sassenach Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 For two months, all the potatoes I have purchased at Walmart have gone terribly bad , really fast. I usually buy Russets. I am wondering if anyone else is experiencing this. I store them normally where I always do, and I have never in my life seen potatoes go to absolutely horrific mush in a weeks time. Regular room temps too. They are being grown in the US, too. Link to comment
kappydell Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Yes, every batch I buy have bad ones, and they do not last so long. Link to comment
HippyChick Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 You're not the only one. I quit buying potatoes at Wal-mart a while back. NASTY! Not only that but they had a thick green layer under the peel. Now I stick with a locally owned place and don't have the problems. We missed the seed potatoes this year for the garden. Hubby bought potatoes at Wal-mart and out of a row and a half planted, only 3 plants have come up. Link to comment
sassenach Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 I do not have the option of growing potatoes and sure wish I did. I am going to get no 10 cans of instant potatoes this summer and will try the local stores potatoes. I just hope they are not from the same producer. This stuff really is nasty to have it happen. I noticed the green stuff too and need to avoid it as it affects my health. I hope I can find some fresh potatoes locally. Link to comment
Jayceef Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I guess I haven't had a problem with potatoes lately. We purchased two ten pounds bags at HyVee (one for a party/ potato salad). One of the bags has been in the house for maybe three weeks. No problems so far, we have been eating them a few times a week. I don't like buying any produce from Walmart anymore. Seems like they are higher priced and not as good quality. I just really watch the sales and stock up when HyVee has some good ones. Link to comment
Homemaker Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 The organic ones I buy go bad even quicker than the "conventional" ones. They haven't been sprayed with the sprout inhibiters. I've been meaning to buy a book on eating seasonally. Using the produce and protein sources that are available in season. This way you rotate what you eat, become less dependant on certain crops and diminish your chances of developing food alergies. You also can save a lot of money and always have the freshest tastiest food. People always used to mourn the lack of potatoes in the spring and early summer because they had none. They celebrated the arrival of the new potatoes that early summer brought and used them in potato salads and such. Mashed potatoes were not eaten in summer because the new potatoes didn't mash up well. They were too watery. They had to wait till fall and winter for their heavy meals of meat and potatoes. Remember, cows and hogs were slaughtered in the fall and early winter after they were fattened up and could be stored in a cold ice house. Spring protein was from eggs that chickens were producing at peak levels. Our menues changed when refridgerators were made available. Also mass transportation and hot-houses contributed to being able to have a red tomato in February. We had more selection, but it wasn't necessarily tasty. I really need to get that book! I'm sick of cardboard produce. I need menu ideas for foods that are in season. Link to comment
Stephanie Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 A thought about potato options...instant potatoes just don't fly well around here. I use them very occassionally but have decided to stop putting them in my food storage because the are so disliked by my children. However, we do enjoy the various dehydrated potatoes. The slices make wonderful Potatoes Au Gratin or other potato dishes. The cubes are great in soups with my other dehydrated vegies. The hash browns are said to be very yummy, but I haven't tried them yet. You can get all of these in #10 cans and then divide and store as you choose. Link to comment
sassenach Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Well I will probably get a combination of the dehydrated potatoes and instant. Its just me thats eating it. If I had guests I would go buy the baking potatoes for cooking a dinner anyway! Link to comment
Violet Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I found good ones yesterday. Ten lb. for $1.29. They seem nice a fresh. The peels are tender on them. I was getting them with brown spots in the middle for a while. Link to comment
