# Aldi v Lidl



## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

i used Aldi for almost ten year as it was the closest cheap supermarket to my home.   Now Lidl is closest.  Aldi's vegetables  "sell by dates"  were invariably very close to my "Bought on "  date, and i threw away as much as i ate.  Aldi's Greens  seemed to get very wet  very quickly inside their plastic bags and would invariably go slimy before i could eat  a whole packet.   Some root veggies also went slimy  -  so i started removing them from bags and drying them before putting them in the fridge. They kept a day or two longer.   (I did have a fairly cheapie Argos F/F bought in 2012 which may have contributed to the fast deterioration.)

Now i dont have a fridge  - i have a larder  and i am astonished how much longer fresh veggies are lasting.  I ate spinach last night which was nearly 2 weeks beyond its sell-by -  and it was perfectly good.

I think storing fresh stuff in totally sealed plastic creates moisture and goes off quicker  Those sold in bags with little holes in them do last a bit longer.

Lidl's sliced German rye bread in cellophane also seems to lasting for weeks .....

My irish grandparents were poor  farmers and they always dried foodstuffs in their barns, separating each potatoe from each other with straw  - that's how they got through the winters for both human and livestocks food.   i am convinced modern supermarkets know exacly what they are dong.... Some of   Morrisons fresh veggies are even "Sprayed for extra freshness"  WHAT?  I think they are  sprayed for a shorter shelf life  - so we will all come back and buy more.  

No wonder we all waste so much food as a nation.


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## Clunegapyears (Jan 20, 2018)

Agree ... always remove fresh food from its plastic packaging.  I do use the green veggies bags from Lakeland though ... they do seem to work.


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## jagmanx (Jan 20, 2018)

*Larder is good now it is cold*

Hope it keeps cool in the summer.
Now you need to rename your lounge as the Parlour.
Have a Dining Room
Use a hot water bottle !
Go back to an Eiderdown rather than a quilt.
Have Ice on your windows !
Program your TV so it goes on the blink every so often.
Drink tap water rather than bought/bottled.
Get milk delivered every day (Free)..
Get a newspaper delivered (Free)
Walk to the pub.....Stagger back
Drink beer (or Cider) not wine.
Find your Diesel/Petrol coupons
Only use white sugar (not Brown)
Throw your microwave away
Only eat chicken on special occassions
Use tea-leaves not teabags
Make Real porridge

Good on you

Aah Those were the days !


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## runnach (Jan 20, 2018)

I think at longlast people are starting to see through the crap promoted by supermarkets, Asda have started doing the " wonky veg" nothing wrong with it other than not as aesthetically appealing .

We have a good thread going re diets and foodstuffs and as more and more contribute we are seeing for years we have been had. !

I remember my Grandma acquiring a fridge butter and milk still went in the larder, stone slab and a box with mesh. Having my Grandad seven sons and my mother, two world wars I suspect she knew what she was doing and making every bit of food count as money was tight etc.

Sadly markets are not what they were, I personally try and buy British and what is in season. I try and support local businesses.

Very much a case of use it or lose it in lot of instances as witnessed this morning on Dewsbury market one fish stall and the choice frankly appalling perhaps a barometer of how shopping has changed moreso with the big players delivering to your door totally removing social contact even further 

Rant over ( for the time being)

Channa


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## Fletch6 (Jan 20, 2018)

I've found if I wipe bleachy water over a cucumber they last longer, or if they are starting to go it stops the bacteria in it's tracks.  I was sick of them going off in the van fridge. Rinse them after of course.


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

I never put my fruit or veg in plastic to start with... haven't done for decades. I always buy loose stuff and put them straight in the shopping bag, which is even easier these days if you scan as you go with those magic doobries. Stuff that I have to buy pre-packed, like blueberries and grapes, I wash, dry and decant into tupperware or something but the rest mainly just goes in the fridge crisper drawer as is, although I lay kitchen towel in the bottom to help absorb moisture.  Really good tip for carrots and parsnips... top and tail them and wrap each one tight in foil. They keep for so long you get bored looking at them! I must say my fairly new fridge/freezer has the best veggie drawer I've ever used - really works.


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

Fletch6 said:


> I've found if I wipe bleachy water over a cucumber they last longer, or if they are starting to go it stops the bacteria in it's tracks.  I was sick of them going off in the van fridge. Rinse them after of course.



I was told ages ago to always wash fruit and veg with firm shiny skins in soap and water (rinsed well afterwards of course) because of all the stuff that gets sprayed on them... cucumbers, peppers, chillis, apples, aubergines, citrus fruits if you're going to use the zest, etc.  I still do it... it's a habit now!


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## vwalan (Jan 20, 2018)

if the customer will buy it then supermarkets sell it . you cant sell what the customer doesnt want to buy. 
the customer didnt want to buy wonkey veg so they stopped selling it . 
i spent months studying what customers bought etc . 
i worked for tesco at the time . 
all over uk surveys of what sold or didnt sell. 
no point in filling shelves etc with things customers wouldnt buy . blame the customer not the supermarkets . 
but there is no need to chuck food out . 
learn how to keep it . 
packaging is for transport etc not for storing food . 
i blame the parents then the domestic science teachers they do seem to know not alot.


