I SLEPT 10 HOURS! OH JOY!
I've never heard of a produce auction. Do you have to buy in quantity?yesterday evening i discovered that the weekly (in the summer time, and monthly during the winter months) produce auction is now being held in my little hamlet! so very exciting for me, because i'd been unable to get to it where it had been located.
the produce auction offers local produce in the 'in season' months, produce trucked up from further south (even as far as from Florida) during the cold weather months, as well as an assortment of other food items and non-food items.
i didn't make it over to the produce auction until it had been going on for an hour or more already, but did spend several minutes watching and listening to it.
i can't say for sure if you have to buy in quantity at my local produce auction, but i think you don't. from what i saw of the first auction i've been able to get to, the item to be auctioned is announced and then the auctioneer accepts bids...which seems to set the price per. for example, i saw home baked loaves of bread (various kinds, like white bread and cinnamon raisin), which were bid on to set the price per loaf, then people interested in buying them bought them at the highest bid price.I've never heard of a produce auction. Do you have to buy in quantity?
Here we have Saturday morning farmers' markets all over the place. They offer local fruit, vegetables, home-canned items, home-cooked meals, and whatever else is around. There are even goats' milk products from cheeses to cosmetics. You can even sometimes get fresh cows' milk.
There are also farmers' markets, A.K.A. truck farms, that are open daily except in winter. Some offer "pick your own". One down the road from me already has home-grown tomatoes for $1.79/lb. I've gotten tomatoes there that had just been brought in from the fields, still warm from the sun. That's about as fresh as you can get.
Another place not too far from here still offers the famous Hempstead Black Diamond watermelons. They're very different from the light-green oval or small ones founding the store. These things are huge! They weigh 30-50 lbs. and are incredibly sweet and juicy, and not mushy like many of the grocery store ones. They make great pickled watermelon rind, too.
Now you've got me hungry for watermelon and it's not the season yet. Woe is me!
I don't go to the berry picking places, although there are a lot of them, especially strawberries and blackberries. The reason I don't pick (and never did if I could get out of it) is that snakes like berries, too, and I'm always afraid I'll pick a snake instead, or reach for one at the same time a snake does.i can't say for sure if you have to buy in quantity at my local produce auction, but i think you don't. from what i saw of the first auction i've been able to get to, the item to be auctioned is announced and then the auctioneer accepts bids...which seems to set the price per. for example, i saw home baked loaves of bread (various kinds, like white bread and cinnamon raisin), which were bid on to set the price per loaf, then people interested in buying them bought them at the highest bid price.
i'd never been to anything but antique auctions. this was back when i was a kid, and i went with my dad to them. it was hearing the auctioneer (a very distinct sound, and one i'm familiar with), from about 100+ feet away (on my property), that made me think that maybe the produce auction had been moved to my hamlet -- i was so happy to find that it had!
ahhh, farmer's markets!!! there are quite a few of those in the surrounding area here, but i'm not able to get to them. back when i was living in the city, i'd go to the farmer's market quite often.
yes! i love 'pick your own' places. there's a wonderful pick your own blueberry place not far from me, which i go to most years.
Wow! i'd love to find some of those Hempstead watermelons here! i've never made pickled watermelon rind, but i make watermelon rind jelly each year (flavored with cinnamon and sugar).
oh, i'm anxiously awaiting for watermelons to come in season too!
i can understand that! i don't mind snakes generally, it's just that it can be hard to know which ones are venomous, so i prefer to avoid them.I don't go to the berry picking places, although there are a lot of them, especially strawberries and blackberries. The reason I don't pick (and never did if I could get out of it) is that snakes like berries, too, and I'm always afraid I'll pick a snake instead, or reach for one at the same time a snake does.
Do you have enough space to grow melons? They're ground runners, so they like to spread out a lot. You'd probably need a patch about 7' x 7' to make them happy. You can easily grow them from seed. They also like quite a bit of water, but not wet feet. Here's some good information.
Watermelon Seeds - "Black Diamond"
One of our favorite road trip destinations is a place called The Pickett House, which is in an old East Texas schoolhouse. There are big old circus posters on the walls and you eat at common tables, family style. The food is good country cooking - fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, green beans, greens, mashed potatoes, etc. Drinks come from old wooden barrels and include buttermilk and sometimes sarsaparilla, along with the obligatory iced tea. Dessert is usually peach cobbler and banana pudding. The best part, though, and you have to ask for them or know where they're hidden, is the pickled watermelon rind and the pickled green tomatoes. They'll make your tongue grin from ear to ear! I'd love to know how to make them. They do sell them sometimes and we load up.
I'd love the recipe for your watermelon rid jelly. It sounds wonderful!