To be so squeamish about the contents of my veg box? *grim warning*

[ElizaPickford]

Eurgh - I got some brussels sprouts in my veg box, so I peeled and washed them and put them on to boil.

Only apparently I didn't clean them or peel them quite enough and I have a pan of parboiled bugs and slugs. Only in a few of them, but still, it's enough to put me off eating the whole bloody lot.

I like the idea of a veg box, I have an allotment so am not ridiculously squeamish, but in reality I'm not sure it's worth it, and the stuff comes absolutely caked in mud, regularly with a helping of slugs, and on one memorable occasion my veggies came with a dollop of what looked exactly like duck shit on top. (I kicked off and sent that one back!)

As much as I hate the idea of it, I'm thinking I might have to go back to the nice, sanitised, non-organic stuff from the supermarket which generally takes far less scrubbing, comes with fewer slugs and is cheaper.

AIBU?

(And yeah, first world problems, I know!)

Eeeeeewwww

That would be my worst nightmare and you've put me off wanting to order a box like this !

Eurgh... That's grim and would put me off food for the rest of the day.

I know - I'm sorry! I really like the idea of it, and I quite like the challenge of not knowing what I'm getting and having to be a bit more creative with my cooking, but since I'm about to lob a whole pan of sprouts into the bin, it's probably a bit of a pointless waste of money!

This reminds me of eating some gritty home grown broccoli - worms!

I don't blame you for wanting to give up. I am lazy and won't bother with veg boxes.

Look. I'm not bloody Bear Grylls. I'm going to have to cancel it, aren't I?

Why do you need a veg box if you've got an allotment? my lottie produces plenty of slugs and mud; also snails, and winged things in a variety of shades of the rainbow. No need to pay veg box prices for those.

I had one nestled happily in the cauliflower once. it looked so cosy there.

Am also getting tired of caked on mud. I'm thinking of switching to either Sainsburys or the farmer's market.

Ugh. I used to grow my own veg but the slugs and bugs got out if control. You'd think a box would be one step up. Is there another company providing boxes in your area?

I had always wanted an organic veg box but life had never worked out.

Finally for one a little while ago.

The first one was magic, everything I'd ever dreamed.

The second one was a little disappointing, didn't seem very full, not a good selection.

The third was significantly under in both fruit and veg and one piece was mouldy!

I cancelled it and have yet to set up another. I think I will but I'm apprehensive.

I think you should have a word with the suppliers
It's all very well liking the idea and wanting to support the producers but if they don't supply what you want, they aren't going to make a success of the business.
I used to get a box YEARS ago but had to stop, it just wasn't suited to our family. Also, it was expensive!

I've been a bit slack on the allotment front this year and there's nothing on there to eat at the moment.

I might actually tell them why I'm cancelling- I got three boxes for cheap but tonight was my third,I don't think I'd really pay full whack. If I do keep it going I need to make sure I only get stuff I can peel!

Maybe it depends which company. We've had Riverford for years and it's always pretty clean and tasty. We get fortnightly and it comes with recipe cards which are helpful.

Where is your box coming from?! I had one for years and had the very very occasional caterpillar in the lettuce but that was about it. It wasn't scrubbed clean but neither was it "caked in mud"

That would put me off.

A while back I opened up my box from Able and Cole and found that most of the fruit and vegetables were covered in a white substance. I assumed this was mold and furiously rang them up straight away. They apologized and credited me the whole of the box.

On further inspection the white stuff was cream which had obviously leaked from somebody else's delivery. I thought it still wasn't good enough to send them like that, but I was able to use the fruit and veg after I had washed them.

I always found Able and Cole very good when I rang up on the odd occasion I had something that wasn't quite right. They would always credit me.

I have tried a number of different companies, they all come caked in mud and with free bugs :) I couldn't deal with the faff... If tesco can sell me organic carrots without the mud why do the ones in my box have mud...and the mud and bug free ones are cheaper!

My box is from Riverford - the carrots, potatoes etc come very very muddy, huge clumps of it and slugs on anything with leaves

Oh no. A few chemicals never hurt anyone.