Every so often I have a customer ask me a question that just leaves me wondering. We have eight pound bags of russet potatoes on sale for two dollars and fifty cents. This customer is examining this bag of potatoes and comments to me what a low price they are. I quickly agree that it is a good deal. Then the customer asks me, " are they going out of date ? " What ? They are fresh dug potatoes,raw, in their natural state and you want to know if they are going out of date ? I just smile and say no, as long as they aren't starting to sprout eyes or smell bad, they're good. The customer buys a bag and leaves. I am left wondering.
How is it that people think everything has an expiration date ? I understand people are getting used to checking these dates on the canned goods and other packaging, but root vegetables ? Have people never heard of root cellars ? Why would you think that a potato would expire ? This was a younger person, well younger than me probably thirty or so, so maybe he had no experience with this stuff. When I was a kid an older lady that lived next door to me used to store her potatoes and some other root vegetables in burlap bags. She had them hanging on a rope in the well. It was dark and cool in there and those vegetables stayed good for months at a time. Yeah, sometimes the spuds grew eyes but you just knock them off with your thumb. It won't hurt you.
I just saw on the news that a Chinese fellow invented a device that can tell you when your food is spoiled. You just stick this little tab thing on there and it changes color over time. In an ironic twist when this tab turns green, the food is bad. A lady was talking about it saying how she will not smell her milk to tell if it is bad. She wants this product. She feels like if she had this product she wouldn't throw out so much food. She can't tell if her food is good or bad ! Leaves me wondering. How did my Mom tell ? Did she just feed us and let us take our chances ? Have I been just risking it all these years ? It is a wonder any of us are still here !
I wonder what these people think we did in the " old " days. You know back in the sixties. Canned goods had no dates on them. I don't think the milk bottles had dates on them but I wouldn't swear to that. If in doubt just smell it or take a sip. If it came out of the bottle in lumps, it was bad.
I wonder if perhaps we aren't buying more than we need. If we need to start monitoring dates in the refrigerator, could it be that we are not using it ? Just a thought. How many times a week do you go to the store ? I see the same customers all the time. Some I see almost daily. We have had snow this year, a lot of it, but people still came to the store. The store was open every day. No need to lay in supplies for a month. Has putting these dates on our products lead to a sense of paranoia ? I do see some checking those dates with a nervous look about them. This can of peas is best if used by 2016 should I buy it ? Oh, it is a dilemma alright. Are we giving up on common sense and relying on the government to inform us about our food ? I wonder, I really do. Used to be you only got what fruits and vegetables where in season in your area. You had to wait to get those fresh products. Now they are being shipped in from all over the world. Used to be milk came from your local dairy, now who knows ? Used to be we all knew about preserving our food to make it last. Now , not so much. We are dependant upon the manufacturers and suppliers. Now we need to check those dates ! Now it is wise to check the country of origin as well. The law requires the grocer to tell you that information.
I guess it is just that people want to feel safe. Stock the shelves in their cupboards and refrigerator. Ready to survive if the stores are closed. It could happen. I wonder what would happen if there were no dates on those cans ? What then ? How can we know ? Are these potatoes still good ? What about the carrots ? This bottle of Pepsi says best if used by, do I want to use it if it is less than the best ? Of course not ! I demand only the best, throw it out ! You know they even have a date stamped on those bottles of water. Yup, water can go out of date, who knew. Thanks Uncle Sam for keeping me safe.
How is it that people think everything has an expiration date ? I understand people are getting used to checking these dates on the canned goods and other packaging, but root vegetables ? Have people never heard of root cellars ? Why would you think that a potato would expire ? This was a younger person, well younger than me probably thirty or so, so maybe he had no experience with this stuff. When I was a kid an older lady that lived next door to me used to store her potatoes and some other root vegetables in burlap bags. She had them hanging on a rope in the well. It was dark and cool in there and those vegetables stayed good for months at a time. Yeah, sometimes the spuds grew eyes but you just knock them off with your thumb. It won't hurt you.
I just saw on the news that a Chinese fellow invented a device that can tell you when your food is spoiled. You just stick this little tab thing on there and it changes color over time. In an ironic twist when this tab turns green, the food is bad. A lady was talking about it saying how she will not smell her milk to tell if it is bad. She wants this product. She feels like if she had this product she wouldn't throw out so much food. She can't tell if her food is good or bad ! Leaves me wondering. How did my Mom tell ? Did she just feed us and let us take our chances ? Have I been just risking it all these years ? It is a wonder any of us are still here !
I wonder what these people think we did in the " old " days. You know back in the sixties. Canned goods had no dates on them. I don't think the milk bottles had dates on them but I wouldn't swear to that. If in doubt just smell it or take a sip. If it came out of the bottle in lumps, it was bad.
I wonder if perhaps we aren't buying more than we need. If we need to start monitoring dates in the refrigerator, could it be that we are not using it ? Just a thought. How many times a week do you go to the store ? I see the same customers all the time. Some I see almost daily. We have had snow this year, a lot of it, but people still came to the store. The store was open every day. No need to lay in supplies for a month. Has putting these dates on our products lead to a sense of paranoia ? I do see some checking those dates with a nervous look about them. This can of peas is best if used by 2016 should I buy it ? Oh, it is a dilemma alright. Are we giving up on common sense and relying on the government to inform us about our food ? I wonder, I really do. Used to be you only got what fruits and vegetables where in season in your area. You had to wait to get those fresh products. Now they are being shipped in from all over the world. Used to be milk came from your local dairy, now who knows ? Used to be we all knew about preserving our food to make it last. Now , not so much. We are dependant upon the manufacturers and suppliers. Now we need to check those dates ! Now it is wise to check the country of origin as well. The law requires the grocer to tell you that information.
I guess it is just that people want to feel safe. Stock the shelves in their cupboards and refrigerator. Ready to survive if the stores are closed. It could happen. I wonder what would happen if there were no dates on those cans ? What then ? How can we know ? Are these potatoes still good ? What about the carrots ? This bottle of Pepsi says best if used by, do I want to use it if it is less than the best ? Of course not ! I demand only the best, throw it out ! You know they even have a date stamped on those bottles of water. Yup, water can go out of date, who knew. Thanks Uncle Sam for keeping me safe.
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