I think iceberg lettuce at Whole Foods today was $2.49, and conventional romaine was $1.59 a head, and organic romaine was $2.29 a head. Organic Boston bib lettuce was $1.99 a head. Last time I was at Aldi's head lettuce was $1.69 a head.

I used up the last of my mesclun I got at the farmers market 11 days ago. I still have some spinach I bought there. Henry Brockman was out of both spinach and lettuce when I got to the market on Saturday. I had to get some spinach from Nichols.

It's a strange world where iceberg lettuce costs more than organic romaine and organic Boston bib.

Katie wrote:It's a strange world where iceberg lettuce costs more than organic romaine and organic Boston bib.

That's extreme, but I have noticed inflation is higher on basics than on "luxuries". I think that's the substitution effect. If organic Bibb becomes too expensive, consumers can downgrade to regular romaine or bagged mix.

I was at Aldi's today, and they did not have any head lettuce or romaine. The only lettuce I saw there was a package of Boston lettuce, which was $1.99. I ended up getting a bag of California clementines for $3.59. I was going to get some bananas for $.49 a pound, but they were really green.

HI,

Green onion report:

Jewel on Archer near Midway: $1.45 a bunch
Shop and Save Archer and Central near Midway: ditto

Cebollitas: 2 for $1

Cashier misidentified the cebollitas for green onions, then cheerfully corrected himself. He then proceeded to inquire if I had any plans to cook something. I advised I was contemplating a turkey for Thanksgiving.

I don't remember the last time a grocery store cashier inquired about my cooking plans. I rather enjoyed it.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

Green onion report:

Jewel on Archer near Midway: $1.45 a bunch
Shop and Save Archer and Central near Midway: ditto

Cebollitas: 2 for $1

Cashier misidentified the cebollitas for green onions, then cheerfully corrected himself. He then proceeded to inquire if I had any plans to cook something. I advised I was contemplating a turkey for Thanksgiving.

I don't remember the last time a grocery store cashier inquired about my cooking plans. I rather enjoyed it.

Regards,
Cathy2

Coincidentally, the cashier at TJs in Oak Park this past week asked me about my plans for the two packages of diced pancetta in my cart. As I told her, no particular plans; just a staple that I keep on hand and often use as a short-cut substitute for chopped or crumpled bacon. (In fact, a package went into the fish chowder that we had last night.)

Vanilla has come down in price.

At Costco today, they were offering 16 ounce bottle for $11.99.

I didn't buy, because I am half through a bottle I spent a lot more for. I feel knowing it can be replaced at a reasonable price.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:Vanilla has come down in price.

At Costco today, they were offering 16 ounce bottle for $11.99.

I didn't buy, because I am half through a bottle I spent a lot more for. I feel knowing it can be replaced at a reasonable price.

Regards,
Cathy2

I think it is always going to be a cyclical thing. When the price is high, the vanilla growing areas plant a lot more, which will flood the market in time (not to mention that before the pandemic, everyone was using vanilla beans in their recipes, which spiked demand even higher). Then they stop growing it to grow more in demand medical plants, so the vanilla price goes back up, so ... rinse, repeat.

Xexo wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Vanilla has come down in price.

At Costco today, they were offering 16 ounce bottle for $11.99.

I didn't buy, because I am half through a bottle I spent a lot more for. I feel knowing it can be replaced at a reasonable price.

Regards,
Cathy2

I think it is always going to be a cyclical thing. When the price is high, the vanilla growing areas plant a lot more, which will flood the market in time (not to mention that before the pandemic, everyone was using vanilla beans in their recipes, which spiked demand even higher). Then they stop growing it to grow more in demand medical plants, so the vanilla price goes back up, so ... rinse, repeat.

There are weather conditions (hurricanes) and organized crime that affect the price. It was $30-plus sometime ago.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

Xexo wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Vanilla has come down in price.

At Costco today, they were offering 16 ounce bottle for $11.99.

