Is aldi fruit and veg worth it?

dee.

Apparently aldi fruit and veg is much cheaper than what I currently buy in dunnes (if I have been misinformed please correct me!) but my question is...is it worth it? I don't want to go in there and buy loads of fresh fruit/veg if it doesn't taste great. Anyone who has shopped there..please tell me what you think

number10a

Absolutely! Only Lidl compare to them. Top quality stuff and great prices. I switched to Aldi about three years ago and I cannot remember being stung once on fruit and veg.

I gave up after everytime I bought a sweet potato (3 times running) There was rot in the middle of them.

anbrutog

dee. wrote: »

Apparently aldi fruit and veg is much cheaper than what I currently buy in dunnes (if I have been misinformed please correct me!) but my question is...is it worth it? I don't want to go in there and buy loads of fresh fruit/veg if it doesn't taste great. Anyone who has shopped there..please tell me what you think

Most ( if not all ) of their fruit and veg has no best before date for some reason ,which I find really annoying. Have often been stung by this and bought stuff thats gone off. Aside from this the quality would be same as anywhere else. Would like to use them more except I have no idea exactly how old a given piece of veg is ( its not always obvious by looking at it ) One thing I have noticed though ( in my local Lidl ) is that their bananas are always crap , either bruised black and blue or gone off. Overall , given the above thy're not worth it in my opinion.

notsobusy

Have had no problems with their fruit and veg! It's great.

Eh Fruit and Veg shouldn't have a best before date if it looks fresh it's fresh, if it looks crappy then it's probably not fresh!! So don't buy it.

anbrutog

notsobusy wrote: »

Have had no problems with their fruit and veg! It's great.

Eh Fruit and Veg shouldn't have a best before date if it looks fresh it's fresh, if it looks crappy then it's probably not fresh!! So don't buy it.

Like I said above , not always possible by inspection ,especially if you're dragging kids around with you and are distracted. Even if its looks fresh , I want to know exactly when its going to go off for when I go and eat it a few days later maybe, so '"ah sher it looks fresh" doesnt cut it with me. Ive bought bags of spinach and rocket that looked okay on inspection but were gone off when I opened them up. Everywhere else does it, so should they. Simple.

Acoshla

I got a bag of carrots for 22cent today in Lidl, 22cent!! Already eaten some, tasted like carrots Why would they be any worse than Dunnes products? I always buy my veg in Aldi or Lidl.

Cardinal Richelieu

anbrutog wrote: »

Like I said above , not always possible by inspection ,especially if you're dragging kids around with you and are distracted. Even if its looks fresh , I want to know exactly when its going to go off for when I go and eat it a few days later maybe, so '"ah sher it looks fresh" doesnt cut it with me. Ive bought bags of spinach and rocket that looked okay on inspection but were gone off when I opened them up. Everywhere else does it, so should they. Simple.

I have to say supermarkets love customers like you. They are not bound by any laws to put dates on produce except prepared salad packs but some bright spark in one of the UK supermarkets commercial teams decided to experiment with dates on produce. The quality instore actually pretty much remained the same but sales shot through the roof because when they did further research they found consumers were throwing out items that had passed there BB date. In the past the consumer would have used the item without a second thought.

Cardinal Richelieu

dee. wrote: »

Apparently aldi fruit and veg is much cheaper than what I currently buy in dunnes (if I have been misinformed please correct me!) but my question is...is it worth it? I don't want to go in there and buy loads of fresh fruit/veg if it doesn't taste great. Anyone who has shopped there..please tell me what you think

A certain large fruit company actually supplies both Aldi and Lidl with a large proportion of there produce.

number10a

As others have said, fruit and veg should not have a best before date on it. How do you think people manage when they pay through the nose at a farmer's market?? Or in somewhere like Super Valu where a lot of the produce is loose? And by the way, go into almost any Lidl or Aldi around 8pm and you will notice that the fruit and veg section has been stripped bare, bar maybe the basic things like onions and potatoes. The stuff comes in fresh every day because it has to owing to the massive stock rotation.

