Berries go moldly or they turn into mush before I eat them. I have tried to fix this with careful planning and inspection. Buying the less ripe berries, scrutinizing for any hint of mold, making a calendar event to eat them. It does not work, and the sheer effort for a few minutes of sweet isn't worth it.
I have two solutions.
First, eat them immediately. Not next time I want a snack, not the next morning. Eliminate all possible sources of variance. They are good now, they will not be good the next time I see them, and I know not how or why.
I get home, I set down the grocery bag, I eat the berries. Berries first.
Second, frozen berries. I was addicted to frozen fruit for a time. It was like I discovered snacks for the first time all over again. Absolutely wonderful.
You're telling me I can have perfectly chilled and portioned fruit, on demand, with perfect freshness, without needing to inspect it at the store or rush to eat it before it goes bad? All I have to do is wait a few minutes for the fruit to defrost?
And it's cheaper too?
Why would I say no?
Some fruits come out better than others, of course. You can't get the same texture as a fresh strawberry from frozen, the water distribution isn't the same after defrosting. But blueberries come out perfectly consistent rather than half mush half rubber, raspberries are a delight with the little modules slightly crisp from frost, and blackberries somehow gain a mildly creamy texture. It's different, but it's good.
This isn't to say I don't eat fresh berries anymore. I just don't shop for them, with rare exception. The urge for fresh fruit is satisfied with other, easier fruits. And when a nice set of fresh berries comes into my life, like at a restaurant or topping a well-made cake, I treasure them.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
Grocery shopping with someone is a weirdly intimate process. People have so many quirks around food. I used to be able to trust other people to do it for me, now I can't fathom letting them waste that much money on food I'll be mildly annoyed by.
Occasionally I see my friends go shopping and feel like they live in a different world.
Anyway.
Could have sworn I had written about frozen fruit before. It's quite strange, having a number of things I've made in the world which is too large to easily remember.
- Rew