I didn't buy, because I am half through a bottle I spent a lot more for. I feel knowing it can be replaced at a reasonable price.

Regards,
Cathy2

I think it is always going to be a cyclical thing. When the price is high, the vanilla growing areas plant a lot more, which will flood the market in time (not to mention that before the pandemic, everyone was using vanilla beans in their recipes, which spiked demand even higher). Then they stop growing it to grow more in demand medical plants, so the vanilla price goes back up, so ... rinse, repeat.

There are weather conditions (hurricanes) and organized crime that affect the price. It was $30-plus sometime ago.

Regards,
Cathy2

It also takes 3+ years for a vanilla plant to produce pods (and another 9-10 months for them to mature after that), so the cycle is relatively a long one. New plantings won't produce marketable vanilla for close to 4 years after they're planted, even in ideal circumstances. That's one of the reasons vanilla products are relatively expensive compared to other agriculturally based products.

=R=

Anyone else notice the roughly 30% price bump on eggs?

Dave148 wrote:Anyone else notice the roughly 30% price bump on eggs?

I'm noticing more of a 200% price bump. A dozen eggs was routinely under a dollar at one of the stores in my hood every single week, 1 to 1.5 years ago. Aldi, Jewel, Tony's, rando fruit market. Now, I'm excited to see $1.99, but the norm is $2.99 to $tree-fitty.

seebee wrote:

Dave148 wrote:Anyone else notice the roughly 30% price bump on eggs?

I'm noticing more of a 200% price bump. A dozen eggs was routinely under a dollar at one of the stores in my hood every single week, 1 to 1.5 years ago. Aldi, Jewel, Tony's, rando fruit market. Now, I'm excited to see $1.99, but the norm is $2.99 to $tree-fitty.

Must be the Chicken Cartel.

Dave148 wrote:Anyone else notice the roughly 30% price bump on eggs?

Yep...Just yesterday I noticed Aldi eggs jumped in price from 2.04 dozen to 2.55 dozen. On the plus side lettuce was still 1.69 head.

Dave148 wrote:Chicken Cartel.

La Farmiglia
La Coopa Nostra

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/24/people-dont-pay-enough-for-food-says-farmer-jeremy-clarkson

To some extent he's making a good point. We're used to unnaturally low pricing based on massive economies of scale. Good for the consumer but it perpetuates bad practices. As anyone who frequents local farmers' markets knows, you're not getting bargains but you're supporting better practices. I occasionally purchase eggs from honor stands in the boonies (they leave cartons in a cooler and a box for cash payments) and the going rate is about $5/dozen. Higher than the grocery store but it supports local farmers. If you haven't watched Clarkson's Farm, it's worth a viewing. It's a vivid example of the difficulty of eking out a living in small-scale farming (as an example, the protein content of your wheat crop determines the price you get paid and the difference of a couple of percentage points may determine whether you make a profit or loss for the crop).

spinynorman99 wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/24/people-dont-pay-enough-for-food-says-farmer-jeremy-clarkson

To some extent he's making a good point. We're used to unnaturally low pricing based on massive economies of scale. Good for the consumer but it perpetuates bad practices...

But that's assuming that the increased prices are getting back to the producers, versus the retailer, distributor, transportation companies, etc. I don't know much about the profits on agribusiness, but farmers are heavily restricted by the conglomerates as to how they grow and sell.

Eggs at the farmer's markets are at least $6 a dozen, but they are way better, and all of the money goes to the farmer. The people that bring eggs to the Evanston market mostly sell out every week, and so there must be people that are willing to spend the money. One of the reasons I encourage people to go to the farmer's market is because the farmer gets all of the money. Also grocery chains would much rather deal with huge farms that can supply them with all of the carrots or peaches they need. Grocery store chains are also looking for perfect fruits and veggies, and want stuff that keeps for a week, and so they only want green peaches.

Artie wrote:Yep...Just yesterday I noticed Aldi eggs jumped in price from 2.04 dozen to 2.55 dozen. On the plus side lettuce was still 1.69 head.

