Sunday, Ron and I went to the local grocery store for restocking. When we were about 1/3 of the way through the store, I decided I should pull out my list to make sure I didn’t forget anything. This was a lesson in pulling out the list sooner than 1/3 of the way through.
On the list was potatoes and of course, that is way in the front of the store. So, Ron kept going while I ran back for a bag of spuds. I take my spud buying very seriously. Once you decide on which price you are willing to pay for potatoes, the sniff test begins. I will pick up each bag, put my nose up to it and sniff. My sister Barb taught me this trick years ago, and I still abide by it.
So, I start smelling bags of potatoes. When I finally find one I like, I grab it and go to put it in the cart. Suddenly behind me is a kid, who in my estimation is 18 or 19 years old. Very shyly, he tells me that he’s never bought potatoes before and was wondering why I was smelling them. Aha! Time for me to pass along the knowledge torch!
I told him that a bag of potatoes should smell like good fresh dirt. He got that look on his face like I am nothing more than another crazy adult over 30 and he said "No, really. What are you smelling in the potatoes?"
I explained to him that since the potatoes came from the dirt, a good bag of spuds will smell like that good clean dirt. If a potato is going bad in the bag, you will sure smell it. In my opinion, once one goes bad, they all will go bad quickly.
I must have sold him on the idea because he then picked up a small bag of potatoes, brought it to his nose and gave it a good strong whiff. I asked him what it smelled like. He smiled and said "dirt"! I told him that he chose well then and that was a good bag of potatoes!
I know I’ve stopped people in the store before when they were picking out something I was unfamiliar with. One thing that comes to mind is pineapple. No matter who is buying it, they all have their own way of judging ripeness. But, I digress. For once it was my turn to impart a little wisdom to the younger shoppers.
So there is my tip for the day. If it smells like dirt – buy it!
2 comments:
Great Advise comes from well trained and observant children, who in turn pass it on to their children. You just happen to look like the motherly-type to the young man that day! He obviously thought he was safe to ask the question, and right he was when you took charge of the situation and showed him the "tricks-of-the-trade!. You should've informed him as I am about to inform you that you should keep potatoes from any light as it makes them sprout faster and they will also turn green. Green potatoes do not mean they were not ripe at the time of harvesting unless they were left on the top of the ground and were Sun Burnt....How's that for a Motherly-type lesson for the day??
Please pass this on to other young students you may educate too. If you notice when you are shopping, that paper bags of potatoes with the little mesh screen are stocked with the screen front down out of the light....and knowing is half the fun!!! I'm sure you already know all this info, but you have many younger than we who read your blogs!! MISS YOU SO BAD!! LOVE YA!
it just goes to show you that you're never too old to learn new tricks. Barbara never taught me this trick. I always used the squeeze method, looking for firm spuds vs soft ones. Thanks for passing this on; I'll have to change my methods!
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