One for the great grocery debates is whether or not bagged produce is worth buying. Some say yes and some say no. Here is some solid strategies to help you make the decision for yourself.
Not all bagged produce is created equal. Depending on the store, the brand and even the week, bagged produce can either be a good value or a waste of money. Sometimes you’ll learn this just by trial and error. I know, for instance, never to buy Giant brand russet potatoes in a bag because most of the time they are either green or rotting. I’ve thrown away many of these potatoes (sometimes the gas to go all the way back to the store isn’t worth the return).
Keep a price book or at least the memory of good pricing on bagged produce, because just like other items in the grocery store, the value can change. Around here, the lowest general price for bagged apples is 99 cents. I used to be able to get them for less but not in recent years. That helps me determine value.
If you can, try to examine bagged produce through the bag, box or carton. Many times the good stuff is on the top or outside while bruised or even rotten produce can be hidden in the middle. Do what you can to check it out.
Does the product have a long shelf life? If it does, you may save quite a bit on buying in bulk. We got an entire case of organic apples for only $10. There were so many of them that we could never eat them all. We did can some apple butter, but wound up losing about 6 apples anyway. Still, even with the lose of those apples, we came out way ahead. Apples and potatoes have a decent shelf life. Softer produce, such as strawberries do not.