/home-life/groceries/perishables/
Gwen
Elissa-not sure what State you are in – but I am in Colorado and I picked up a ‘Conventional’ basket yesterday. It contained:
5 bananas
5 oranges
4 pears
4 grapefruit
5 apples
1 head of celery
1 butternut squash(the one I received is VERY large-almost twice the size of what I see at the grocery store)
2 ‘bunches’ of asparagus
13 red potatoes
7 onions
Jan
I am one who loves fennel. It goes very well in Thai food, if you like that type of cooking.
Gretchen
You cracked me up! We don’t eat fennel in our house either :). Wish we have Kroger in CA. You got a great deal with all those food!!