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## jagmanx (Jan 20, 2018)

*or*



Minisorella said:


> I was told ages ago to always wash fruit and veg with firm shiny skins in soap and water (rinsed well afterwards of course) because of all the stuff that gets sprayed on them... cucumbers, peppers, chillis, apples, aubergines, citrus fruits if you're going to use the zest, etc.  I still do it... it's a habit now!



Vinegar (mildly acidic)
Or lemon juice (Again Mildly acidic)

SO Rinse in water (or not)
Then the above
Then water again

Soap is mildly alkaline
Water should be neutral


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## yorkslass (Jan 20, 2018)

We changed fridges recently, the one we had worked but was nearly an antique.  The difference is amazing. Used some carrots yesterday bought pre Christmas and they were fine. 
I'm not happy with some easy peelers I bought recently at Lidls. They certainly don't peel easily and taste more like marmalade oranges. I threw the nets they came in before we tried them, another lesson learned.
I use Lidl rather than Aldi cos it's nearer.


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## kensowerby (Jan 20, 2018)

Hi, you have to be very carefull when chooseing veg., in todays age you dont know what you are buying,we have been getting ripped off for years by the big boys, in a lot of cases the growers are told what to treat their crops with and what chemicals to dress them with so that they will last longer, when was the last time you tasted a veg that tasted anything like the ones  your dad or grandad grew in the garden or allotment ?????
Today we are told to eat our 5 a day as they will do you good what a load of crap, sice when have chemicals done you anygood??
One of my grandaughters is a propper townie and the ways of the countryside go over her head and when she sees loads of muck in the fields ready for spreading she often remarks that she wouldnt like to eat anything grown in that, the others have a laugh but always keep quiet, according to her my veg are the best in the world and always have lots of taste.
She hasnt cottoned yet, but everything i grow is grown in real good strong muck, muck 1 year, lime the next year, and leave the next, and then start the cycle again the following year.
A farm near our spot advertises organic produce, question---- how can they be organic when the tops ore sprayed off to get at the veg undereath???
We all buy them at the supermarkets, they look nice but tasteless.
Rant over, keep taking he pills and you will be ok.
Ken


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I was told ages ago to always wash fruit and veg with firm shiny skins in soap and water (rinsed well afterwards of course) because of all the stuff that gets sprayed on them... cucumbers, peppers, chillis, apples, aubergines, citrus fruits if you're going to use the zest, etc.  I still do it... it's a habit now!



Soap and water ?

 Surely anything that gets rinsed and then cooked/fried  will have any externally sprayed substances killed off with the heat of cooking?   In the 60's/70's some americans used to soak their raw fresh veggies in water and bleach when they were abroad in the Middle East and self catering.  Then they poured lashings of locally-made ice, made with local tap water, into their bourbon....


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

kensowerby said:


> Hi, you have to be very carefull when chooseing veg., in todays age you dont know what you are buying,we have been getting ripped off for years by the big boys, in a lot of cases the growers are told what to treat their crops with and what chemicals to dress them with so that they will last longer, when was the last time you tasted a veg that tasted anything like the ones  your dad or grandad grew in the garden or allotment ?????
> Today we are told to eat our 5 a day as they will do you good what a load of crap, sice when have chemicals done you anygood??
> One of my grandaughters is a propper townie and the ways of the countryside go over her head and when she sees loads of muck in the fields ready for spreading she often remarks that she wouldnt like to eat anything grown in that, the others have a laugh but always keep quiet, according to her my veg are the best in the world and always have lots of taste.
> She hasnt cottoned yet, but everything i grow is grown in real good strong muck, muck 1 year, lime the next year, and leave the next, and then start the cycle again the following year.
> ...




it is very hard to know what we ingest in our food - even if grown by a reputable supplier.   But if we don't eat processed food then that has to be a bonus as at least we are avoiding the fats and salt/sugars and preservatives in them.


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

Clunegapyears said:


> Agree ... always remove fresh food from its plastic packaging.  I do use the green veggies bags from Lakeland though ... they do seem to work.



thanks i used to use those and had forgotten all about them. I will get some for the summer.


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

jagmanx said:


> Hope it keeps cool in the summer.
> Now you need to rename your lounge as the Parlour.
> Have a Dining Room
> Use a hot water bottle !
> ...



i did not use my fridge in the van for 4 months this summer.  The temperature reached 39degrees in the south of France for a couple of weeks and only one carton of soya milk went off.   I shopped for fresh things very frequently and stored food in the fridge  (it is a well insulated box after all).

i still drink tap-water

i still have an eiderdown

i dont have a microwave

and whats wrong with having a parlour ???

I agree there are a lot of things that are far better now, but also some good things we have left behind  -  and we all have different ideas as to what those things are.


One of my great joys of long journeys in the van is the lack of choice, the simplistic life, the lack of noise, the solitude and the ability to enjoy nature in a way i never make time for in my house-life.


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I never put my fruit or veg in plastic to start with... haven't done for decades. I always buy loose stuff and put them straight in the shopping bag, which is even easier these days if you scan as you go with those magic doobries. Stuff that I have to buy pre-packed, like blueberries and grapes, I wash, dry and decant into tupperware or something but the rest mainly just goes in the fridge crisper drawer as is, although I lay kitchen towel in the bottom to help absorb moisture.  Really good tip for carrots and parsnips... top and tail them and wrap each one tight in foil. They keep for so long you get bored looking at them! I must say my fairly new fridge/freezer has the best veggie drawer I've ever used - really works.




