# Funny things happen at the grocery store



## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

I was shopping yesterday afternoon and while looking at apples, I hear a lady talking to her phone, she was asking her phone "what kind of apples do kids like?"

I had to find out more so asked her if she needed some help. Our conversation went like this:

Me - what kind of apples do you need?
Her - some my kids will like, they didn't like the last ones I bought.
Me - what kind did you buy last time?
Her - points at green apples.
Me - those are Granny Smith, good for pies but not so much for kids to eat as they are tart.
Her - Oh. What should I get?
Me - How about the old standard "red delicious". Most kids like those.
Her - they are so hard.
Me - I know, they are apples.
Her - I know that, but they are really hard.
Me - well they ship them a little "green" so they don't spoil before people buy them.
Her - Well I will come back when they get ripe.

I had to laugh to myself about that one.

Second thing at same store:

I bought some chicken breasts on sale for 2.99. Now you have to understand that there were two shelves of the same chicken breasts. One shelf had boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 4.99 a lb. The shelf right above that one had the EXACT same packages for 2.99 a lb. I picked up the 2.99 a lb. pack and put that in my buggy. A lady was looking and I was trying to be a bit helpful and pointed out that the chicken on the second shelf was priced at 2.99.


The lady told me "It's probably not as good as the 4.99 a lb. chicken breast" so she picked the more expensive pack and walked away. A man standing behind her laughed out loud as honest to goodness it was the EXACT same chicken, packaged in the same manner, as the cheaper chicken.

Funny things do happen at the grocery store.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Thanks for trying.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Maybe she wanted ripe apples for eating right away. However I am always amazed at the number of people who can't identify different produce. I had a middle aged man ask me if what he was holding was celery. Nope. It was leeks. He was shopping because his wife had a broken foot. He never shopped or cooked before. wow.

As for the chicken - what was the date on the packages? Our store always reduces the "about to expire" meat.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I've had adult cashiers have to ask me what a fruit or vegetable was because they didn't know. And I've had to point out errors when they ring it up without asking and get it wrong!


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

The chicken was not close to expiring, I believe the store forgot to change the pricing on the expensive chicken because the store advertised the chicken as "on sale" with a price on the second shelf showing the sale price of 2.99. 

As far as the apples, I thought it was funny that she said she would come back when they were ripe, like they would ripen in the store.

Just a funny thing to say.

Have you had funny things happen in your grocery store?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Well, years ago when artichokes were not so common in the midwest, a woman saw me getting some and stopped to ask some questions. The end was that she simply did not believe me about how you pull off the fleshy part of the bottom of the leaves with your teeth. She told me that it was rude to make up stuff.
I forgave her immediately as artichokes are sort of the space aliens of vegetables.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

The lady buying the more expensive chicken made me laugh - people are strange sometimes! Your story reminded me of the time I was buying Kool Aid and another woman was too. She was counting hers out carefully and I offered to give her a coupon for buy 10 and get 3 free (if I remember right) and she said no that it would just confuse her more! Oh well, I tried.


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

Microwave them for a minute and they will be soft.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Ahhhh, y'all need to come to Oregon/WA...nobody that knows apples buys Red Delicious, we got Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, McIntosh, Ambrosia, Braeburn, Cameo, Candycrisp on and on, bins and bins of apples! And yes, Granny Smith! Juicy! Perfect tart/sweet! 

The Red Delicious just sit there like rocks haha!


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## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

I so needed a laugh today... Thank you...


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

ps, if it helps, my kids like Fuji and Golden Delicious (which totally blows Red away). They preferred granny Smith for dipping in caramel sauce, me too


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

I'm a Braeburn nut. Red delicious are good for throwing


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## Alice Kramden (Mar 26, 2008)

Instant potatoes. The lady could not understand the concept. How long does it take to cook them, she asks. I turn the package over and show her the instructions, and say it takes as long as it takes to boil the water. Still not getting it. 

There is a recipe on the back for preparing a full meal, meat, vegs, and the potatoes. It states (more or less) a meal in 21 minutes....she points to it and says that's how long it takes! 

I tried again. That's for cooking an entire meal, m'am. 

She took a package and put it into her cart. I reckon she cooked 'em for 21 minutes. 

**Sigh** I tried.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

DH does all the shopping from the list that I make for him. "Funny" has yet to be a word he has used about his grocery experiences. And forget about Senior Discount Day. I don't think you could threaten torture and get him there on that day. 

We grow 3 types of apples, Granny Smith, Gala and Fuji. I didn't know we had a new Fuji tree; so much for how often I go up the hill to see, but between our 2 Fuji trees we have a total of 17 apples that were picked this week. Yay! That's the largest crop we've had in the past umpteen years we've had those trees.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

sidepasser said:


> The chicken was not close to expiring, I believe the store forgot to change the pricing on the expensive chicken because the store advertised the chicken as "on sale" with a price on the second shelf showing the sale price of 2.99.


I would have told the lady, "Oh, the more expensive breasts are probably from chickens that hasn't had chicks, yet, so they probably haven't been used as much. But that really doesn't matter to me."


