Do you believe in organic foodstuff?

[CoolSocks]

I really love organic milk. It always tastes better to me, but I guess that is due to the process it goes through in order for it to last longer, not the fact that it's organic. I've stopped buying it recently because it's almost double the price of non-organic milk at my local grocery store.

[laidbackhippie]

My wife just bought two Publix organic pizzas. There was organic potato starch in the feta cheese ?????.

I had no idea they made cheese using potatoes.

most organic is bunk.....

Apples and peaches YES, buy organic. Pesticides suck.

[Amelorn]

Originally Posted by laidbackhippie

My wife just bought two Publix organic pizzas. There was organic potato starch in the feta cheese ?????.

I had no idea they made cheese using potatoes.

most organic is bunk.....

Apples and peaches YES, buy organic. Pesticides suck.

"Organic" prepared food is a crapshoot.

Organic wheat bread sweetened with honey and brown sugar? Yummy. Cheese from organic dairy substitutes? blech

I keep a few rules:

1) Avoid processed food except where it's difficult to cook from scratch (bread, pasta, organic dumplings, pasta sauce, Bachman's pretzels).
2) Try and get most calories from the perimeter of the supermarket (fresh meat, produce, and dairy) or minimally processed staples (olive oil, flour, rice, pasta).
3) Organic meat (when mark-up is under 25%*), organic dairy (always: remains fresher long, tastes better), organic vegetables (price difference is 10%). Fruit: Organic carries an outrageous premium, so we eat seasonally.

*It is not uncommon to find store brand (Stop and Shop) organic which is comparable to non-organic name brand prices in the meat department.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by laidbackhippie

Apples and peaches YES, buy organic. Pesticides suck.

This is what first got me into buying organic.
Back in the 70's I read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.
Not all chemicals are horrible, and not everything under the organic label is bunk. The buyer must beware.
I try to buy locally and seasonally, I avoid processed foods.
I grow some of my own tomatoes, herbs and citrus.
I grow without dangerous pesticides and it is indeed somewhat of a hassle to do this organically.