Just before Christmas Morrisons had a "loss-leader"  of 3 scrawny parsnips in a bag for 0.19p  just inside the door.   Further on into the store they had loose parsnip  -  possibly 3 times the weight of the scrawny joes   -  £1.29p !!!!!   i had a rant at the till   but  nowt will change.

i found a tiny fridge freezer in a friends BnB last week.... £120  and its  only table-top height.  Prior to summer arriving i may get one, but i may continue to use the larder and put a blackout curtain over the window to keep the light out. 

Having a tall, albeit small, f/f in the past i realise i was shopping to fill it...     there's only me  -  so a lot got thrown away.   Thats gonna stop now as well.


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## phillybarbour (Jan 20, 2018)

Big Aldi fan, but that might be because we don’t have a Lidl in our home town.


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## runnach (Jan 20, 2018)

vwalan said:


> if the customer will buy it then supermarkets sell it . you cant sell what the customer doesnt want to buy.
> the customer didnt want to buy wonkey veg so they stopped selling it .
> i spent months studying what customers bought etc .
> i worked for tesco at the time .
> ...



Alan I disagree, no one stopped selling wonky veg it was never offered in the first place by supermarkets, The perfect "size10" cucumber or tomato etc has been pushed by the supermarkets as good price. consistent quality. It is only the relatively recent highlighting of food waste that has shamed supermarkets into offering the less than "perfect " produce . Perhaps the suits at Tesco et al saw the bottom line more than consumer demand, That is borne out by supermarkets general reluctance to inform consumers of sugars and additives in labelling not illegal but not assisting in a truthful choice either. " just doing enough" Equally recent legislation in France has seen supermarkets unable to dispose food waste. The cynic in me see the UK operators attempting to be seen to follow suit so that legislation here doesn't need to follow and the industry  seen as adequately self regulating.

Channa


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

delicagirl said:


> Soap and water ?
> 
> Surely anything that gets rinsed and then cooked/fried  will have any externally sprayed substances killed off with the heat of cooking?   In the 60's/70's some americans used to soak their raw fresh veggies in water and bleach when they were abroad in the Middle East and self catering.  Then they poured lashings of locally-made ice, made with local tap water, into their bourbon....



Soap and water is what I was told - obviously well rinsed in cold water afterwards. I seem to remember Linda McCartney was a fan too. I know it sounds daft but I do it anyway  Water alone wouldn't get rid of the wax coatings I wouldn't think and I don't like to take a chance on the chemicals. A lot of the stuff I wash is used raw but for everything else, I agree cooking/heat will kill off germs... but chemicals? I just don't know to be honest.

Having said all that, I don't wash strawberries or other really soft fruit because it ruins it... I just wipe over with kitchen towel. Well I never said I was logical... just a creature of habit! :raofl:


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> Soap and water is what I was told - obviously well rinsed in cold water afterwards. I seem to remember Linda McCartney was a fan too. I know it sounds daft but I do it anyway  Water alone wouldn't get rid of the wax coatings I wouldn't think and I don't like to take a chance on the chemicals. A lot of the stuff I wash is used raw but for everything else, I agree cooking/heat will kill off germs... but chemicals? I just don't know to be honest.
> 
> Having said all that, I don't wash strawberries or other really soft fruit because it ruins it... I just wipe over with kitchen towel. Well I never said I was logical... just a creature of habit! :raofl:



some folks have weird habits !!!!!


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## vwalan (Jan 20, 2018)

delicagirl said:


> Just before Christmas Morrisons had a "loss-leader"  of 3 scrawny parsnips in a bag for 0.19p  just inside the door.   Further on into the store they had loose parsnip  -  possibly 3 times the weight of the scrawny joes   -  £1.29p !!!!!   i had a rant at the till   but  nowt will change.
> 
> i found a tiny fridge freezer in a friends BnB last week.... £120  and its  only table-top height.  Prior to summer arriving i may get one, but i may continue to use the larder and put a blackout curtain over the window to keep the light out.
> 
> Having a tall, albeit small, f/f in the past i realise i was shopping to fill it...     there's only me  -  so a lot got thrown away.   Thats gonna stop now as well.



under counter fridge freezers are sort of common really . i have one here i use in my trailer if traveling from home with others . 
i find for one the freezer can be a bit too big , should it be horrible weather for weeks i cant eat all the food . but the fridge with a little freezer box is ideal just for one. 
but really its hardly needed . buy something eat it today or possibly cook it today eat some and keep the rest for another day . cooked food can be kept better sometimes . 
but yes at home with a tall fridge freezer it can take some filling . 
i cheat if there is sliced bread going cheap in supermarkets buy 6-7 they keep well in a freezer. monday /tuesday very often bread running out of code , ideal fill up. 
mind i buy joints of meat and slice them for steaks etc then freeze them . that can be very cheap way to get nice steaks . 
spare rib of pork joints going cheap in supermarkets at moment about 2.73 quid a kg. marked as shoulder . but pick the best ones and slice them . lovely. 
lidl had veg ,carrots ,parsnips etc going very cheap the other day . cut them up prepare them pack in small amounts and chuck in freezer . lot cheaper than normal. cant waste anything .


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

delicagirl said:


> some folks have weird habits !!!!!