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

I've been called a liar when I told someone it was a pineapple, because pineapple only comes in rings in cans.

Was asked with great earnestness by a 20-something young man how he could tell which melon was good to eat when he couldn't see 'the inside' and how I could tell which melons were the 'green ones' or the 'orange ones'(honeydew or cantelope). He was so impressed by my great store of knowledge of the innards of melons that I felt like a NASA scientist walking away.

One woman informed me that I shouldn't buy the "near expiration" type meats on sale(half price! Woot!) because "That's from old animals!" I'm assuming she heard it was "old meat" and jumped to thinking it was meat from old animals.

I can't think of more right now, but grocery stores often involve amusement for me.


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## BusyBees2 (Dec 10, 2004)

I love helping the 20-somethings who are obviously shopping for their first 'big' meal...usually Thanksgiving. They have their list all written out and look around with big eyes having no idea where to find things or how much to buy.

Of course, I offered to help one young lady, and turns out she was responsible for cooking for 11 siblings and didn't need help! lol


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

wyld thang said:


> Ahhhh, y'all need to come to Oregon/WA...nobody that knows apples buys Red Delicious, we got Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, McIntosh, Ambrosia, Braeburn, Cameo, Candycrisp on and on, bins and bins of apples! And yes, Granny Smith! Juicy! Perfect tart/sweet!
> 
> The Red Delicious just sit there like rocks haha!


I hate red delicious (they're too soft and mushy tasting to me), but I love Gala, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

mnn2501 said:


> I hate red delicious (they're too soft and mushy tasting to me), but I love Gala, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.


Cortlands are my favorite. Had red delicious trees up north, and the goats got those. Yuck.

I hope we can get a Cortland tree next year... 

When it comes to the grocery store, I learned to put on my blinders, keep my head down, and plow through. People are so disconnected from the things they eat, it makes me so darned sad.


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## Liberty'sGirl (Jul 7, 2012)

Red Delicious apples were good when we got them in our Christmas stockings as kids. They did something to them and now they have NO flavor. They might was well wax them and set them out for decoration.

Love Fuji, Braeburn, Gala, Ida Reds, Jonathan, and MacIntosh (top choice). Honey Crisp are good, but don't know what the excitement is about, they aren't much different than the other newer apples. 

Our local orchard should be selling apples soon. Cannot wait!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I like a crisp, tart apple.
Red and Golden delicious are just mealy and gross....


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

Even as a child I remember thinking that Red and Golden Delicious should be reviewed by the advertising standards board! lol

But mostly I am horrified at the idea of you all "helping" people who clearly neither want nor need your help in the grocery store. :shocked:


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Liberty'sGirl said:


> Red Delicious apples were good when we got them in our Christmas stockings as kids. They did something to them and now they have NO flavor. They might was well wax them and set them out for decoration.


I agree- at one point Red Delicious truly lived up to their names. But commercial breeders changed them for uniform redness even when not really ripe and thick skin to keep it from bruising during shipping. Yuck.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

The funniest incident at the store is when I came upon DH with a woman who was intent on making nice-nice. She was batting her eyelashes and flirting up a storm while the poor guy had the deer-in-the-headlights look! I rescued him by going up to them and asking him if he needed any help finding the condoms in the store. He blushed a million shades of pink and she scurried off.

I suspect that she was a bit dingy, bless her heart!


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

It's not my home county, but I'm going to throw in a plug here for the best apple festival in Ky:

http://www.caseycountyapplefestival.org

It's Sept 12 and 13 and they have all of the best food vendors. I went a few years ago, ok, many many moons ago, and for street food it can't be beat. Plus they make a giant apple pie on Saturday and it's free to the public. Casey County is known for its' apple orchards.

The guy that did chimney work for us was from Casey County. He brought us a few of the apples he had growing on his property. It was the first time I'd ever had a Stayton Winesap apple, really good sweet taste in a firmer texture.


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## Sumer (May 24, 2003)

sidepasser said:


> Second thing at same store:
> 
> The lady told me "It's probably not as good as the 4.99 a lb. chicken breast" so she picked the more expensive pack and walked away. A man standing behind her laughed out loud as honest to goodness it was the EXACT same chicken, packaged in the same manner, as the cheaper chicken.
> .


That HAD to be my sister! 
Then she would call ME and complain about the price of food.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Funny story but I have to ask...if $2.99lb chicken breasts is a sale I'd find another place to shop! 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

just adding to the giggles - bought golden beets and the checker rang them up as carrots. :huh: I stopped her and told her they were beets. She said no, she knew her produce, beets are purple. Then she asked me if I wanted to put them back, since I had picked up carrots instead of beets by mistake. :umno:Big, fat, round carrots will do just fine, thanks.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

wannabechef said:


> Funny story but I have to ask...if $2.99lb chicken breasts is a sale I'd find another place to shop!
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


That was my thoughts too.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> That was my thoughts too.


