Have you ever asked for "bruised" fruit at the farmers market for a discount?

[Biscuits & Gravy]

One of the dads at DS's preschool was telling me that he went recently with his mom, and she asked one of the vendors if she had any bruised peaches available for sale. The vendor sold her a huge box for $1 or so, or something ridiculously low. She told her son that they are just fine if you are going to slice them up for pies and such instead of eating them as is.

Have you ever heard this secret? I want to ask when I go to the farmers market this week, but I'm a little afraid of looking like a fool.

I regularly buy fruit and veggies off the discount rack at our grocery store to save money, but this particular trick is news to me.

[bandgeek]

I never have but it sounds like a good idea to me, especially if you already have plans for the food, like canning or whatever. I don't think you'd look like a fool. They are probably happy to unload all the unsellable fruit.

[Ammaarah]

At my farmers market, there's a lot of "as is" baskets of fruit or veggies sold, so I would think asking for bulk amounts would be more effective than asking for a discount on the little baskets, but I'm sure if you talked to some vendors they'd give you a deal. Ask around, be pleasant and I bet you'll get some good buys.

[Callimom]

Absolutely.
They are referred to around here as seconds and are great for canning (esp for things like apple sauce and jams.)

The farmer I buy our cider and apples from always brings me bags of seconds (they cost me 1/3 of what a normal bushel would). I make apple sauce with them. I got a half bushel of peaches and nectarines for jam this summer for free just by asking. They needed to be dealt with immediately but I was okay with that. We preorder seconds from a peach vendor every summer. They cost me $15 a bushel compared with $35-$45 for firsts at the farmer's market and I use them for canning. The seconds this year were fabulous - small but in great shape.

hth
Karen

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4

Absolutely.
They are referred to around here as seconds and are great for canning (esp for things like apple sauce and jams.)

The farmer I buy our cider and apples from always brings me bags of seconds (they cost me 1/3 of what a normal bushel would). I make apple sauce with them. I got a half bushel of peaches and nectarines for jam this summer for free just by asking. They needed to be dealt with immediately but I was okay with that. We preorder seconds from a peach vendor every summer. They cost me $15 a bushel compared with $35-$45 for firsts at the farmer's market and I use them for canning. The seconds this year were fabulous - small but in great shape.

hth
Karen

I absolutely have applesauce in mind right now. We go through so much of it, and I rarely find coupons to combine with sales so it is one item I end up paying for full price. I don't like that! I'm hoping making my own will end up being cheaper.

Thanks for the responses! I'll be hitting the market tomorrow hoping for some cheap apples.

[PrettyBird]

Heck yeanh! Our farmers market has a box of tomatoes (organic even!) with bad spots they sell for $10/box. I've never weighed it but I get about 10 quarts/box. I've canned most of my tomatoes that way since my own tomatoes didn't do very well due to of all the 100 degree stretches.

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by Biscuits & Gravy

I absolutely have applesauce in mind right now. We go through so much of it, and I rarely find coupons to combine with sales so it is one item I end up paying for full price. I don't like that! I'm hoping making my own will end up being cheaper.

Thanks for the responses! I'll be hitting the market tomorrow hoping for some cheap apples.

I can't remember the yield I got for applesauce last year - (my kids eat a tonne of it as well) but I think I got 20 quarts or so. Including the cost for the lids for the jars I think it was well below $1 a quart. I don't know what you pay but it was definitely cheaper than in the store - and it was local and I knew the farmer's growing practises.

good luck.
oh - you may have to ask them to bring them another time - our farmer always runs out of them
Karen

[mamadelbosque]

Yup. Mostly their called seconds or 'for canning' around here I bought pecks of tomatoes, peaches and apples all for $3-6 routinely. They're just fine - some have bad spots, some are just small, some are shaped funky. But they're just fine for canning or making pies or freezing or dehydrating or even just eating as long as your willing to eat (or eat around) bruises/etc.

[SeekingJoy]

I don't know what they call them for apples, but for tomatoes you can look for boxes on lower shelves or to the sides marked "canning tomatoes." Peaches are sometimes marked "ice cream peaches." Small, bruised apples are sometimes refered to/sold as "deer apples," but those really are something else entirely. I have also bought peppers that need to be used immediately.

[Amys1st]

One time, a veggie guy had 2 baskets of over ripe tomatoes for $1. I bought them and they were perfect for the tomato salad I made that night for a potluck.

The same market towards the end of peach season, the vendor had $3 bags of peaches that were as he refered, past prime. He had been selling to me for 4 seasons so when I said I would take some for a pie, he gave me 3 bags for the $3. Yummy pies!
A local grocery store which sells tons and tons of produce, will on Monday and Tuesdays take what is left of the pile of whatever and box it up for $2. It could be a huge box of peppers, mangos, tomatoes etc.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by SeekingJoy

I don't know what they call them for apples, but for tomatoes you can look for boxes on lower shelves or to the sides marked "canning tomatoes." Peaches are sometimes marked "ice cream peaches." Small, bruised apples are sometimes refered to/sold as "deer apples," but those really are something else entirely. I have also bought peppers that need to be used immediately.

Oh yay! I should have known you would know the answer. Want to hit the market with me this week? Thursday? Friday?

[Norasmomma]

They call them seconds here and many times they are $10 bucks a box for peaches. I dry them.

Also going at the end of the market day many vendors are willing to haggle a bit because they are just going to take it home anyway. They don't want to take it back, so they may be apt to make a deal. My BFF does this a lot.