Which is the silver lining about living alone now... I can indulge all my weird habits without fear of censure :lol-053:


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## vwalan (Jan 20, 2018)

channa said:


> Alan I disagree, no one stopped selling wonky veg it was never offered in the first place by supermarkets, The perfect "size10" cucumber or tomato etc has been pushed by the supermarkets as good price. consistent quality. It is only the relatively recent highlighting of food waste that has shamed supermarkets into offering the less than "perfect " produce . Perhaps the suits at Tesco et al saw the bottom line more than consumer demand, That is borne out by supermarkets general reluctance to inform consumers of sugars and additives in labelling not illegal but not assisting in a truthful choice either. " just doing enough" Equally recent legislation in France has seen supermarkets unable to dispose food waste. The cynic in me see the UK operators attempting to be seen to follow suit so that legislation here doesn't need to follow and the industry  seen as adequately self regulating.
> 
> Channa



you may disagree thats ok . but i know back in the late 70s early 80,s i was involved in the surveys and a decision was made to stop buying wonky veg . it didnt sell so tesco was throwing it away.
later they would buy or take everything a farmer grew and only take the best shaped for to sell and resell the wonky etc back in the veg market.
its done in spain for oranges the pickers put oranges through a selection of holes in a strip of wood to decide which box to pack them in . its good fun watching them . some dont fit the grade so they pile them up outside the fields for locals to have . free. 
the cheap oranges m,homers buy in the wilding spots or aires are the oranges for free the local lads make a shilling . 
we spend quite a bit of time usually in the growing areas , like going home these days , the locals pass us free oranges , peppers . tomatoes think we are classed as local after visiting for so long . some i have known since being a kid .


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## harrow (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I don't wash strawberries :raofl:



I understand shop strawberries have lots of different different pesticide used on them, one of the worst.

Mind you maybe preservatives help to keep you looking young ?

Have you noticed how tall the kids are getting ? 

Is it all the growth hormone in the meat ?

:dog:


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## yorkieowl (Jan 20, 2018)

We very rarely waste food, if its veg or sometimes odd bits of meat that needs using up then we just make a load of soup and then freeze any we can't use within a couple of days.  We've got a fridge/freezer now which is no where near as good as the separate fridge and freezer we used to have, they were old and tatty but good working order wish we had kept them. Collette I wish I had a larder, I think they are much better for most foodstuffs than any fridge.  Too much emphasis is put on use by dates, which thankfully is now changing,  I must admit to just having thrown some flour out -one bag was 3 years out of date and a 2nd bag 4 years.  don't know how they got missed as I try to check the cupboard at least once a year, I still have other dry ingredients which are a good few years old which are still being used (black pepper was 10 years old before it got used up lol).
I heard something ages ago about any excess packaging on stuff you bought that you didn't want to take home could be left at the supermarket, obviously it wasn't too successful at the time.


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## delicagirl (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> Which is the silver lining about living alone now... I can indulge all my weird habits without fear of censure :lol-053:





moi aussi!!!!


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

yorkieowl said:


> We very rarely waste food, if its veg or sometimes odd bits of meat that needs using up then we just make a load of soup and then freeze any we can't use within a couple of days.  We've got a fridge/freezer now which is no where near as good as the separate fridge and freezer we used to have, they were old and tatty but good working order wish we had kept them. Collette I wish I had a larder, I think they are much better for most foodstuffs than any fridge.  Too much emphasis is put on use by dates, which thankfully is now changing,  I must admit to just having thrown some flour out -one bag was 3 years out of date and a 2nd bag 4 years.  don't know how they got missed as I try to check the cupboard at least once a year, I still have other dry ingredients which are a good few years old which are still being used (black pepper was 10 years old before it got used up lol).
> I heard something ages ago about any *excess packaging on stuff you bought that you didn't want to take home could be left at the supermarket*, obviously it wasn't too successful at the time.



I doubt enough people did it at first but there's a lot of talk about a new drive now to encourage people to do just that. I haven't had the courage yet but the next time I'm faced with a Fort Knox blister pack or anything else that can't be recycled, I'm going to summon up the courage from somewhere  It's one of the few things I can think of to put genuine pressure on stores with huge purchasing power to have a quiet word in the ears of their suppliers.

Oh and I found spices in a box at the back of the cupboard once that were so old, they didn't even have use by dates on them! I threw them out and prayed my rubbish bin didn't get dropped that week


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## yorkieowl (Jan 20, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I haven't had the courage yet but the next time I'm faced with a Fort Knox blister pack or anything else that can't be recycled, I'm going to summon up the courage from somewhere
> 
> Oh and I found spices in a box at the back of the cupboard once that were so old, they didn't even have use by dates on them! I threw them out and prayed my rubbish bin didn't get dropped that week



You go girl, you tell 'em what for. :goodluck:  You should have used the spices, not thrown them, there was a thing on TV and it said that spices never go off they just lose a bit of their potency/flavour so you have to use a bit more than normal.  Mind I don't believe everything I hear on TV lol.


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## Tezza33 (Jan 20, 2018)

A few days before Xmas we went in to Tescos and a lot of veg was reduced to 4p/5p, we bought lots of carrots, leeks, cabbage, sprouts, potatoes, broccoli, pencil beans etc, everything in plastic packs was put in cloth bags except potatoes which were put in paper sacks that Maggy uses for the potatoes she grows, these were hung on hooks in one of the sheds and we still have a lot left and nothing has been wasted except some corn on the cobs which started to go off at the beginning of this week, even they were not completely wasted though because the birds loved them.
A long time ago we were at the Stratford Motorhome Show and one of the stands was Milton, they gave us a leaflet explaining the uses of Milton, one of them was a weak solution to wash vegetables to get rid of bacteria before storing them to make them last longer, we do it if we need to store for a long time and it works they do last and you don't taste it.

