Washington Post on the influx of new bakers

[Mike Nolan]

Peanuts and potatoes are good plants for young gardeners. They're interesting to watch grow and not terribly labor-intensive. Cinderella pumpkins are another good one, but it's MONTHS before they're harvested, though at least then you get to carve them for Halloween. Melons are another possibility, but, like pumpkins, you need a lot of space and some patience. My granddaughter liked radishes, but she's like her mother, really into spicy foods.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. Good suggestions. She won't eat peanuts but potatoes are good and so is watermelon! And both are viable here in New England.

Just noticed Food Network has declared this month baking month and, according to the adds, is encouraging everyone who has downloaded their app to BAKE! I'll have to check on the downloads but this could also have added to the baking stampede.

[Mike Nolan]

We've grown Athena muskmelons a few times, one year they did VERY well and I had several that were larger than a basketball and weighed over 10 pounds. The biggest problem was they all came ripe within a few days of each other and that's a lot of melon!

[BakerAunt]

My friend's granddaughter liked wandering in her garden and picking and eating cherry tomatoes.

I have prodded my husband to go ahead and submit our seed order, after telling him that seed companies are beginning to run out.

Here at Nebraska Kitchen, we need to start posting in the garden section.

[Mike Nolan]

Looks like King Arthur is out of AP and bread flour again, and they're saying it will ship in 3-4 weeks.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Walmart shipped our bread flour so we should have about 20 pounds.

It appears the initial panic of people just grabbing things has subsided here a little.

[BakerAunt]

Or they ran out of room. 🙂

Last December, Kroger had King Arthur AP on sale at a great price, so I bought about four bags, while my husband rolled his eyes, especially as I had a 10 pound container full at home (well, he didn't know that part as he stays out of the pantry). It wasn't foresight on my part but thrift. The best flour prices seem to be in November and December. I mentioned that once on the now closed KAF Baking Circle, and Frick said that she does the same thing, and that her husband was consistently surprised at the places where she had stashed flour bags.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by BakerAunt.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Yes... Baking supplies here typically go on sale just before Thanksgiving and go through Christmas. When I bought LoL butter I would buy about 15 lbs and stash it in the freezer and then use it until the next sale.

I would stock up on flours too. But now, if I buy cases at BRM there is a case discount and if I buy over $50 shipping is free. KAF doesn't have those (they have a frequent buyers club) but I usually have a $10 coupon that will pay for most of the shipping.

When they have it Walmart has the cheapest prices on KAF and their shipping is free. But they just dump flour bags into a box and at least half the time one will explode. KAF needs to package their 5 lb bags of flours better.

And when non-perishables like paper towels or toilet paper are on sale I buy as much as they will allow me to buy at the sale price.

Of course if you live in an apartment it's harder to store everything.

We finally bought a second refrigerator so we have more cold storage. And we did it just in time as Home Depot and Lowes just ended deliveries except for essential services.

[Mike Nolan]

When I was at Sams yesterday they had some almond flour and 25 pound bags of pizza flour (bleached), but no yeast. (They seldom have unbleached flour.)

Fortunately, I still have a 1 pound package of yeast unopened, which at my current rate of baking may last me through the summer. I also have most of a package of SAF Gold in the freezer, which I could use if I run short.

[Italiancook]

Aaron, has Home Depot and Lowe's permanently ended deliveries on appliances, or only for Covid-19?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Hi. They're doing it in response to COVID-19.

[skeptic7]

I was at the local Coop, which had yeast but only in freezed dried bricks. I bought a 2 lb package of active dry yeast, the other option was 1 lb packages of instant yeast. I used to get a cup or so of dry yeast in a plastic bags which would last me for years. I wonder if I should divide this with friends.

[Joan Simpson]

Skeptic share with friends or put in freezer,it'll last forever frozen.

[Mike Nolan]

Were the freeze dried bricks instant yeast or cake yeast?

[BakerAunt]

The flour and yeast shortage goes on, and the number of people who are baking increases, according to this Marketplace story:

Bread baking boom means flour and yeast are flying off U.S. shelves

That NY Times recipe is not the one I'd tell a beginner baker to try as a first attempt.

[Author]

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