(FJ) Here's some fresh, organic grapefruit juice that I squeezed this morning. I don't usually (or ever) buy grapefruit, but they were $1.50 per lb at the farmers market yesterday, so I grabbed 2 lbs and juiced them this morning. It's about the only way i'll eat grapefruit. Don't get me wrong, I don't not like it...I just prefer many other fruits over grapefruit. The juice was Mmmmm tangy sweet. What do you do with grapefruit?
I have known about the concept of dumpster diving for a while now. I have heard stories of dumpster divers and freegans. Recently, I have been wanting to experiment on my own and see what sorts of perfectly good items are waiting to be claimed next to or inside the dumpster. Especially since moving out to California where produce is usually more expensive than it was in Texas. I HATE that I have to spend so much money on fruits and vegetables. It feels like I'm paying to breathe. I gotta have it! Why go broke to be healthy? A God given inherent gift. No one TRULY owns the food. Yada Yada that's a whole other topic. So...DUMPSTER DIVING. My partner and I left the house this evening and spontaneously decided to check out the dumpster in the back after we left Whole Foods. The store had just closed, so they hadn't put everything out yet and workers were still inside. We scored a perfectly good box of organic spring mix and organic butter lettuce. Expiration day is not until July 4th. After these sweet finds, it gave us a little high. We popped our dumpster diving cherry. It was like finding treasure. The feeling started to hit when it actually sank in: I may NEVER have to pay for food again...or at least cut cost dramatically. This is something we have been trying to figure out, because we spend the bulk of our money on good quality produce. Then as we were driving away I suggested we hit up another health food grocery store. This one had closed earlier so everyone had already left and the parking lot was empty. Once we got to the back of the store we discovered a huge crate full of watermelons. JACKPOT. We grabbed four, and found two cantaloupes in another box by the dumpster (only one turned out to be worth eating). Not bad at all for our first dumpster diving experience! It will definitely be a new nightly (bi-nightly?) event. It's probably important that I should note that this stuff isn't dirty. As a matter of fact, none of it was found in the actual dumpster. They were in bulk boxes next to the dumpster. We also found bags of prepackaged organic spinach but didn't keep those because they looked a little soggy. I am choosy with my food. I think there is a misconception that dumpster diving is gross and unsanitary, and hey I'm sure it can be, but I make sure the stuff is edible and clean. Grocery stores throw out a lot of good food because they have such high standards for how things should be displayed. Most truly ripe stuff isn't on the shelves because of the way it looks. I am learning how to ask the store employees if they have "over ripe" bananas and/or damaged fruit in the back. If they do, you can get it for a great discount or even free. And it's the fruit I would prefer to eat over the green bananas or the hard nectarines on the shelf. Ask the farmers for the same at the farmers markets. Happy savings!
|