Covid 19: The Next Six Months

[Mike Nolan]

You're assuming supermarket managers have any idea about who their customers are or what people do with flour and other ingredients. IMHO, they buy bleached flour because they can put it on really cheap specials, like 99 cents a bag.

I remember a few years ago I found some baby artichoke hearts at the nearby 'discount' grocery chain location. Once folks found they had them, they disappeared from the shelves quickly. (People were coming from across town to get them once the word got out.)

About a year later I asked the produce manager if they were going to get them again and he said no, because their customers are mostly 'lower income'. FWIW, this part of town has some of the most expensive real estate in the county.

[RiversideLen]

If the artichoke hearts sold well you would think they would restock them. Maybe they were slow sellers but it sounds like it brought new customers in.

[Mike Nolan]

Personally, I think they were something that wasn't ordered (at least for that store) and they really didn't know what to do with. I've only seen the baby ones in Nebraska a few times in 40 years. Most of the time they only have the jumbo ones, which are a lot more work to prepare and not as succulent.

There was a vendor at the farmer's market who was trying to grow artichokes last year, they only got a few tiny ones really late in the season. I don't know if they tried them again this year, we haven't been to the farmer's market much this year with the COVID-19 issues.

[skeptic7]

The supermarkets are back to normal, but I am feeling the need to stock up for the winter. Particularly with staples like dried beans, and maple syrup. I already have chicken legs and thighs and roast beef and KAF flour and dried milk and cocoa in the freezer. I have enough toilet paper but am thinking of getting some kleenex too. Would I be excessively hoarding if I got a couple more pumpkins as well as half a bushel of apples? The apples are something I normally buy.

[BakerAunt]

No, Skeptic, you would not be hoarding if you buy more pumpkins and apples. I say this as someone who has six pie pumpkins and two peanut pumpkins waiting to be processed. Most people really do not know how to deal with pumpkins, so in buying them, you are doing a useful service to the growers. The seller from whom I buy at the farmers' market knows me as "the lady who likes to bake with pumpkin," and had thoughtfully brought along an extra peanut pumpkin last week in case I wanted it. (Of course, I did!) Their sales are mostly decorative pumpkins--most of which will end up in the landfill.

As for apples, if we can get to an orchard, we will be stocking up as well. The apples keep pretty well in the garage (heater is at 39F). My husband likes to eat them plain, and I do a lot of baking with them. I hope to find some for applesauce. I'm also considering canning apple pie filling.

Cases are spiking in our state, and there has been a sharp increase in the cases reported in our county over the last few days.

[chocomouse]

We bought three bushel of apples at a local farm on Wednesday - one each of Empire, Cortland, and MacIntosh. Their variety and supply was pretty meager this year, and we had no apples on our three trees this year. These are for making cider next weekend. I will use two of the Cortland with the pork roast tonight. And I'll use a liter of the cider to boil down for boiled cider. My husband freezes it, to share at gatherings through the year and for football games on TV.

[Italiancook]

I mentioned in the first Covid-19 thread that I have 2 tablecloths with napkins to go to the dry cleaner. Because of Covid, I put them in a garbage bag and stored under the desk. I've now decided I won't feel comfortable with them at the cleaners until . . . maybe late 2021. I'm tired of the cluttery bag, so I'm going to wash and dry them, fold them and store in the cedar chest. When we're far enough out of Covid for me to start entertaining again, I'll drop them off at the cleaners, assuming they survive the pandemic. If not, I'll do what my grandmother did. She put a clean sheet under the ironing board to keep her tablecloths clean when she ironed them.

[cwcdesign]

Reporting back from the trenches:
Back in May, I read that the reason there was so much of the higher end beef available is that the restaurants who normally buy most of it weren't buying because they were either closed or cut way back. Sort of like the fact that the toilet paper companies had so much commercial toilet paper which wasn't being use.

August usually slows down after school starts but this year was different since a lot of people didn't go back so we were really busy - it continued on after Labor Day and even October has been nuts - supposedly, the resort has had it's best October ever - our hours are usually cut back but not this year.

As to masks, we still require them in the store - more and more people are wearing them after learning that they can help - we still have folks who believer it will disappear the day after the election. I have a co-worker who is intimidated to speak to a non-wearer - not me! Sometimes, they'll say all I want is a cup of coffee; I don't have a mask - I'll tell them we have them for sale and I'm sorry but they need one. They'll complain going out the door and then come back with one on. But if you are in the next town on the mainland or in our village, most people don't wear them. I still haven't been in the supermarket, Sam's or Target - I do curbside from all of them.

