There was a big variety of free fresh produce for both the chickens and my family this week in the 3 reclaimed produce boxes we picked up from Mr. Produce Guy. This whole reclaimed produce thing started last April {you can read about it HERE} and after doing it for about 10 months now I can only imagine the amount of money we’ve saved.
It still amazes how much food is wasted in our country {40% by some accounts} and makes me wonder what people growing up during the great depression would have thought about it. Crazy stuff if you ask me. Spending the time, money, and resources to grow food, only to throw it away seems pretty lame, but it happens.
Here is what I picked up from Mr. Produce Guy this past week:
We used some of the lettuce last night for tacos, and I’ll probably make lettuce wraps and a salad with the rest. As for the apples, they’ll be going in the dehydrator this morning for apple chips and the strawberries will be frozen to use later in smoothies. The radishes will be great for snacking, and I’m sure I’ll find something to do with that wee bit of reclaimed spinach.
Any ideas?
Have you approached your local grocery about picking up produce that’s headed for the dumpster? Any luck? Any tips for others trying to do this?
~Mavis
Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past 10 months?
Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.
Elizabeth says
Asked our local grocers… all said the same thing. It’s against the corporate rules. BOO! They each commented on how many people have asked them though. Such a shame and a waste!
Ree says
Unfortunately the primary reason 99% of stores/restaurants say they won’t do it is the liability of someone getting sick (everyone is so sue-happy nowdays). And you wouldn’t think it would cause extra work for employees, albeit just a few extra minutes, but that might also factor into their decision. You can’t even imagine the amount of food that is wasted in restaurants every day, either. And no; they don’t donate either, even to a homeless shelter. You will have much more success with a locally owned “Mom & Pop” store/restaurant instead of chains with anything (I am a HUGE advocate for spending my money local for many reasons, especially when these are the folks that support what I do.)
I started a local outreach that helps the homeless and hungry in our community. One of the things we do is prepare a weekly meal for about 75 folks. I am thankful that my neighbor owns a small farm and gives me whatever I need as far as fresh food that they have (and when I have leftover, we encourage folks to take it with them; as you might imagine folks in their situation rarely get a fresh, nutritional meal. Therefore we do our best to do that.
Anyway, we are also able to get a donation from Panera Bread. Because all of their baked goods are truly made fresh daily, they give away their leftover every evening. Most times we get upwards of 4 large black trash bags full of their yummies; which by the way, are still delicious day old or frozen. We have 3 Panera’s in our county and each does this, as long as someone picks them up from them at closing every night. The catch is that they only donate to non-profits that work with people in need. I didn’t mean to get anyone excited about it, but to explain. Also to let you know that if there are any restaurants in the area, please let a local shelter or other outreach know about what Panera Bread does so that they might benefit from their generosity. This is the main reason that when I am able to eat out, I will spend my money there.
Sorry about the “tangent” – hate wasted food and other resources – drives me nuts! Hopefully someone else can benefit from the information I have shared.
Amy says
LOVE your blog, web site & FB page! I am an avid gardener, canner and can’t wait to see what happens next time I go to the grocery store and ask for their dumpster fruit and veggies!!! 🙂
Mavis says
Let us know! 🙂
Jenn says
Hi Mavis!
I like to throw spinach into my morning smoothies. I can’t taste it and it adds an awesome boost of nutrients. And if you add blueberries you won’t even see the slightly frightening green color! Or add it to an omlet. Nom nom nom.
Love your site! You are my inspiration.
Jenn
Ginny says
I thought you might be interested in picking up a juicer for all of the produce you get. I got one at 50% off at Fred Meyer last weekend and it is devine! Very healthy too! I have been using the pulp for additions to smoothies or into other dishes like meatloaf and tomato sauce to add some additional nutrients. With all of your produce, this might be a way to use some of it up. And very delicious and good for you!
Teresa says
Use some of your lettuce and quinoa
Ingredients for Lettuce wraps
Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (sometimes I use half water and half ckn broth)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dressing:
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (can use olive oil)
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Two 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
(you can add in chopped spinach, feta cheese, any other veggie you like to this recipe too)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
Directions
For the quinoa: In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the quinoa, chicken broth, salt and lemon zest to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave, lime
juice, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth.
In a serving bowl, combine the quinoa, hominy, black beans and cilantro. Add the dressing and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the lettuce leaves and serve.
