4 things you shouldn’t buy at the supermarket
Despite popular opinion, there are some interesting reasons why certain things should remain on the shelf and not in your basket when doing your supermarket shop.
Item #1 Pre-sliced bread
Sure the old saying talks up sliced bread as being “the best thing” but in fact the unsliced loaf will taste better and last longer.
That’s because as soon as a fresh loaf is sliced by the bakery’s bread slicing machine, each slice is exposed to air. This means it will begin to go stale and lose flavour faster than the whole loaf.
Grab yourself a whole loaf of bread, use what you need when you get home, wrap the rest up in plastic and store it safely in the freezer.
Whenever you need a slice or two, take it out of the freezer and slice off what you need with a bread knife (being frozen makes for much neater slicing too).
Item #2 Miscellaneous meat
Normally the meat from a store is clearly labelled with names such as sirloin, chuck steak, lean mince and so on.
But every now and then you might spot a bargain slab of meat labeled something a bit vague such as “economy beef”. This doesn’t tell you much about what cut of meat it is nor does it give you much clue on how it should be cooked.
Best to leave it on the shelf so that you don’t end up with a disappointing meal.
Item #3 Odd-sounding apples
It’s such a disappointment when you buy a bag of apples that turn out to be soft and powdery. They usually end up uneaten in the fruit bowl.
So to avoid the bad apples in favour of the lovely crisp ones, you just need to do a little tap-test. Yes, you might look a bit funny tapping the apples in the fruit aisle but it’s well worth it.
Listen closely when you give the apple a little tap. A tasty crisp apple will sound hollow, while a bad one will sound dense.
Item #4 Too-cheap seafood
The old saying “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is” rings ever-true for seafood.
If there is a sale on a certain type of fish that just looks too cheap – beware.
There have been reports of fish fraud at less than honest stores, where a cheaper fish is sold as though it is a more expensive fish.
Those of us without a fishmonger’s license may have trouble knowing our snapper from our swordfish so it’s always best to buy from a reputable company, and know what a decent market value is of your favourite fish.
Related link:
Vintage household tricks from the 1900s
14 clever ways to use adhesive hooks in the home
8 household products you should never buy