Woodworking, interesting and otherwise, and farmer's market (FFXI, RL)

[thistlechaser]

Woodworking, interesting: I watched a guy desynth angel's flutes today. To make them you need 1 rosewood lumber, 1 parchment. When you desynth them, the HQ3 is an angel stone. o.O I checked the wiki and it agrees. That's going to be something to check into once Fishingbot gets higher!

Woodworking, otherwise: Fishingbot only got to 69 tonight. Bah. The AH ran out of an item I needed and the vendor I needed for my alternate synth was gone (beastman owned). Thwarted! Annoyed! His skillups are going to slow way down now; I'm expecting 1 level per day won't even happen.

I ended up going to Besieged tonight, for the first time in months. It was actually almost fun! It ran too long, took way way too long to start, and not enough XP reward for the time it took, but it was semi-okay. (Plus I got 5 levels of marksmanship! That's what I went for.) Best of all, I got to play COR for the first time in ages! Eeee! I love seeing me in that AF. :D :D :D

---

RL: The farmer's market I go to isn't thrilling me. Last year and this one, whenever I get strawberries they're often moldy the first day I bring them home, and if I don't use them that same day they mold the second day. This Sunday I bought four lemons. Today, Wednesday, I went to cut them up, and two of them were covered with blue mold. WTF? Is this stuff fresh fruit or the leftovers? As far as I know, stuff shouldn't mold this fast. They sit on the counter, cool-ish kitchen, no sun hits them but they're not in a dark cabinet. Some things I put into the fridge, but generally not fruit (except strawberries). Fruit from the supermarket lasts longer than from the farmer's market. :/

Comments

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

I couldn't say whether the quickness of the molding your describing is normal for your area or not, but stuff from the store /will/ last longer because it's been treated with chemicals.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I really have very few issues with chemicals. Maybe I should shop at the supermarket more instead! :P

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Often the stuff at the farmer's market does not last as long, because they sell the produce that is already too ripe to go on a long trip to the supermarket. But what you are describing sounds rather extreme! Shoddy goods, if you ask me.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Often the stuff at the farmer's market does not last as long, because they sell the produce that is already too ripe to go on a long trip to the supermarket.

Yeah, that's what someone else said as well. Guess it makes sense. Oh well!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Usually the stuff I buy at the Farmer's Market lasts *longer* than the stuff I buy at the grocery store for the exact opposite reason than the other commenter: it's fresher. I've also bought strawberries there and they last at least a week or more, not just a day.

I would guess either you bought poor lemons to start with or there's something about your apartment that's causing them to go bad that quickly. Maybe it's warmer, or they were bruised/squished.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I've also bought strawberries there and they last at least a week or more, not just a day.

Huh, that's really odd. For example, the strawberries I got on Sunday were made up of two kinds: Underripe hard/white/light green ones... and ones that were moldy already. Well, three kinds if you count the layer of bright red perfect berries on the top of the container. 9.9

Do you get your berries from one stand or from a random one?

I would guess either you bought poor lemons to start with or there's something about your apartment that's causing them to go bad that quickly. Maybe it's warmer, or they were bruised/squished.

Ah, maybe part of this is my lack of experience with buying fruit/veggies. One or two of the lemons did seem a little softer, maybe bruised or squished a bit, but I hadn't thought it would make much difference. Guess I'll be more careful about that and put just about everything into the fridge from now on (suggested by other folk).

[nymphah.livejournal.com]

Huh, that's really odd. For example, the strawberries I got on Sunday were made up of two kinds: Underripe hard/white/light green ones... and ones that were moldy already. Well, three kinds if you count the layer of bright red perfect berries on the top of the container. 9.9

Yeeahhh, I wouldn't shop at that farmer's market anymore. They really should have taken care to throw the already-moldy ones out.

There's a strawberry field somewhere around here where you can go and pick your own, just fill up a bucket and pay for them by the pound. Huge ones, too...and always fresh so they last a while.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I haven't done a 'pick your own' fruit in too long!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I buy my strawberries from one particular stand. Uhm. I forget the name of it (I'll check this weekend), but they're located on the end of the market closest to the parking lot proper, and on the side immediately next to the CalTrain rails. It's run by an older, taller Mexican gentlemen with salt-and-pepper hair and a mustache and a younger, shorter Mexican man with short hair and glasses. They advertise pesticide-free berries and may have some branded as the Seascape variety. Later in the season, they'll sell raspberries and blackberries, too.

And yeah. Sounds like if you picked up some bruised or squishy lemons, that could be why they went bad so fast. :) I usually don't have any issues leaving lemons out of the fridge as long as they're not bruised.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That'd be great, thanks!

[iniadelphinae.livejournal.com]

Soft fruits like berries and peaches can mold very quickly, particularly when they get bruised.

A citrus fruit like lemon, however, should last more than a few days, even if it is not chemically treated or waxed or w/e.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that might be another part of the issue. The strawberries (and everything I get there) get carried home in my backpack, so sometimes they get knocked around and maybe bruised or something...

[calandra.livejournal.com]

I've had entire bags of lemons (from the grocery store) go bad over night. I've found that keeping them in the fridge helps a lot.

[xvolph.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Anytime I get citrus of any kind, I keep it in the fridge. In most cases, I've had lemons and such last well over a week before starting to go bad, but also, some farmers' markets won't sell stuff which has wax coatings of any sort of preservative treatment which means they still might go quicker. Even still, stick them in the fridge. The only fruit I tend to leave sitting out of refrigeration would be bananas.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good plan. Into my fridge for most everything!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's sad. Guess I should be happy that I got to use two of the four I had!

I'll keep them in the fridge from now on.

[calandra.livejournal.com]

I was miffed.

There's a Baltimore regional treat that I've introduced to my friends here. I host a yearly get together. I went shopping friday, and saturday half of them were bad. Fortunately I had bought extra.

http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/Meet+me+at+the+fair
http://vvngirlyhead.blogspot.com/2007/04/lemon-stick_29.html

Half the fun is *explaining* how to eat these to someone.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, that looks odd but interesting! I can't imagine the two tastes together... (Doesn't help that I don't like peppermint, I guess.)

[calandra.livejournal.com]

It does come out odd. Even if you don't like mint, it's worth trying, once.

The trick is you need the old style POROUS peppermint sticks. Candycanes don't work. (and their flavor doesn't mix as well)

Also works with limes.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

The trick is you need the old style POROUS peppermint sticks

Oh, I don't think I've ever seen those around, just the candycane ones. Oh well!

[calandra.livejournal.com]

You can find them sometimes. Candyshops, OldTyme Country Stores, that kind of thing. It's been getting harder, the last few years. ><

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

I wish I could help you out with your fruit problem, but I've never had that happen to me before, nor have I been able to see a difference between stuff from a farmer's market and stuff from a supermarket.

Then again, I only make exceptions about leaving out fruit when it comes to bananas and mangoes. Everything else goes in the fridge and stays there until it's been eaten.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, 'everything into the fridge' is going to be my new plan from now on.

nor have I been able to see a difference between stuff from a farmer's market and stuff from a supermarket.

Agreed. I really can't tell a difference, though it may be because I suck at picking out fruit and such. :P