Edit: Bananas are Lidl and Aldi's only downfall. For some reason they're not great, but they're better than they used to be.

emmet the rover

i find there fruit to be often very underipe

tayto lover

Have not had any problems with the fruit and veg in either Aldi or Lidl. 22c for bags of carrots and parsnips yesterday.
I do love the Dark Wholenut chocolate in Aldi for dessert though.

dee.

I think I'll buy a few bits this week, probably the best way to get an idea myself. I usually go there for cheese, baps, vitamins, etc so it'll be no harm to pick up a couple of veggies while I'm there. Will avoid the bananas thanks everyone!

Spanxy

yes avoid the bananas as the few times I have had bananas out of aldi or lidl they tasted of fish... yes fish...:eek:

notsobusy

emmet the rover wrote: »

i find there fruit to be often very underipe

Better than overripe!

emeraldstar

notsobusy wrote: »

Better than overripe!

Definitely. I generally try to buy stuff under ripe, unless I want to use it that very day. Makes a lot more sense to me as it lasts longer.

Sasha42

bought some broccoli yesterday in ALDI, it got the bin today.

rushfan

I operate on the policy that the fruit & veg is so cheap, lots of people buying it, staff constantly restocking the shelves, surely the stock is always fresh. Never once had a problem with anything in Aldi.

Darkginger

If you learn how to tell whether a vegetable is fresh or not, you'll not have to worry about buying stuff that's a bit old. Broccoli, for example - the stem should be stiff, not at all bendy, and there shouldn't be any sign of yellow, nor flowering around the floret area. Avocados should give a bit if you press your thumb into the stalk end, carrots should be..well..stiff... and not hairy... and so on. I've never had a problem buying veg from Lidl or Aldi - nor fruit (and the mixed red/green seedless grapes from Aldi around Christmas were the sweetest I'd ever had!) - though I do get the occasional problem with potatoes at this time of year - not just with Aldi and Lidl - seems everywhere sells ones with frost marks and bruising.

In summary - Aldi and Lidl are good places to buy veg from, but - as you would do anywhere - use your sense of touch, smell etc. to judge freshness before purchase!

BaZmO*

anbrutog wrote: »

I want to know exactly when its going to go off

"Exactly" when it's going to go off? Like at 1 minute past 12 on the night of the Best Before date?

Darkginger wrote: »

...though I do get the occasional problem with potatoes....

That's the only problem I've ever had with veg from ALDI/LIDL. The potatoes can be very hit and miss, especially Roosters.

All the other veg is top notch, and great value too. I always put it down to the fact that they have such quick rotation of stock due to all those 'fordiners and their healthy diets. (I know that's a massive generalisation, but still...)

rampantglory

the problem i have with aldi n lidl fruit n veg is the same problem i have with tesco.. why cant this fruit and veg come from firstly Ireland..the uk..then europe etc why does so much of it have to come from morroco kenya isreal chile south africa etc... i know ure going to say climates but its not like the avocado are growing wild next to some foraging dear there grown in a poly tunnel like every other cash crop.
We should be promoting irish producers , also from the moment the veg/fruit leaves its stem ,branch root etc it starts to lose nutrients , so if ur bannas or oranges have left chile yesterday (underripe) .. ripen on the boat , unload get on a truck to ware house , truck to store to shelves to ......u get the picture , when do they get to you and how much goodness is left??
(and yes i do realise that there are some irish veg products in store but not enough)

Super-valu is about the only store (near me cork city)that consistently has irish produce

trishasaffron

Any time I've bought packaged salad from Lidl I've had to throw it out as there was a disgusting smell from the pack. Never buy fresh food there now.

Cardinal Richelieu

trishasaffron wrote: »

Any time I've bought packaged salad from Lidl I've had to throw it out as there was a disgusting smell from the pack. Never buy fresh food there now.

Its food, it goes off. Shocked at some of the lack of food knowledge comments in this thread. Surely they should teach this at school, it might encourage people to shop and eat more healthy.