Mea Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 For two months, all the potatoes I have purchased at Walmart have gone terribly bad , really fast. I usually buy Russets. I am wondering if anyone else is experiencing this. I store them normally where I always do, and I have never in my life seen potatoes go to absolutely horrific mush in a weeks time. Regular room temps too. They are being grown in the US, too. (trying to think how to Very carefully word this...) Some stores in our area...purchase produce from a "broker". This broker buys the produce that brokers for upscale stores won't touch. This less than yummy produce is then sold to unsuspecting customers. There is one large store in our area that i will not purchase produce from... because of this practice. I end up throwing most away, if i've Had to buy from there. Then i promise not to do it again, and end up paying more at another supermarket for the Good stuff. And...How about apples ??? New York had one of the best seasons for apple growers last year (2008) and i cannot get a decent Macintosh apple anywhere !!! They are all green and rock hard !! even at the "better" store. Where did they go ??? *whine* Mea. Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'm throwing out half the potato due to dark grey spots thru out. I've just had to recently give up eating my homegrown purple Peruvian 'taters cuz they've really gone to sprouts. Next fall when I dig taters again, I'm dehydrating and canning some!!!!! Store bought is NOT meeting my high standards! MtRider [ Hate paying for "compost" via the groceries produce dept. ] Link to comment
pinkroses Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I quit buying big bags of potatoes at this time of the year They put them in cold storage and when they sale them to use. they go bad quickly. I noticed at Kroger's theirs are the same way. pinkroses Link to comment
Simplegirl Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I am seeing a lot of the same things, dark spots inside, rotting quickly, etc. Also, one bag of my seed potatoes I bought at WalMart just didn't sprout. The others did and so did the eating potatoes that had sprouted and I planted. But I have one row of 12 hills with only 3 plants in it. Thank goodness I have the other 2 rows that did come up and they look nice. Hope they give us a good crop to keep in the cellar this year. Link to comment
sunrise1965 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 My hubby and I were just discussing the fact that our potatoes have been terrible lately -- no matter WHERE we buy them! Luckily, we DID get some seed potatoes and planted a bunch at his folks' place and will plant some more at our place. They planted Kennebecs and something else over there and we will plant Yukon golds. Nothing beats new potatoes freshly dug up and fried for supper! Or cooked with fresh green beans. Yummy! Link to comment
Cat Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 WELCOME, sunrise1965!! Glad you posted!!! There are some years that just don't produce well, and it can happen with the potato crops. Usually there are enough different areas producing potatoes that if one doesn't do well, the others can pick up the slack. Same for apples, onions, etc. I'm guessing that this is one of those years when winter started early in *much* of the country, and the potatoes suffered because of it. Remember what your Fall was like? I've been disappointed in the high price of fresh potatoes all winter, and now that spring is here, they're digging to the "bottom of the barrel" for potatoes, and they're not good quality. **Just my 2 cents...** Link to comment
Homemaker Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Woo Hoo! My potatoe crop is flowering now. That means baby potatoes for the grabbing. They won't make good mashed taters, but will be good steamed or roasted along with my baby beets, and dripping with butter! Feel free to stop by! Link to comment
ncnewbie Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Woo Hoo! My potatoe crop is flowering now. That means baby potatoes for the grabbing. They won't make good mashed taters, but will be good steamed or roasted along with my baby beets, and dripping with butter! Feel free to stop by! Homemaker, Stop it, youre making me drool! I am in Nc Ya'll, and I buy red potatoes from a local butcher, 50 lbs a bag for 20 bucks. We are STIll eating out of the last bag, which I bought in January? and they are DELICIOUS! They are not brown, on the inside, and even though I keep them in an un insulated addition that gets the heat from my dryer, they are still just fine. I dont know. However,I was just planning to go and get two bags worth to dehydrate into chuncks and slices this next week. Maybe I'll just try one. Dont know if ya'll heard, but prepared pantry has Idaho pounders 15lb and 25 lb for pretty cheap. They are buying direct from the growers.. maybe it's worth checking out. I'm gonna order some late in the week. Here's the link: http://www.preparedpantry.com/Idaho-potato...o-porducts.aspx I dont buy any produce from Walmart... not worth it. As far aas some of the potatoes ya;ll are getting. Ever heard of genetically modified food? DO you think this could be the culprit? Maranatha! Link to comment
sassenach Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share Posted May 25, 2009 actually GMO seeds / seed potatoes had come immediately to mind, but I wanted to see if others were getting the same lousy product this year. Link to comment
Homemaker Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 I didn't know they had GMO potatoes. I buy certified organic seed potatoes, so that's not a problem for me. Link to comment
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