We prefer the summer growing our own though


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## trevskoda (Jan 20, 2018)

jagmanx said:


> Hope it keeps cool in the summer.
> Now you need to rename your lounge as the Parlour.
> Have a Dining Room
> Use a hot water bottle !
> ...


All normal here.:lol-053:


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## trevskoda (Jan 20, 2018)

harrow said:


> I understand shop strawberries have lots of different different pesticide used on them, one of the worst.
> 
> Mind you maybe preservatives help to keep you looking young ?
> 
> ...



Kids may be getting taller but any i have talked to are brain dead compared to my youth,if they cant find a apt for things then there lost.:scared:


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## CarlandHels (Jan 20, 2018)

jagmanx said:


> Hope it keeps cool in the summer.
> Now you need to rename your lounge as the Parlour.
> Have a Dining Room
> Use a hot water bottle !
> ...




What you didn't state is get the milk delivered and take it in before the birds pop holes in the lids and pinch the cream off the top.... lol


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## vwalan (Jan 20, 2018)

yorkshireCPLE said:


> What you didn't state is get the milk delivered and take it in before the birds pop holes in the lids and pinch the cream off the top.... lol



or was it the local kids up early and sneaking around with a straw?


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## yorkslass (Jan 20, 2018)

yorkshireCPLE said:


> What you didn't state is get the milk delivered and take it in before the birds pop holes in the lids and pinch the cream off the top.... lol



Just seen something in one of the papers about a milkman restoring his milk float because so many people are wanting their milk in glass bottles again.


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## Minisorella (Jan 20, 2018)

yorkslass said:


> Just seen something in one of the papers about a milkman restoring his milk float because so many people are wanting their milk in glass bottles again.



I was awake at the crack of stupid o'clock the other day and remembered I hadn't put the rubbish bin out the night before. Went outside and a milk float drove by... I had no idea there were any left round here! Mind you, I'm never usually up and about that early


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## Deleted member 53880 (Jan 21, 2018)

*fridge*

i think i may have read something along the lines of some fruits/veg producing a natural antifreeze when theres a cold snap or unseasonal frost,fridges trick them so they get soggy.vnoticable with bananas/mrooms.
on another note,on xmas eve afternoon Helston lidl didnt just lower their prices,they gave all their veg away.


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## jagmanx (Jan 21, 2018)

*Aldi Lidl*

Almost an anagram !
I suggest they Merge to Laldi or Addle

I quite like Lidl (eg cold meat and Tools on offer)
Aldi put me off because of their parking "Fines" (As have Sainsbury)
Not much to choose between Tesco and Morrisons but they latter just have the edge on display and "snack attacks"


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## harrow (Jan 21, 2018)

Here they are both too ethnic,

worried about getting stabbed.

:scooter:


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## Robmac (Jan 21, 2018)

The supermarket marketing folk are a devious lot.

When my eldest was still at school, he took a part time holiday job at a local potatoe farm which supplied Tesco. His job was to wash the heavy clay soil from the potatoes, and then rub them with peat so they looked like they had been grown in it. Tesco would not accept them otherwise.

Incidentally, our local Lidl and Aldi stores are practically next door to each other along with a B&M.


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## izwozral (Jan 21, 2018)

If possible, buy dirty spuds, carrots and parsnips from local market or farm. Not only are they very much cheaper but also last for ages. We bought 25 kilo's of spuds for £5 December 22nd and keep them in the brown sack in the garage. Still got a few kilo's left and they are as fresh today as when we bought them, no sprouting eyes and very firm.


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## Robmac (Jan 21, 2018)

izwozral said:


> If possible, buy dirty spuds, carrots and parsnips from local market or farm. Not only are they very much cheaper but also last for ages. We bought 25 kilo's of spuds for £5 December 22nd and keep them in the brown sack in the garage. Still got a few kilo's left and they are as fresh today as when we bought them, no sprouting eyes and very firm.



We use a local farm shop Ral.

We do exactly the same, 25k brown paper sack kept in the garage. We also buy large net bags of sprouts and carrots etc. and then split them split them and give some to the kids. Much cheaper and far better quality than the supermarket stuff.


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## Martlet (Jan 21, 2018)

izwozral said:


> If possible, buy dirty spuds, carrots and parsnips from local market or farm. Not only are they very much cheaper but also last for ages. We bought 25 kilo's of spuds for £5 December 22nd and keep them in the brown sack in the garage. Still got a few kilo's left and they are as fresh today as when we bought them, no sprouting eyes and very firm.



Wash them in a bucket or bowl; then the mud can be tipped on your garden instead of clogging your drain.

Regards,
Martlet


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## delicagirl (Jan 21, 2018)

an astonishing update  -     today is 21st January  and my baby-leaf spinach from lidl  dated 7th January - (only half eaten and forgotten about) has only  2 slimey leaves in it -  its still in my cold larder.

i  realise it may not be as nutritionally beneficial as it was, but i will discard the few slimey leaves and eat the rest tonight.....


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## jagmanx (Jan 21, 2018)

*Spinach only ?*



delicagirl said:


> an astonishing update  -     today is 21st January  and my baby-leaf spinach from lidl  dated 7th January - (only half eaten and forgotten about) has only  2 slimey leaves in it -  its still in my cold larder.
> 
> i  realise it may not be as nutritionally beneficial as it was, but i will discard the few slimey leaves and eat the rest tonight.....