Eggs were $3.33/dozen at my Aldi yesterday. Lettuce, still $1.69 as well. Tony's lettuce and at my little fruit market still over 5 bones a head. I also noticed Aldi roasted peanut prices jumped 30 cents in the last few days. I may have to cut down these worthless maple trees in the yard and start planting peanut and lettuce trees. Also need to google how to build a crow or pigeon coop and start harvesting eggs. Shit's gettin real, folks.

seebee wrote:Also need to google how to build a crow or pigeon coop and start harvesting eggs. Shit's gettin real, folks.

Check your local regulations. Out here in Mount Prospect, it's illegal to keep pigeons, chicken (all poultry) and bees.

seebee wrote:

Artie wrote:Yep...Just yesterday I noticed Aldi eggs jumped in price from 2.04 dozen to 2.55 dozen. On the plus side lettuce was still 1.69 head.

Eggs were $3.33/dozen at my Aldi yesterday. Lettuce, still $1.69 as well. Tony's lettuce and at my little fruit market still over 5 bones a head. I also noticed Aldi roasted peanut prices jumped 30 cents in the last few days. I may have to cut down these worthless maple trees in the yard and start planting peanut and lettuce trees. Also need to google how to build a crow or pigeon coop and start harvesting eggs. Shit's gettin real, folks.

Egg prices are soaring as bird flu causes havoc in the industry while demand rises ahead of the holiday season.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ation-list

Dave148 wrote:

seebee wrote:

Artie wrote:Yep...Just yesterday I noticed Aldi eggs jumped in price from 2.04 dozen to 2.55 dozen. On the plus side lettuce was still 1.69 head.

Eggs were $3.33/dozen at my Aldi yesterday. Lettuce, still $1.69 as well. Tony's lettuce and at my little fruit market still over 5 bones a head. I also noticed Aldi roasted peanut prices jumped 30 cents in the last few days. I may have to cut down these worthless maple trees in the yard and start planting peanut and lettuce trees. Also need to google how to build a crow or pigeon coop and start harvesting eggs. Shit's gettin real, folks.

Egg prices are soaring as bird flu causes havoc in the industry while demand rises ahead of the holiday season.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ation-list

$4.26/dozen at my Aldi today.

I'm keeping an eye on peanuts, too. They've jumped up very recently as well.

seebee wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

seebee wrote:

Artie wrote:Yep...Just yesterday I noticed Aldi eggs jumped in price from 2.04 dozen to 2.55 dozen. On the plus side lettuce was still 1.69 head.

Eggs were $3.33/dozen at my Aldi yesterday. Lettuce, still $1.69 as well. Tony's lettuce and at my little fruit market still over 5 bones a head. I also noticed Aldi roasted peanut prices jumped 30 cents in the last few days. I may have to cut down these worthless maple trees in the yard and start planting peanut and lettuce trees. Also need to google how to build a crow or pigeon coop and start harvesting eggs. Shit's gettin real, folks.

Egg prices are soaring as bird flu causes havoc in the industry while demand rises ahead of the holiday season.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ation-list

$4.26/dozen at my Aldi today.

I'm keeping an eye on peanuts, too. They've jumped up very recently as well.

$4.39 / 18 at my local Target.

XL Eggs at Costco here in Salem Oregon were $4.99 for 2 dozen yesterday.

Xexo wrote:XL Eggs at Costco here in Salem Oregon were $4.99 for 2 dozen yesterday.

When you need stand Large for baking recipes, it is a pain to deal with. On the other hand, useful for just everything else. I will buy medium eggs, too, when precise measurement is a non-issue.

At a holiday party, I heard someone comment whipping cream may be on short supply. Wherever they buy they were informed they had no expectations of more cream for three weeks. The best price recently has been Aldi at $4.85 a quart. A year ago, I was buying at Woodman's for $3.25 a quart, it is far more now.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

Xexo wrote:XL Eggs at Costco here in Salem Oregon were $4.99 for 2 dozen yesterday.

