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3 lb. bags that were $3.99 a year ago are now $5.99. But that's not the worst of it. At least one orange per bag, often more than one, goes "bad" within a week of purchase. By "bad" I mean a powdery, stinky, greenish-gray .... mold. (Just guessing that it's a mold.) Doesn't matter if they're juice oranges, navels, temples, you name it. And it's not confined to just one grocery store but at both of the stores I patronize.
One thing I admit that I haven't checked, but should have, is the State(s) in which they were grown.
I'll give you the same advice I gave someone who had the same problem buying bags of potatoes: buy them from the loose pile.
They are likely a bit more expensive per orange (or potato) but then you only buy the amount you need for the week (or whatever). You can also look for soft spots.
I've also found that fruits in the loose pile are larger than those in bags.
When I buy a bag of citrus, I sort through them as soon as I get home and I throw out any that are showing the beginning signs of mold. It's usually cheaper to buy them by the bag than individually.
I store grapefruit in the fridge if I'm not going to use them quickly. I think I've done that with oranges before and it helped them last longer.
When they are out of season and have to be shipped in from Chile or Australia, the price goes up and the quality goes down. We have quit buying produce out of season and try to stick to local in season produce for the most part. We're not that rigid - I mean sometimes you've just got to have an apple or orange in the summer! But one thing I did notice is that you appreciate them more when you only buy what's currently in season. Right now I am eating my fill of blueberries and peaches!
Of course old oranges that have sat in damp crates in the hold of a ship traversing three of the seven seas from the opposite side of the planet are going to have quality issues.
When they are out of season and have to be shipped in from Chile or Australia, the price goes up and the quality goes down. We have quit buying produce out of season and try to stick to local in season produce for the most part. We're not that rigid - I mean sometimes you've just got to have an apple or orange in the summer! But one thing I did notice is that you appreciate them more when you only buy what's currently in season. Right now I am eating my fill of blueberries and peaches!
Oranges are not going to be shipped in from Australia or Chile this time of year. Most of the citrus that you are currently buying were harvested in California and Florida months ago and stored in cold storage.
Eat fruit when it is in season and you will be a lot happier.
Fruit isn't like good wine - it doesn't age well. Here are a couple of sites where you can see what citrus is actually in season (and order it when it's available)...
3 lb. bags that were $3.99 a year ago are now $5.99. But that's not the worst of it. At least one orange per bag, often more than one, goes "bad" within a week of purchase. By "bad" I mean a powdery, stinky, greenish-gray .... mold. (Just guessing that it's a mold.) Doesn't matter if they're juice oranges, navels, temples, you name it. And it's not confined to just one grocery store but at both of the stores I patronize.
One thing I admit that I haven't checked, but should have, is the State(s) in which they were grown.
Nevertheless, oranges, you are history.
Same experience here. Just bought some organic and will watch them carefully.
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