Bartering wise, this has been a pretty busy week for us. After harvesting beets a few days ago I left a bundle of beets on my neighbors porch. I had never bartered with her before but had heard through the grapevine that she LOVED fresh beets so I said, what the heck, and put a few on her porch.
And then last night I found a package of Pete’s coffee, 2 Hubert’s Lemonades, 4 packs of trail mix and lychee and rambutan in a bag on our porch.
I have never tried lychee or rambutan before. Have you? What I’m suppose to do with them? The one on the left looks like a little sea urchin and I’m kind of afraid to open it.
Anywho, I think I fared way better in the bartering department then my neighbor did {after all, she only received beets} so now I’m going to have to bring over some freshly dug potatoes tonight to even out the deal.
And then there is the barter I made with my buddy Selena. She stopped by the other day and when she did she brought along some lemon fizzy water, bay leaves, a canister of salt {how did she know I was out?} some piping bags and 3 cute little spice jars.
I gave her some heirloom tomatoes, chard, pears, beets and potatoes.
I think that deal was pretty even wouldn’t you say?
Here is the fresh vegetable box I put together fro my neighbor the Hunter. He’s a foodie and loves fresh vegetables. I’m hoping for some venison later this fall in return.
And last but not least, Girly Girl called and needed some yeast and tomatoes.
I went home with an 8-pack of sun dried mozzarella sausages {which I think we’ll have for dinner tonight}.
Do YOU barter with your neighbors? If so, what have you traded for in the past?
~Mavis
Lindsey says
I trade fresh vegetables for fresh spring rolls with the neighbor on one side, and fresh vegetables for jam with the neighbor on the other side. I am happy, so hope they are, too.
Dianna says
I just had rambutan a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful treat. All you do is tear open the outer skin to find a sweet treat inside. Remained me of a pealed grape. Enjoy!
Jenny says
I trade my neighbor zucchini and yellow squash for pears and apples. I would say I get the better deal.
Amy says
The rambutan and lychees are delicious! You just go ahead an peel away the outer shell ( rambutan skin is thick so you can use a knife to score it). You can eat the freshly peeled or put them into a tropical fruit salad with mango, kiwi, papaya, and pineapple. Becareful though. They both have a large hard seed in the center
cptacek says
I trade anything out of my garden/eggs that she wants in any quantity she wants to my husband’s Grandma for taking care of my son for free while I am working full time. I definitely get the better deal. 🙂 I don’t know what I would do without her.
Mavis Butterfield says
Grandmas are the best! 😉
Peggy Stenglein says
My neighbor’s are mostly older, and give my kids candy often, and one of our neighbor across the street will give us clothes, knick knacks, some food and veggies, not really bartering, just sending stuff over for us to go through and if we can’t use it, we pass it along, eventually someone can use or donate the clothing and knick knacks, the food we keep! I help them out with yard chores and give them veggies from my garden often. I have good neighbors, and my kids love bringing stuff over to their houses, because they always either come home with candy or a couple of dollars. 🙂
Kathy R. says
Sadly, I live in the ‘burbs with a HOA so I am really limited to what I can plant. Plus I am older and retired so I don’t have much interaction with my neighbors. But I LOVE YOUR BLOG and follow it faithfully. The DOD is excellent and I needed sheets badly when your blog popped up with that as the deal. So to me that is my barter…I read you (boosting your ratings) and in return I get great deals. Win-win!
gwendoline murray says
what a good deal or 2, i give my chickens eggs out and cook meals,babysit as i’m housebound most of the time my friends bring milk and things from the shop in barter,
Veronica says
My lychees never made it to anything other than my mouth! You can use them in sorbets, jello (juiced), cobblers w/blackberries, and fruit salads.
poppy says
My husband is Malaysian and both rambutan and lychees are regularly cut up and put in yummy fruity drinks…like the bubble tea but with fruit!