When you need stand Large for baking recipes, it is a pain to deal with. On the other hand, useful for just everything else. I will buy medium eggs, too, when precise measurement is a non-issue.

At a holiday party, I heard someone comment whipping cream may be on short supply. Wherever they buy they were informed they had no expectations of more cream for three weeks. The best price recently has been Aldi at $4.85 a quart. A year ago, I was buying at Woodman's for $3.25 a quart, it is far more now.

Regards,
Cathy2

Well, I'm a horrible person, cause I use whatever size eggs I happen to have when baking, and in 40 years of home baking, no disasters yet.

I actually bought some 40% heavy whipping cream at Costco yesterday too. $10.99 for a half gallon, so ~ $5.495 a quart. I noticed the 3lbs. 14 oz jar (used to be 4 lbs.) of M&Ms which sold for around ten dollars last year are almost $16 now.

I was at Jewel yesterday, and eggs were $4.99 for a dozen large eggs. I just checked J4U, and you can get a dozen free eggs for two rewards. I had my birthday last month, and so I currently have five rewards, and I should get a 6th one before the month is over. They also have a free pound of butter for two rewards, and a free pound of pasta for one reward. They have not had the free pasta in ages.

At $4.99 a dozen for eggs, the $7 they charge at the Evanston farmers market, does not seem so bad. I am still working on the dozen eggs I got when they were $1.99 a few weeks ago. It takes me a month to go through a dozen eggs, and if I am out of eggs, I use Bob's egg replacer when I make pancakes.

At our house for Christmas we just use cool whip, and hopefully that will not be as expensive as whipping cream.

Has anybody seen low fat eggnog? I used to buy Horizon's low fat eggnog at Whole Foods, and I think they quit making it. I also used to be able to get the store brand of low fat eggnog at Jewel, but even the regular fat store brand of eggnog is hard to come by at Jewel. I did buy some Kemp's for Thanksgiving that was good, but it is loaded with fat. I looked at Whole Foods on Monday, and the only eggnog they had was almond eggnog. I know Trader Joe's did have low fat eggnog. but the one time I had it I hated it. Their full fat eggnog was okay.

The eggnog situation has been dire this year after the demise of Dean Foods. I found Kemp's whole eggnog too thick. The Trader Joe's Lite Eggnog is way too thin. I picked up some Prairie Farms eggnog in central Illinois, and I think it tastes closest to Dean's, but I couldn't find the lo-fat (although according to Prairie Farms' website, they make it). I have found the PF eggnog at Wal-Mart in Naperville. I just bought the 365 eggnog at Whole Foods, but haven't tried it yet.

So far, Prairie Farms is the best I've found but I wish I could find the lite. None of the eggnog is cheap, but it's a short season and I love it!

Xexo wrote:Well, I'm a horrible person, cause I use whatever size eggs I happen to have when baking, and in 40 years of home baking, no disasters yet.

You are not horrible in the least and you have been fortunate.

Baking is chemistry, so having more egg than needed can throw some things off. If it does not bother you, that's fine.

In the period of high prices for eggs, I keep large for baking-only, then use other size eggs (usually cheaper) for other egg end-uses.

Regards,
CAthy2

When I was at the downtown Evanston WF, I asked where the eggnog was, and the guy took me to the miniscule display right by the registers, and all they had was almond milk eggnog, and they did not have a whole lot of that. I forgot about Dean's not being in the picture. Kroger's is supposed to have some lite store brand eggnog, but I was at Mariano's the day before Thanksgiving, and I did not see it there, but maybe I was not looking in the right place. I don't go to Mariano's very often. I will have to look at Food4Less to see if they have it. Jewel used to have a lot of their store brand lite eggnog for sale, but I have hardly seen any store brand eggnog at Jewel this year. It has all been Southern Comfort and Kemp's for lots of money.