Leanna says
My MIL grew up in the depression along with her husband who has passed now. He liked to keep things stocked. If he had 1 can of beans he had to go get more. I guess there was a fear that there wouldn’t be enough if something happened.
Missy says
Have you ever steamed radishes? I tried it a few weeks ago after getting 4 pounds of reclaimed radishes from our local produce place. They are amazing! Wash, cut off the ends, and steam, they turn a beautiful light blushy color. They lose all of the bitterness and taste like cauliflower. Yum!
Mavis says
Interesting… I’ll have to try it. Thank you. 🙂
Lindsey says
Braised radishes are amazing, too!
queen of string says
I never grow radish as we dont really eat them, but we would probably eat them like this. I will add them to the seed order!
Lisa says
For about six months I’ve been getting reclaimed produce. My husband goes and picks it up every Monday, Wed and Friday morning before he takes the girls to school. We normally get two boxes. The nice thing is that we’ve noticed a few others there that pick it up also, so it’s nice to share and the produce guy says that if we don’t make it one morning, it doesn’t matter. So we go atleast once a week, but usually 2 or 3 times. We’ve gotten lettuce, grapes, banana’s, apple, oranges, grapefruit, cilantro, avacado’s, spinach, wheatgrass, blueberries, strawberries, squash, radishes, kale, zucchini, pears, carrots, potatoes, pomegrante’s, celery, asparagas, etc. I am so thankful. We have a bunny, guinea pig and tortoise that eat lettuce & carrots each day and since I’ve started this I haven’t had to purchase produce for the critters. My husband drinks a fruit/veggie smoothie eat morning and he loves the variety of produce we’ve been receiving and I only occasaionally have to purchase a few apple & banana’s when we run out.
Kari says
You can use the spinach in the Tuscan soup in place of kale, or throw it in your smoothie. When you add a bit of lemon, you can’t taste the spinach at all. We use TONS of spinach that way.
Debra says
I asked the produce manager of one of my local grocery stores. They donate the usable produce to a food bank/soup kitchen. Hurray!! I have yet to ask produce departments at the other local chains.
Becka says
Did you know that you can make a delicious soup out of radish leaves? I wrote a blog post about it recently: http://beckasblog.ivman.com/tag/radishes/
Ellee says
I recently tried radish leaves too – very much like turnip greens – & they were delicious! 🙂
Mindy says
I hit up my Safeway produce guy today. They don’t allow them to do anything other than dumpster dump anything from any department. What a friggin’ waste.
Diana says
I am new to this blog and am loving all the great information from all of you! For those of you who have been turned down by stores not giving away their unsaleable produce, try contacting the corporate offices. In many cases where an organization I am a member of is looking for some type of donation, it has to be approved by the corporate office. Also, if there is a food pantry or soup kitchen, they are likely to be getting some of these boxes already. You might be able to strike up a deal to take what they cannot use.
Nicole says
I love adding spinach to scrambled eggs.
Danielle O says
My little brother is a produce guy (Mama Earth love must run in the family) — & I asked him if I relocated to his neck of the woods (from Seattle to Tennessee… Yeehaw!) if he’d score me some free produce…
Negatory 🙁 It’s against store policy. Darn it. Can’t even get in good when you’ve got a man on the inside. I told him “Whatever, jerkface! Go play with your rotten peaches” ;D
Lissa says
Well one of my produce places is closing – it’s the little local grocery store and it was So Sad! I called on Monday to give the produce guy the heads up I would be coming and he told me the sad news.
But the co-op place had a HUGE selection for the first time in weeks. 3 huge bunches of kale, a head of cauliflower, head of broccoli, 2+ pounds strawberries, one orange, one bunch celery, one red pepper, one lb carrots, 1.5lbs leeks, one parsnip, and one acorn squash – whoo hoo! Now to figure out what do with all that kale…. 😉
Mavis says
Ha! Have fun with the kale. 🙂
Dana says
Have you tried making homemade Kale Chips? Yummy!!
Mandy says
Oshitashi is a Japanese salad made with spinach:
Blanch the spinach in hot water for one minute and then place the leaves in cold water to retain color. Drain very well.
For 1 pound of spinach, combine 1.5 TBS each of spy sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine).
Toast 1 TBS of sesame seeds in a skillet until it smells nice. Mix with liquids and pour over drained spinach. Serve at room temp.
Lindsey says
I’ve only asked at our local independently-owned grocery store. They were very apologetic, but told me they had to throw it out. Boo! 🙁