Ellen says
I eat lychee’s all the time when I go to Honduras. I didn’t know they had them here. You just take off the outer shell – I just use my teeth, and enjoy the treat inside. Don’t eat the seed though 🙂
Jennifer says
Wow! That is really cool! I hope in the future to have a fraction of the beautiful produce and eggs to share around.
Natalie says
I love to barter! Such a good deal for everyone! In exchange for my baked goods and abundance of fruit and vegetables, I’ve been given fresh caught Alaska salmon from their own summer house (by far the best thing I’ve bartered for), farm fresh goat, lamb and beef, fresh eggs for eating, baby chickens and fertilized eggs to hatch, a goat (hehe, good trade) haircuts, full meals and more. I really love the feeling of community and friendship that comes with bartering.
Mavis Butterfield says
Me too! 🙂
Madam Chow says
You got a great deal! Lychee and rambutan – just peel and eat raw, but be careful, there is a hard seed in the center so don’t let Lucy get it!
Lisa says
My neighbor gave me his old cedar gate and livestock fencing, and I gave him a jar of home canned apple butter. Not exactly bartering but it was an exchange. I built a raised bed with the gate wood, and used the fencing for trellises.
My other neighbor has only “borrowed” things. Usually cups of milk at midnight when they see our lights are still on, or toilet paper!
I traded herb plants a few weeks ago. I got a lemon balm and two kinds of oregano in exchange for wooly apple mint and chocolate mint.
Your deals?
#1 they got the best deal, since I hate beets!
#2 she did. I’d ignore the beets for the chard, pears and potatoes!
#3 was a draw.
Lisa says
I should have mentioned (I was thinking of gardening and food stuffs only) my late husband traded carpentry work for my wedding ring, which I waited 15 years to get! That was a formal bartering club of professionals. I think we got a washer and dry for some work too.
ME says
I spent 3 months in Malaysia about 20 years ago and loved the rambutans. I could not find them when I got back, not even in Chinatown in New York City. I was told they were not approved for import into the US. But now I see them all over the country, even here in Alabama at the Mexican market. They taste like a cross between a white grape and a plum. Don’t eat the pit.
renny says
I will always barter for fresh produce. The neighbor has an apple tree so my freezer is full of frozen apple slices. I will return the favor with homemade meatballs and sauce.
First barter: They won, I would love fresh beets
Second barter: They won, Awesome box.
Third barter: Hard to say..
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Oooh I love your barter posts! You got a lot of great goodies!
As far as the lychee- they are fun to eat. But have less fruit than you think. Slice the skin portion off from side to side and you can sort of pop the fruit out, like a tomatillo. Then you suck the fruit off the seed, that is large and in the center. They are popular in asian cultures. Or at least, I grew up with half of my family being Chinese and that’s why I had them a lot. So I assume it’s an asian fruit. I’ve never seen the fuzzy one though so please tells us how it tastes and how you eat it. Perhaps it’s the same as a lychee in that you peel the skin off to find the fruit?
KK
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Oh I’ve also had a really delish lychee martini before but that’s probably not ideal while on your pain meds.
KK
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha! I can barely keep my eyes open as it is… That’s all I need is to have the HH find me on the floor.
Anna says
I don’t consider it bartering, but my nearest neighbors (I live out in the country) keep me supplied with fresh eggs from their hens, and I bring them produce from my garden. They dropped off a couple of tomato plants this spring, so I made sure they got the first ripe tomato from one of those plants! They also cut our hay field for their horses (I don’t have any hay-eating animal pals yet), and they were going to give me riding lessons in exchange for it last year, but I was really busy trying to conceive (and I’m pregnant this summer!).
Kaia says
I’ve never even heard of lychee and rambutan…. I just had to copy and paste that to leave a comment! Let us know what they’re like!
Colleen says
I had a customer teach me about both these fruits at my favorite produce store!! They are yummy!! Just crack them open and enjoy!!
Dianna says
I love this! Our elderly neighbor’s son often leaves bags of fresh squash and zucchini on our doorstep. We return the favor by taking his mom bouquets of flowers from my garden, and sometimes a treat from our favorite bakery.