Backyard Bounty of Fresh Fruit
We keep hearing how expensive fresh produce is, but if you use these great money saving tips you can eat a healthy diet without going broke. You may even have enough to share with friends and neighbors.
- Grow your own fruit and vegetables: Obviously the most inexpensive fruit and vegetables are the ones you grow in your own garden. If you are interested in growing your own food visit my culinary herbs and backyard gardening for some wonderful tips and information.
- Plant a fruit tree or berry bush. A fruit tree in the backyard doesn't have to be big to produce a lot of fruit. For those of you who say you don't have the room in your backyard, many fruit trees or berry bushes will also grow in pots. I have a dwarf citrus tree growing in a pot in my living room because it's too cold outside.
- Shop at Farmer's Markets: If you don't have the room for your own garden, grow what you can in containers and shop for the rest from your local farmers. The prices are generally lower than what you would pay at the grocery store. The food is also in season so it's not transported from far away.
- Pick your own: There are more and more farms that allow you to pick your own fruit and vegetables. This is a great option even if you grow a garden or shop at a Farmer's Market.
- Join a food cooperative: Most food coops are owned by the members. In most cases you pay a fee (this is usually an up front amount of money) and get a box full of fresh produce (sometimes other types of food as well).
- Buy what's on sale: Sale prices on produce are not just for the store to get rid of over ripe produce. A lot of times the store gets a good price and just wants to pass it on. Take full advantage of these sales, especially if the produce is something that freezes well.
- Buy frozen fruit and vegetables: Frozen produce is just as nutritious and stores usually have big sales on frozen food throughout the year. This means you can stock up on produce and not worry about whether you can use it all up before it goes bad.
- Make vegetable broth: Don't throw away vegetables that look like they are going bad. Make vegetable stock and freeze what you don't need for later. Click here for more information on making vegetable broth.
- Don' feel you always need to buy organic: If you want to buy organic, but can't afford to buy all your produce organically, keep a list of the dirty dozen. These are the fruit and vegetables that have the most pesticides on them.
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