PSA: The produce stand on 4th Street has a 'seconds' bin that's basically free food

I was driving home from a job yesterday (just a simple panel swap, nothing fancy) and stopped at that little family-run produce stand on the corner of 4th and Maple. I've passed it a million times but never went in. Right by the door, they had this big plastic tub labeled 'seconds' and it was full of stuff that was just a little ugly. I got three huge bell peppers with a small soft spot (you just cut that part off), a bag of onions that were sprouting a bit (perfect for using right away), and like five tomatoes that were just overly ripe, all for a dollar total. I made a massive pot of chili last night that'll feed me for three days, and the flavor was amazing because the tomatoes were so ripe. It got me thinking about how much perfectly good food gets tossed just for looks. Does anyone else have a spot near them that does something like this? I'd love to find more.

3 comments

3 Comments

paulw532d ago

It's wild how we're trained to think food has to look perfect. I see it with my neighbors too, they'll toss a whole bag of apples if one has a bruise. That chili sounds amazing though.

samk772d ago

My local grocery store has a rack like that and it's my secret weapon. I once made a fruit salad from their discounted bin that looked like it lost a fight but tasted incredible. My roommate asked if I'd finally learned to cook, which was both a compliment and a sad comment on my usual skills. Those ugly produce deals are the best way to eat well without spending a ton.

jana8812d ago

Reminds me of my friend who got a whole bag of weird shaped peppers for like a dollar. Made this killer stir fry that had us all asking for the recipe. She just laughed and pointed at the discount rack.