organic for cheapskates

[onebatmother]

okay, so I try to buy organic veg and meat esp for the kids.

But I am v broke and also not too uptight about it so..

does anyone know which veg are the ones you'd really want to get organic versions of?

for example, seem to remember that with peppers, it's either VITAL that you get organic, or it doesn't matter a jot, but no idea which..

Thank you!

Blood and thunder! that'll learn me to move away from the board. Only 2 answers at 2pm, so I farked orf.

Thank you all, how brilliant.

I am sticking with organic meat (barring a massive and sudden revelation) - and dairy (milk,cheese etc). But was confused about them damm veggies.

I am now far clearer. Thank you all, esp f/z for links.

actually sorry, that was such a shit post.

so, to distill advice:

thin-skinned veg eg toms
grown-underground stuff eg pots
milk
eggs
beef/chicken

just trying to imagine which veg doesnt meet those first 2 requirements...

tooTicky I was saying why do you say bananas need to be organic.

Dairy - milk and cheese.

I am in support of gm foods actually.

organic celery is delish

Bananas are very heavily sprayed. In fact, when the monkeys at Bristol zoo were given organic bananas, they ate them skin and all. Before that, they had been peeling them.

But the skins are very thick????

actually that's what I was thinking.. half remember reading something about fairtrade v organic which said that the benefits of organic bananas are slim bcs of thick skin (and aren't necessarily fairtrade), versus ethical benefits of fairtrade.

onebat - veg that don't meet the thin-skinned or underground criteria are squashes & pumpkin and podded peas & beans. They're not on the 'definitely not' list on Franny's 2nd link - which I see doesn't list any of the brassicas either.

Waitrose has a quite a range of frozen organic veg which are quite cheap - peas, sweetcorn, corn on the cob, cauliflower, broccoli etc and they don't go off either.

PS. I had to really think about the veg question! But I wonder that if the thick-skinned and above-ground veg are crop sprayed, something like a pumpkin plant might soak up loads of chemical because the fruits have to swell so much - maybe that's what happens with bananas?

hello Duchess
that is a very small list then isn't it?

yes, you're right, organic frozen is def good option that I'd forgotten about. But the nearest waitrose is .. well, let's just say it's some way away. And am self-sabotaging non-driver. Actually, Sainsbury's do some, but not my local one.

Oh buggeration. Part of the prob is that I live in Walthamstow (E London) and we have her-yuge market here - which can quarter the cost of veg.

So I'm quite keen to have a list of things that aren't quite so bad. Pesticide-wise, rather than on taste grounds.

EachPeach
you're absolutely right about reduced stuff - problem is that supermarkets are soo brutal about space/profit margins that if something isn't selling well they drop it within 2 weeks or so.

EG our local small Asda (who have in big stores brill range of organic meat, a LOT cheaper than Sainsb.), stopped doing organic meat after a month. So it's a horrid social-engineering vicious circle - the people who would buy organic (growing rapidly round here) won't go near Asda bcs they don't do organic meat - thus proving Asda's point that nobody wants organic.

Tesco do organic frozen veg I think. The peppers are v handy!

Fairtrade products have to meet certain environmental standards, so are better than standard non-organic in terms of chemicals.

really tooticky? Like non-gm? or more vague?

really tooticky? Like non-gm? or more vague?

You'd have to check with the Fair Trade official body. I know when I read it I was impressed, but my memory is not what it was

Now I'm only finding "environmental standards must be complied with" , but I'm sure what I read before was more informative.

waitrose at south woodford obm ...

I Know hoxtonchick! But sadly I can't drive. Having alwasy been a central london girl with no need of either driving or supermarkets in my life..

Am learning now. Soon will be able to swan around South Woodford Waitrose to my heart's content.

What are you doing round these parts, anyway, with your smart metropolitan name?

inlaws are in wanstead obm, & i know many people who used to live in hackney (as do we), but couldn't afford to buy anywhere so moved to walthamstow....

good luck with the driving lessons. you'll be charging round the north circ in no time.

ah yes Walthamstow the retreat of the impoverished North Londoner/Hackneyite.

It's quite good here actually now. We have a ludicrously posh deli/restaurant thingy which sells.. Neals Yard Cheese and Borough Market bread!

And lots and lots of dog poo on the pavements.

my sil lives in the village & is a big fan of eat17. and the waffle house which we keep trying to go to...

oOoh how exciting! Waffle house is now not ONLY waffle house but proper restaurant with real food that isn't mad!

We are in village too. Does SIL have kids?

yes! she has 2 dses of 6 & almost 8, they go to HM school. does that make sense?!