OMG...fruit prices!

**Ali Lee** · 07-12-2012, 01:31 PM

I just paid 5.99 for watermelon @ our home store. Went to Walmart..a jar of their unsweeten applesauce 1.68 to 1.98. 30c in a week.
The apples really got hit this spring in MI. What is everyone paying for fruit? Am I the only one who thinks bananas turn brown so VERY
quick? I'm thinking about checking out the prices on school size cans of applesauce & seeing if it's cheaper. (freezing portions after opening)
My rhubarb did awful this year & was able to put up only 4qt. Never have I seen rhubarb not do well.
I look out my window & see the corn just drying up. By gosh, I worry about food prices. How are familes going to feed their kids?
Now I'm just writing random thoughts..so I'll quit. Who would have thought 6$ for a watermelon??

**frugalfranny** · 07-12-2012, 01:44 PM

Needed the warning...........will be heading to the store for produce later today or tomorrow.

I don't buy a LOT of bananas in the summer..........try to go for the other summer fruit that I won't be able to get in the winter.

My rhubarb is ALWAYS one thing that does quite well and I have given a LOT LESS of it away this year...........eating more of it right away as some of the other fruit is so high.

The cherry price is what is putting me in shock right now..........YEOW!!! Haven't been out to our orchard area yet to check prices.........usually more, but fresher, for sure!

I was really disappointed when my strawberries didn't do well.............have to 'hang in there' until next year.

**Hamada** · 07-12-2012, 01:50 PM

Really is frustrating when trying to eat fresh produce. I try to scope out the manager's specials for produce. Sometimes can get some really good deals.

**Spirit Deer** · 07-12-2012, 03:20 PM

How many pounds of watermelon was that for that price? Was it on sale?

We try to buy on sale.

Some stuff has been nuts. $5/pound for honeycrisp apples. Why? Crazy. I did get red delicious apples for $1.50/pound but those were not on sale.

Cherries this week: $2/pound.
Cantaloupe: .70/pound.
Watermelon (seedless): .50/pound.
Bananas: .60/pound.
Mangos: .90 each.
Grapes: $2/pound.
Strawberries: $1.88/pound.

Not real bad for our area.

I refuse to compromise on buying fresh produce, although I try to plan meals using what's on sale. For me right now, I feel like I don't have a choice. It's either lose the extra weight or have stomach surgery. I'm willing to pay almost anything to avoid stomach surgery. Buying high-priced produce still seems like a small price to pay to avoid surgery I don't want and won't need if I stay on the course I'm on now.

**abeautifullife** · 07-12-2012, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Ali Lee

I just paid 5.99 for watermelon @ our home store. Went to Walmart..a jar of their unsweeten applesauce 1.68 to 1.98. 30c in a week.
The apples really got hit this spring in MI. What is everyone paying for fruit? Am I the only one who thinks bananas turn brown so VERY
quick? I'm thinking about checking out the prices on school size cans of applesauce & seeing if it's cheaper. (freezing portions after opening)
My rhubarb did awful this year & was able to put up only 4qt. Never have I seen rhubarb not do well.
I look out my window & see the corn just drying up. By gosh, I worry about food prices. How are familes going to feed their kids?
Now I'm just writing random thoughts..so I'll quit. Who would have thought 6$ for a watermelon??

Midwest produce prices are very high this year b/c of the drought. I'm here too and I'm scared. In terms of produce, I've been trying to buy grapes because they seem the cheapest for the volume (apples are like gold here too), but I'm still paying $1.50/lb at least for grapes. Watermelons are $5/melon for small melons, so we've stopped buying them. And the sweet corn even is expensive. Usually during this time of year I can get an ear of sweet corn for no more than $.25, usually more like $.15 - $.20. This year we've only got the frozen stuff from FL...it's $.50/ear. That's just unheard of for IL. We're trying so hard to save money for food because it's the only choice we have - food prices are only going to keep going up.

**ladytoysdream** · 07-12-2012, 05:20 PM

We been paying 4.99 each for watermelons.
Not sure the price for apples, but the farmers here locally got hard hit, due to a very warm spring too early, then a major frost. The apple crop is going to be very short this year.
A local U pick farm, has no peaches this year. Their main crop. I picked blue berries there today. $ 2.35 a pound. Which translates
to $ 4 a quart, and then to figure gas in, which adds another $ 1 to the quart price. And I was in the fields 2 hrs, and then my travel time. Pricey blueberries, was my conclusion. I do have some in the freezer from last year. I will be using those for jam sometime soon.