Very good for the diet.
Be wary of the baby ?


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## vwalan (Jan 21, 2018)

jagmanx said:


> Very good for the diet.
> Be wary of the baby ?



they can come in handy. go into the desert for a long time always take babies and a do. 
you always got fresh meat then . 
cats not so good as you dont need a david crocket hat in the desert . hee hee. 
plus they taste like rabbit . ha ha .


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## korky (Jan 21, 2018)

janner said:


> i think i may have read something along the lines of some fruits/veg producing a natural antifreeze when theres a cold snap or unseasonal frost,fridges trick them so they get soggy.vnoticable with bananas/mrooms.
> on another note,on xmas eve afternoon Helston lidl didnt just lower their prices,they gave all their veg away.



You should never put bananas or mushrooms in the fridge in the first place.

Korky.


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## REC (Jan 21, 2018)

korky said:


> You should never put bananas or mushrooms in the fridge in the first place.
> 
> Korky.



Actually, I only put bananas in the fridge if I am going away for a few days and want them to keep. The skin goes black but they stay firm inside and are usable on my return. Lately I have also cut them up, along with other leftover bits or whole fruit / veg, and freeze them in ice cream containers. Use in my nutribullet for smoothies as the ice makes it thicker. Never waste my fruit and veg now, and can buy the reduced stuff and freeze it if I have plenty of fresh. So don't miss the bargains either.


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## Tezza33 (Jan 21, 2018)

REC said:


> Actually, I only put bananas in the fridge if I am going away for a few days and want them to keep. The skin goes black but they stay firm inside and are usable on my return. Lately I have also cut them up, along with other leftover bits or whole fruit / veg, and freeze them in ice cream containers. Use in my nutribullet for smoothies as the ice makes it thicker. Never waste my fruit and veg now, and can buy the reduced stuff and freeze it if I have plenty of fresh. So don't miss the bargains either.


Any bananas going soft if you cut them in to small rings and freeze them you can blend the frozen banana with a stick blender and it makes banana ice cream, ice cream without the calories
Quick banana ice cream recipe | BBC Good Food
How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient! | Kitchn


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## Caz (Jan 21, 2018)

I don't like Aldi or Lidl. I don't find them particularly cheap and don't like a lot of their versions of foods I normally buy elsewhere.

My milkman leaves me two pints of milk a week, now the kids have left home I end up throwing most of it away, although the dog has some. I don't want to cancel it altogether in case they move back home.


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## colinm (Jan 21, 2018)

When we buy fruit and veg from supermarket if it's in a plastic bag we remove this ASAP, some items go in fridge other in cupboards, at moment brussels and carrots are in glass 'leanto' on back of house, it probably colder in there than the fridge!
We have a local Aldi, only ever had fruit and veg a couple of times from there and it's gone off very quickly, Sainsbury's fruit and veg seems to last the longest.


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## Sharon the Cat (Jan 22, 2018)

Now that it's only Phill eating spuds most of the time I no longer buy them from the local farm. I buy a smaller plastic bag from the supermarket. When I get home I put them in a Primark brown paper bag with an apple. When my parents were living with us Mum asked where the spuds were & I told her in the Primark bag. She said "I didn't know Primark sold potatoes!"


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## Sharon the Cat (Jan 22, 2018)

yorkshireCPLE said:


> What you didn't state is get the milk delivered and take it in before the birds pop holes in the lids and pinch the cream off the top.... lol



We get milk delivered & there isn't much cream on the top any more. The fashion (& I am guilty) is for skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, which is why cream is now so cheap.
I don't think our Blue Tits even give the bottle of milk a second glance. In the last 11+ years we've never had a bird punch a hole in the top.


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## colinm (Jan 22, 2018)

The way mainstream milk is processed nowadays means there is little if any cream at top. All fat is removed and then added back in to suit the product and it is homogenised.
p.s. I recall when I was a kid we had some plastic 'beakers' which the milkman placed over the bottles to keep the blue tits off them, not sure if these where a 'gift' from the dairy or if you had to buy them, but they where made for the job.


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## Deleted member 62288 (Jan 24, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I never put my fruit or veg in plastic to start with... haven't done for decades. I always buy loose stuff and put them straight in the shopping bag, which is even easier these days if you scan as you go with those magic doobries. Stuff that I have to buy pre-packed, like blueberries and grapes, I wash, dry and decant into tupperware or something but the rest mainly just goes in the fridge crisper drawer as is, although I lay kitchen towel in the bottom to help absorb moisture.  Really good tip for carrots and parsnips... top and tail them and wrap each one tight in foil. They keep for so long you get bored looking at them! I must say my fairly new fridge/freezer has the best veggie drawer I've ever used - really works.



doobries !

I haven't heard that word since I were a nipper...

james


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## Minisorella (Jan 24, 2018)

colinmd said:


> When we buy fruit and veg from supermarket if it's in a plastic bag we remove this ASAP, some items go in fridge other in cupboards, at moment brussels and carrots are in glass 'leanto' on back of house, it probably colder in there than the fridge!
> We have a local Aldi, only ever had fruit and veg a couple of times from there and it's gone off very quickly, *Sainsbury's fruit and veg seems to last the longes*t.



