Produce Sale Tips with Mike Darcy

One of my favorite sales at Wilco is the annual sale of fresh local produce by the case. I can remember the first time that I went into a Wilco when the produce sale was on and I looked around at the boxes of fresh produce and was amazed at the diversity that was available. Never did I dream that Wilco had a sale like this! Get the details here. The following is a listing of the produce that will be for sale, the case quantity and the price. Not all stores will have all items and some of the popular selections sell out quickly so it is wise to call your particular store and check their current supply. This listing of produce has so many opportunities for canning, freezing, drying and eating fresh that it is hard to know where to start.

PEPPERS

Peppers are easy to dry either in an oven or a food dryer. I know some gardeners that make strings of red chili peppers. They braid a colored cord to enclose the stems and let the string hang in a dry place. Many of the peppers are green and red-blotched to start with but they soon turn red as they dry. Jalapeno Peppers Anaheim Peppers Green Bell Peppers Red & Yellow Bell Pepper Mix

ONIONS

Yellow onions are a good keeper without any processing necessary and will usually last for weeks with good air circulation in a cool garage. Yellow Onions

TOMATOES

Roma tomatoes have a thicker skin and less juice than the standard tomato and are excellent for tomato sauce, salsa and ketchup. Roma Tomatoes NW Canning Tomatoes

PICKLING CUCUMBERS & DILL

Pickling cucumbers and making dill pickles is not difficult and making pickles can be a good family learning experience. Do kids today really know how pickles are made? Do kids even know where pickles come from? Do kids think that pickles grow on vines? Some probably do. Here is an opportunity to get kids involved in the process of making something that they have probably eaten but know little about. With your case of pickling cucumbers, be sure to pick up a bunch of dill and don’t forget Mrs. Wages pickling mixes. Wilco has everything you need to make your own pickles. Pickling Cucumbers Dill Bunch

APPLES

Even with many new apples that have been introduced in the past years, Gravenstein has continually maintained a very loyal following. For an apple that dates back to the 1600s, it is remarkable that it has consistently received high ratings from consumers for not only the fresh taste but Gravenstein is often the apple of choice for making applesauce and pie. With a Foley Food Mill, mashing and straining apples for applesauce is quite easy. The Foley Food Mill is also ideal for straining the seeds from tomatoes when making juice. Gala Apples

AND MORE

Green Beans Bartlett Pears Yellow Canning Peaches Carrots Bi-color Corn Garlic Cloves Make the most of this produce sale, it only happens once a year. Not often do we find this variety of local produce in case lots, at these prices, all in one location.

We would love to see your Produce Projects, use #mywilcolife on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and tag Wilco Stores.

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MIKE’S GARDEN IS LOCATED IN OREGON’S WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND HIS ADVICE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MILD CLIMATE THERE.