Cheapest vegetables

lk1234

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 2:54 pm

I'm just wondering how people budget for kosher vegetables. The bodek frozen vegetables are all $5 per bag and we go through a bag a day (family of 7). I realized that we are spending $100 just on that? What other ways can I get vegetables in the diet that is cheaper and tasty. I've never eaten vegetables from a can but I'm wondering how other people on a budget eat vegetables daily?

Elfrida

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:01 pm

Fresh vegetables? There are plenty that don't need much checking. I'm not familiar with prices in America, but here fresh vegetables are much the cheapest way to go.

PinkFridge

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:08 pm

As for frozen veg with hashgacha, I get them on sale before yom tov and use carefully. Mostly on Shabbos or a little as an accent in a stir fry. I put some frozen spinach in weekday soups or eggs.

There are a lot of frozen veg. that don't even need hashgacha; check out sites like the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council). And canned.

cbg

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:12 pm

lk1234 wrote:

Wow lucky frozen kosher bodek by me is ALWAYS $8. Never on sale
That being said fresh is the way to go.
Ask your LOR if cabbage needs to be checked our LOR says to take off outer leaves, cut up, and do a shmattah bedika
Also 3x wash spinach with shmattah bedika

Last edited by cbg on Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

lifesagift

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:13 pm

according to most poskim you can use any frozen produce and just rinse well before using. If there were bugs on the produce they wouldve died in the freezer and wash off easily. Ask your lor. Also the products you end up processing like strawberries or creamed spinach can also be meikal

Plonis

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:16 pm

We just don't buy frozen vegetables that need checking, except for a special occasion (once in a blue moon broccoli for a broccoli kugel, for example).

We buy frozen mixed vegetables from Walmart (their store brand has without lima beans, which many kids dislike), frozen green beans, frozen corn. Sugar snap peas are a treat because they are expensive.

For fresh we get hothouse cucumbers ($1.25 each), tomatoes, peppers (full size and mini), baby carrots, purple cabbage (we hold you peel off a number of leaves and don't need to check the rest), occasionally avocado, etc. I buy romaine hearts and check them myself, they are rarely buggy so it's not such a big deal. Sweet potatoes, onions, zucchini, butternut squash, peppers, and other vegetables make great soups and roasted vegetables and don't need checking.

My kids are also happy to eat canned beans made into a salad.

BatyaEsther

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:17 pm

I can add to the list of fresh vegetables easy to clean/check-

Beets, carrots, parsnip, turnip, yellow squash, winter squash, green peppers, bell(orange/red/yellow) peppers, cucumber, avocado, string beans, snow peas, okra, celery.

vehoson

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 3:31 pm

Fresh produce is generally $0.39-$1.99/lb. I guess vegetables covers a wide range- cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, turnips, eggplant, cabbage, ect are all relatively cheap. Even frozen snap peas and string beans are much cheaper than stuff that needs special growing conditions and washing, like broccoli and cauliflower.

PinkFridge

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 5:06 pm

lifesagift wrote:

Could you name some poskim? I know some who say that strawberries can be used if pureed. (Don't act on this.) Some things, like raspberries, are impossible.

giselle

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 5:38 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

Could you name some poskim? I know some who say that strawberries can be used if pureed. (Don't act on this.) Some things, like raspberries, are impossible.

We hold that anything can be used if pureed.

libadmin

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 5:49 pm

Fresh zuchinnis and yellow squash, green beans, and asparagus are probably the cheapest and don’t require much checking aside from rinsing and peeling if you’d like. If you have an AlDI near you, their fruits and vegetables are the cheapest and excellent quality. They have some frozen with crc hechsher and vaad of Canada too for very cheap.

ra_mom

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 6:31 pm

White asparagus, beets, butternut squash, carrots, eggplant, green beans, kohlrabi, parsnip, peas, peppers, radishes, tomatoes, turnips and zucchini do not need checking.

Make colorful combinations of whatever is on sale and roast with crushed garlic, olive oil and coarse salt!

giselle

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 10:08 pm

ra_mom wrote:

White asparagus does not need to be checked at all? Peeled? Anything?

ra_mom

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 10:12 pm

giselle wrote:

White asparagus does not need to be checked at all? Peeled? Anything?

No checking or peeling necessary, just washing, as per Star-K & OU. This is only for the white asparagus.

bargainlover

Sun, Apr 26 2020, 11:01 pm

libadmin wrote:

Please double check that vaad of Canada hechsher! It looks very similar but I called our local rav and he verified it’s not a reliable hasgacha it’s a totally different one that looks similar