The weather has not been kind to local farmers this year so far. We need rain real bad.

**Spirit Deer** · 07-12-2012, 06:01 PM

Again, how much do the $5 watermelons weigh? Ours usually come in at about ten pounds each. Fifty cents per pound does not seem like a horrible price for fresh fruit, even if it's higher than it used to be.

One of our apple trees is loaded with apples. We probably won't get any of them, between the coons, bears, and deer.

**Contrary Housewife** · 07-12-2012, 07:56 PM

I don't buy whole melons because they are too big for our fridge, but I can get fresh, iced quarters for .59 per pound.

Locally: cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums all 1.99/lb. Corn has been 2 or 3 for $1, a little high for mid summer (in the past it has been 4 or even 6 for $1) and today they did not even have any in the store.

1lb strawberries 2 for $4. Grapes 1.29 (not a sale price). Oranges 1.88. Little bitty packages of berries 2/$5 (normal price). Aldi had blueberries for 1.29 a pint the last two weeks and I have been getting those. Looks like they have them again this week and cherries at that price, too. Aldi strawberries are .99, I'll have to see if they are any good.

**Spirit Deer** · 07-12-2012, 08:12 PM

I store watermelon by cutting a slice off and sitting the melon cut side up in a big bowl, then put plastic wrap on the cut part. It keeps really well that way and fits in the fridge.

Produce is expensive but what we've been getting up here is really nice stuff, some of the best we've seen in several years. It hurts a little less to pay the higher prices when it's good stuff.

**momof42003** · 07-13-2012, 11:43 AM

Our watermelon is 38 cents a pound, bananas are 52 cents a pound, canteloupe 58 cents a pound, cherries 1.98, rainier cherries 4.98 a pound, grapes 1.98 a pound, apples are 92 cents a pound and lower, corn is 38 cents each or 3/1.00..... Not bad prices I guess. It is scarey to see what they might go to though. Good luck!

**Ali Lee** · 07-13-2012, 01:01 PM

I live in the severe drought area..yes & that's in IN!! I just think, in my lifetime, paying 6$ for a watermelon!! I got 2, gal size, ziplok bags of watermelon-I don't know how many #'s. Walmart had them for 3$ but they actually look shriveled. Stores are getting a headstart on raising apple prices. It's not fall yet!!! At this time of the year I buy a.s. not apples.
Don't get me started on the price of peanut butter! Who would have thought? Used to be a cheap & healthy sandwich for your kids.
What are families feeding their kids??
And the price of gas???? I know it's down.. but who would have thought -?- we're paying over 3$ for gas in the USA?
I guess the honeymoon is over. Whew... I feel better now LOL.

**Spirit Deer** · 07-13-2012, 02:03 PM

I'm finishing off a huge hunk of watermelon for my lunch. That'll be the last of it. It's not on sale this week, and thanks to this discussion, now I'm thinking about what I might have to pay if I want some more for next week. We'll see. Maybe something on sale will look good instead.

I hate the rising prices too, but I still think, compared to many places in the world, we have it pretty darn good. A lot of places, the people pay a much higher percentage of their incomes for food and fuel and other necessities. Yeah, it's an adjustment, but I'm confident we'll all make that adjustment and come out just fine in the long run.

**Contrary Housewife** · 07-13-2012, 02:19 PM

Watermelons were $5.99 at the store this morning. I weighed one, they were about basketball sized and came in at 8.5lbs. That's about 70c per lb. The sign said they were $1 off, too.

I went to Aldi and got strawberries @.99/lb and blueberries for 1.29/pint.

**wunsagin** · 07-13-2012, 04:22 PM

our local grocery store has seedless watermelon for 2.99 ea, that's been the price for almost 4wks.
this week peaches are .99lb
rainier cherries 2.99lb
strawberries 1.50lb, I bought 6 pounds a couple of weeks ago when they were .95lb and froze them.

**Spirit Deer** · 07-13-2012, 04:54 PM

I'd love $3 watermelons! We can get the little personal one-serving size ones for that once in a while.

We live at the end of the road, literally, so a big share of the grocery costs here are for shipping. It's a price we pay for living in the boonies, but it's so worth it to live in one of the prettiest areas in the country.

Prices also go up here in the summer and then down again in the fall.

I feel we're lucky to have two stores so there's competition to help keep prices down, and also that both stores are very nice for a town of less than 4,000 people.