I've heard there's a canned pumpkin shortage - we've planted sugar pumpkins (late) so hopefully will have some by late November, December.

My brother and SIL (from Mass) came September 11th after driving down, dropping my niece off at college (where they seem to be doing a really good job), visiting her dad in Vero where his girlfriend said our mom did not die of COVID (we should show her the death certificate) and then came here for 2 nights - they stayed at our Inn where they gave them a room on the first floor, we buried my Mom in the Columbarium Saturday morning with my sister there via FaceTime. We will have her celebration of life service whenever the time comes that we are allowed to meet in the church.
They had been cautious the whole time and were tested 4 days after they got home and they were and are negative.

I did leave town 2 weeks ago to visit a friend in Hilton Head (her son is the one with the CDC and said we were fine to be together). Hilton Head has a LAW that says you are required to wear a mask in public places - restaurants, hotel lobbies, stores and outdoor venues that are crowded. They have wonderful signs to remind people and the staff are all great about it. We ate outside, very distance - I took photos of all their signs and when I got back my local friends all said they wished we could do that.

[BakerAunt]

CWCdesign--I read that there is not going to be a canned pumpkin shortage but that there was a delay in that the pumpkin crop developed more slowly this year. It is hard to know. My husband's cousins in Michigan were talking about a canned pumpkin shortage when we did our reunion Zoom call, but I noted a good supply in the only grocery store in our little town. It seems that the pumpkin shortage is almost an urban legend, coming up year after year. As I do not use canned pumpkin, I do not keep track of supplies, but for those who do use canned pumpkin, has there ever been a year when you could not purchase it?

That said, puree made from fresh pie pumpkins is the best.

[Mike Nolan]

A few years back pumpkin pie puree was pretty scarce in the stores here in Lincoln, I've seen plenty of it this fall. I'm not fond of pumpkin pie, my wife sometimes makes crust-less pumpkin pie (ie, just the filling)

[BakerAunt]

I voted today--the first day that in-person voting opened in my small town. They cut the hours back from 8-6 to 8-3. There will be early voting next Saturday as well, same hours. I arrived shortly after 9:30, and it took 90 minutes, most of the first hour standing outside in 40F weather. I congratulated myself on wearing a hat and a light fill jacket with hood. Some people were not dressed for the cold. The room for voting was small, with just two machines, which were wiped down and sanitized after every voter. We were given a disposable glove to wear on the right hand. There was the usual person in line who wore the mask under the nose, and another who kept taking hers off to talk--and no, I don't care if she is tested every day. Still, I know that I had it easy when I think of people in other cities who are standing in long lines for hours.

[BakerAunt]

For whatever reason, Kroger had King Arthur AP flour for $2.50 a bag today. I bought three, to go with the three I already have stashed. I'm set for awhile on it, but I will need to order more BRM whole wheat flour soon.

Covid-19 infections are rising in our area, and the hospital, like most rural healthcare is overwhelmed. Our zip code numbers are also increasing. Still, the town went ahead with Halloween, and they are already planning for a Christmas parade the first weekend in December. Our farmers' market has moved to an indoor space in the library, beginning this weekend, so I will not be going. If I need something, I will buy in advance and pick it up.

We are planning a trip to pick up apples from an orchard, maybe early next week. It will be drive an hour, get the apples, and drive back--no stops along the way.

[skeptic7]

Most of the farmers' markets are closing up for the season. Some of them will have a few days open near Thanksgiving. There are a couple who will stay open year round, but all the ones I know about are out doors. I've bought several kinds of apples already but will probably buy a half bushel at the last farmers' market on November 11th.
An indoor farmers market should not be much more dangerous than a grocery store.

[BakerAunt]

What concerns me is the small space. It was always crowded when I went last year pre-Pandemic. With our rise in numbers, I will not take the chance. We go to the supermarket at off times, taking advantage of the early "vulnerable" opening at 8:30 on Tues. and Thurs. at Aldi's and that gets us to Kroger early, so there are fewer people in a much larger space. I was more comfortable grocery shopping than I was voting for that reason.

[cwcdesign]

Our market (where I work) is closed for 10 days as a proactive preventive measure. My chef who has been very careful was in close contact with someone in another department for a meeting (more than 15 minutes) because of her exposure she’d been sent home as was our manager. Chef tested positive. We think the rest of us will be fine as we weren’t in close contact since the exposure. My temp was negative this am as was the rest of our team. I will be reaching out to HR on Monday to see what I need to be doing re testing. I will continue to monitor my temperature.

[Author]

Posts