I honestly think it varies from place to place... round here Tesco veg beats Sainsbury and Waitrose.  Sainsbury have better bananas though 

Talking of bananas, I was told once that it's best to separate them all out and stand them upside down in a fruit bowl to help them last... they look like a shark's tooth necklace :raofl:


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## Wooie1958 (Jan 24, 2018)

Another vote for Tesco veg   :wave:   no one else`s comes remotely close for quality and how long it stays fresh     :tongue:


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## delicagirl (Jan 24, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I honestly think it varies from place to place... round here Tesco veg beats Sainsbury and Waitrose.  Sainsbury have better bananas though
> 
> Talking of bananas, I was told once that *it's best to separate them all out* and stand them upside down in a fruit bowl to help them last... they look like a shark's tooth necklace :raofl:



i used to separate bananas and keep them in  a dark cupboard   -  now i have them in a larder with a window  -  but they seem to keep for several days


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## mark61 (Jan 24, 2018)

Get my milk delivered too, in bottles by old style milk float. Couldn't be easier. . Had same milky for about 15 years and he still delivers even if I haven't paid for months. We catch up probably 3 times a year. Brilliant service.


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## harrow (Jan 24, 2018)

wobblyjim said:


> doobries !
> 
> I haven't heard that word since I were a nipper...
> 
> james


another term for doodah !

:dance:


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## colinm (Jan 24, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> Talking of bananas, I was told once that it's best to separate them all out and stand them upside down in a fruit bowl to help them last... they look like a shark's tooth necklace :raofl:



Banana's release ethane when they are ripening, this can affect some other fruits and make them ripen faster.


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## maingate (Jan 24, 2018)

Sharon the Cat said:


> We get milk delivered & there isn't much cream on the top any more. The fashion (& I am guilty) is for skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, which is why cream is now so cheap.
> I don't think our Blue Tits even give the bottle of milk a second glance. In the last 11+ years we've never had a bird punch a hole in the top.



Years ago there seemed to be a problem with Blue Tits getting at the Cream on milk bottles left in my Brothers Street. Someone noted that they must have long beaks as quite a bit of cream and milk had been taken from them.

Then the culprits were caught bang to rights. The Tits were pecking through the bottle tops and getting at the cream. Then my Brothers dog was following on and drinking the milk. She did it by leaning the bottle over to get as much milk as possible.


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## Deleted member 62288 (Jan 24, 2018)

*RE; keeping food fresh*

I am a big fan of Colloidal Silver, it has been a must-have item for me for many years.
(Cue Luddites and blue-man-meme fans)

I use it in countless ways, it is antibacterial, anti-microbial, anti-septic and simply splendid in many ways, as a medicine.
I pour it into my fresh water tank too, keeps the tank and contents healthy. Spray it on surfaces, toilet bowl, basin, shower etc, keeps the germs away.

Also, instead of bleach, why not use Hydrogen Peroxide, diluted, another must have for me.

james


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## Deleted member 62288 (Jan 24, 2018)

I've been a huge fan of these shops for many years now, especially pleased with them both in Europe too.

However I'm now stopped using my local Lidl, as it has teamed up with a shady car park company Athena. 

Athena likes to issue "FPN"s a deceptive name for Fixed Penalty Notice, demanding a payment of £90, if you stay in the Lidl car park in excess of 90 minutes. According to the ThisIsMoney website ( Is Lidl's ten-minute free parking with a PS90 fine if you overstay fair? | This is Money )

Looks to me that they are more focused on issuing FPNs than providing car parking services ? to Lidl's customers.

What bothers me is: 

I pay Lidl for my groceries with my debit card.
I get a receipt that has a bar code printed at the bottom.
I then have to go to a self service terminal and allow it to scan my receipt.
I must give Athena my vehicle registration number 
Athena have positioned ANPR cameras in the Lidl car park 
ANPR is Automated Number Plate Recognition - a camera &computer reads your number plate and gets your personal details from the DVLA.


So, by following Lidl's *compulsory* procedures, I have just willingly given Athena, the following information :

My Full name, address, car registration details, and  all of the other details that the DVLA sell onto such businesses.
Then consider that I have just used my debit card to give Lidl, permission to take the cost of my groceries directly from my bank account via the debit card.
Lidl now have fresh details of my bank account.

The receipt has a bar code containing who knows what information, that I am forced to share with Athena.
After being required to also give them my car registration details, I will be free of a FPN / fake fixed penalty notice.

BUT I have just been forced to surrender so much personal information and agree to a set of terms and conditions, with a third party.

It is a trivial matter to combine the financial information and home address, vehicle details together to make collection of these fake fines directly from my bank account and at the very least to sell any unpaid FPNs to debt collection agencies along with enough information to harrass you on your front door with demands that multiply the unpaid fake fine with several layers of extra charges.

by using the Lidl car park,  I have agreed to their onerous terms and conditions. - Its says so on the notice, near the camera "By using this car park, you are agreeing to...... etc"

All this for what ? exceeding the time allowed in a retailer's car park ! **** 
Don't you spend millions on marketing to get me to use your stores Lidl ?

I read in another forum that Athena issued over 600,000 of these demands for payment to car park offenders during 2016, that is a huge number of pissed off shoppers.

So given the potential risk that are now imposed on shoppers to Lidls customers/Athena victims, I choose to boycott this branch and any others that use Athena.