Cardinal Richelieu

rampantglory wrote: »

the problem i have with aldi n lidl fruit n veg is the same problem i have with tesco.. why cant this fruit and veg come from firstly Ireland..the uk..then europe etc why does so much of it have to come from morroco kenya isreal chile south africa etc... i know ure going to say climates but its not like the avocado are growing wild next to some foraging dear there grown in a poly tunnel like every other cash crop.
We should be promoting irish producers , also from the moment the veg/fruit leaves its stem ,branch root etc it starts to lose nutrients , so if ur bannas or oranges have left chile yesterday (underripe) .. ripen on the boat , unload get on a truck to ware house , truck to store to shelves to ......u get the picture , when do they get to you and how much goodness is left??
(and yes i do realise that there are some irish veg products in store but not enough)

Super-valu is about the only store (near me cork city)that consistently has irish produce

Avocados are grown in open air orchards usually and I wouldn't like to see the energy bill or size of polytunnel if you attempt to grow them in Ireland.

People moan about the supermarket importing fruit and veg but how many fruit and veg crops can you sustainably grow in Ireland? Its no point having lovely Irish Rocha pears if its 10 euros for 6 pears. I do have a problem with supermarkets importing foreign produce when you can get reasonably price and good quality Irish produce so they can have "special" promotional offers. A major problem is that now customers are unaware whats in season and not in season these days. They want fresh strawberries at Xmas, parsnips and fresh herbs all year round. The supermarkets wouldn't be stocking the out of season fruit and veg if it wasn't in demand.

ShaneK101

Is it bought from a Irish distributor tho.??
Dunnes is

MR.POWER...

i got kerr pinks today for 19cent and broccoli for 19 cent.i have not shopped in tesco for over a year.i never had any problem with the fruit or veg in aldi.i know a guy who worked in aldi and everyday fresh fruit anbd veg are brought out.i never go anywhere else.

trishasaffron

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Its food, it goes off. Shocked at some of the lack of food knowledge comments in this thread. Surely they should teach this at school, it might encourage people to shop and eat more healthy.

The smell I'm referring to is there when I open the bag on the day of purchase - not when the food has gone off!!

neilthefunkeone

Do all my shopping at Aldi.. Never had a problem with any fruit and veg..

With aldi there is a 4 digit code on the packaged stuff eg 1203 (12th week 3rd day) Its when it was delivered to the store.. So you know how long its been sitting on the shelf in store..

mikewest

trishasaffron wrote: »

The smell I'm referring to is there when I open the bag on the day of purchase - not when the food has gone off!!

Is this the stuff "packed in a protective athmosphere". I can't stand the semll of the gas myself but the food tastes perfect after the gas has plenty of time to vent. Not just Lidl but every producer of this packaging gives me this problem.

rampantglory

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Avocados are grown in open air orchards usually and I wouldn't like to see the energy bill or size of polytunnel if you attempt to grow them in Ireland.

People moan about the supermarket importing fruit and veg but how many fruit and veg crops can you sustainably grow in Ireland? Its no point having lovely Irish Rocha pears if its 10 euros for 6 pears. I do have a problem with supermarkets importing foreign produce when you can get reasonably price and good quality Irish produce so they can have "special" promotional offers. A major problem is that now customers are unaware whats in season and not in season these days. They want fresh strawberries at Xmas, parsnips and fresh herbs all year round. The supermarkets wouldn't be stocking the out of season fruit and veg if it wasn't in demand.

absolutley ..the old supply and demand also a basic understanding of nature and its seasons
im not expecting ppl to blow there budget on free range potatos from balinascarthy but i do expect supermarkets to take a hit of a small few cent and not import the foreign veg if it is readily available here but hey call me a dreamer

El_Drago

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

Do all my shopping at Aldi.. Never had a problem with any fruit and veg..

With aldi there is a 4 digit code on the packaged stuff eg 1203 (12th week 3rd day) Its when it was delivered to the store.. So you know how long its been sitting on the shelf in store..

Wrong!That's the date it should be taken off the shelf.