Just sharing my view of the broader picture around this ANPR car park nonsense, 
while awaiting my FPN which I have been threatened with by Lidl's checkout operator because I told them where to stick their terms and conditions.

I just wanted a bag or two of groceries ****.


james


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## delicagirl (Jan 24, 2018)

i was sent three demands for the "fine" for overstaying by 3 minutes.  I never replied to any of them.  They stopped after the third notice. I never heard anything further.


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## maingate (Jan 24, 2018)

wobblyjim said:


> I am a big fan of Colloidal Silver, it has been a must-have item for me for many years.
> (Cue Luddites and blue-man-meme fans)
> 
> I use it in countless ways, it is antibacterial, anti-microbial, anti-septic and simply splendid in many ways, as a medicine.
> ...



Sorry James but I have to ask.

If you are so careful with your wellbeing, how come you wobble? :idea:

From another James.


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## Deleted member 62288 (Jan 24, 2018)

maingate said:


> Sorry James but I have to ask.
> 
> If you are so careful with your wellbeing, how come you wobble? :idea:
> 
> From another James.



I wobbble due to a spinal chord injury which lost me about 50% function of my lower body.
With age and the degenerative nature of spinal chord injuries, things only get worse.
I'm at around 60% loss currently, I struggle to stand and can only walk short distances.

So my determination to avoid using a wheelchair by forcing myself to use my ever atrophying lower body makes me somewhat unsteady and ungainly.

But I remain at liberty and free

all the time I can drive...


as an afterthought, 

my condition forces me to be sat down or laying down most of the time and I am very technically inclined, so my primeval need to have a large battery bank to power my electronic gadgets might be a sublime factor in my reasoning. 

james


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## maingate (Jan 24, 2018)

wobblyjim said:


> I wobbble due to a spinal chord injury which lost me about 50% function of my lower body.
> With age and the degenerative nature of spinal chord injuries, things only get worse.
> I'm at around 60% loss currently, I struggle to stand and can only walk short distances.
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear that Jim. It sounds like you have a good mental attitude towards it though, which counts for a lot.

I went through a bad time for a long time with a back injury. Nowhere near as bad as your situation but for a time I thought I would never work again. You just have to plod on and make the best of things. Keep it up mate.


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## Deleted member 62288 (Jan 24, 2018)

maingate said:


> Sorry to hear that Jim. It sounds like you have a good mental attitude towards it though, which counts for a lot.
> 
> I went through a bad time for a long time with a back injury. Nowhere near as bad as your situation but for a time I thought I would never work again. You just have to plod on and make the best of things. Keep it up mate.



Yes, a good positive mental attitude is essential. 

For me it helps to remind myself that the physical james is only the current manifestation of my real & authentic self which is spiritual and ancient. 
I set myself the current, past and future challenges to resolve in this lifetime, I must have had a reason to do so.

I truly believe this place and this life was as I pre-planned it to be, so I meet whatever challenges that I encounter, I will face them and resolve them rather than shrink from them. 

This body, this human form is the vehicle created specifically for this journey and is expendable once this adventure is completed.
I just happened to have pranged mine in the process.

While alive, hedonism is the reward, physical experiences, physical challenges, good and bad are all part of the fun and learning.

After which I believe that I will return once again to wherever we dwell (some folks call it heaven) where we can access our ancient history and memories once again. 

and the best bit is we meet up with all of our old friends, family and ancestors - helped me deal with the recent deaths of my parents.

There and then we can plan our next adventure/education set of challenges

just my paradigm 

james


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## Tezza33 (Jan 24, 2018)

colinmd said:


> Banana's release ethane when they are ripening, this can affect some other fruits and make them ripen faster.


When we pick green tomatoes at the end of the season Maggy always puts bananas with them to ripen them quicker


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## jennyp19 (Jan 25, 2018)

I’ve been using the ‘green’ fruit and veg bags for many years. The first time I bought them they were a new innovation from the US - from QVC could have been nearly 20 years ago.
 - I think they were called something like Debbie Greenwood veg bags.  They really do work. If I buy a bargain lot of fruit, especially under ripe bananas, I split them into 3 lots one lot in green bag in fridge, another lot in fruit bowl in green bag and third lot as is just in fruit bowl. The main thing with the bags is don’t fasten the tops tightly, so any excess moisture can evaporate.  It’s surprising how those bags work - often if veg, particularly carrots, is put in fridge it just sort of shrivel and goes floppy but in the special bags they stay crisp and the tops actually start to grow. In fact you don’t need to put them in fridge. But the fridge does extend their life.  The bags last for ages - just wash out and keep re-using them. 
Tesco’s were selling off a lot of veg for 10p between Christmas and new year - I still have some leeks left which I bought. 

Does anyone else stand celery in a mug of water, like flowers to keep it fresh.  


Did anyone see the Jimmys Farm programme a while back on how they use different gases in storerooms in warehouses to stop fruit from ripening and then a different gas to set it off ripening again when required.  Something to do with using the same gases, ethanols that fruit produce.

Also did you see the programme a couple of weeks ago - I think it was, Greg Wallace , Inside the Factory, but not sure, they showed how there is many more times the amount of nutrients etc in seedlings than in the fully grown plants - guess what they’ll be selling before too long - back to the mustard and cress pots we used to have when we were kids. Food for thought if you haven’t got access to a garden. Instead of eating Brussel sprouts, you could get more nutritional value from a few seedlings.


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