Bone in with skin are nearly always $.99 lb at Kroger and Sam's boneless skinless are always $1.98 lb...catch Kroger at the right time and boneless skinless are $1.29lb.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2013)

Eating apples - Jonagold & Summer Rambo .


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## JoePa (Mar 14, 2013)

There is a Cabela's near where I live - for those who don't know Cablea's is 99% fishing and hunting store - one day I'm coming out of the store and in front of me is a older couple - the woman was walking behind the man - she really looks beat and all wore out - the man stops and says - now you know what it feels like when I have to go shopping with you - I thought that was pretty funny -


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

It's not just at the grocery store. I was at a local farm stand. They had green, white and brown eggs all packed in the same carton. I asked the guy what kinds of chickens they had. And he informed me that the eggs were different colors depending on what they feed them. I try to explain to him that it depended on the breed, but I don't think he believed me.

I was at a campfire/night walk at a local nature center. Normally, I don't go on the walk since it can make me dizzy. So, I'll stay back and tend the fire. Well one year, this older lady also stayed. She's telling me about this senior trip she had taken to a zoo. She was all excited about the different animals that they got to see up close and personal. Then she says, and we also got to see a chicken.

I'm sitting there trying to figure out what's so special about seeing a chicken when she informs me that it lays green eggs. So I told her that I have chickens that lay green eggs. She gives me this look and says, REALLY!? What do you do w/the eggs? I told her I eat them. Then she looks at me and asks, what do they taste like? I tell her eggs.

I've had people that look at my eggs and ask what's wrong w/them, are they moldy, etc.

I'm also an artichoke lover. And I don't know how many times I've had to tell the cashier what they are.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

JoePa said:


> There is a Cabela's near where I live - for those who don't know Cablea's is 99% fishing and hunting store - one day I'm coming out of the store and in front of me is a older couple - the woman was walking behind the man - she really looks beat and all wore out - the man stops and says - now you know what it feels like when I have to go shopping with you - I thought that was pretty funny -


Yes, yes, yes. I have always felt that way following someone around a fabric store. ")


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## I_don't_know (Sep 28, 2012)

I know it s not produce but,

I was working in the paint department when a woman brought in an empty paint can. She told us she had painted the room and decided she did not like the color so she wanted her money back.

We have to wounder about us.​


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

I don't usually offer unsolicited advice, but I sure don't mind giving it if asked. One of the stores near us has the bad habit of selling green potatoes, so I always flick the skin of at least one in the bag through one of the ventilation holes. A gentleman holding a little baby watched for a minute or so, then asked me why I was doing that. I was happy to explain and he was amazed -- didn't know anything about green potatoes.

Yes, the disconnection between people and their food is truly depressing.


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## cast iron (Oct 4, 2004)

Wait until you have a conversation with a non-gardener about Kohlrabi.

"What is that?!"

"You eat that?"

"What do you do with the tentacles?"


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I would have agreed totally with the general assessment of Red Delicious until last year.

We went to an apple orchard... well, a sea of apple orchards in the mountains. One had their old trees marked with signs, and you were more than welcome to pick from them as well. There was an RD planted in 1955. Out of curiosity, I picked a small one and tried it. Handed it to DH to try. I think we brought home two dozen of those things and they were *gone* in less than two weeks. Course, I'm sure a Red Delicious tree you can buy today is nothing like a sixty year old strain.


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

Honeycrisp apples are the best, in my humble opinion.


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## SilverFlame819 (Aug 24, 2010)

I'm astounded that nobody has mentioned the amazingness of Pink Ladies. They are fantastic.

And since we're on the apple topic, has anyone seen Broken Limbs? I love that documentary... But some astounding and saddening statistics in it.


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

WV Hillbilly said:


> Eating apples - Jonagold & Summer Rambo .


Absolutely love Jonagold. My favorite apple.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

Marcia in MT said:


> I don't usually offer unsolicited advice, but I sure don't mind giving it if asked. One of the stores near us has the bad habit of selling green potatoes, so I always flick the skin of at least one in the bag through one of the ventilation holes. A gentleman holding a little baby watched for a minute or so, then asked me why I was doing that. I was happy to explain and he was amazed -- didn't know anything about green potatoes.
> 
> Yes, the disconnection between people and their food is truly depressing.


I think that a person's exposure to food prep and/or growing food facilitates their knowledge.


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

$1.99 boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the standard price (on lock down) at Wegmans here. Tops sells it for, I think, $3.99. 
I did get some at a little local shop, Sloans if anyone here is close to the Buffalo area, for $1.19. I keep watching their sale ad, but haven't seen that low a price in a while.

When I first moved to NY from CA, I wanted to make guacamole. I found the avacados but I couldn't find the guacamole mix. So I asked. 
He looks totally confused "what's gua-ca-mole?" Yep, I'm not in California anymore! 

Many years ago I was buying ground beef on sale. I had just several packages of beef and a pack of ziplock freezer bags in my cart. The woman in front of me, cart packed with garbage foods, asked what I was going to do with all that beef. "I'm going to freeze it, it's on sale"

"You can freeze meat?"

WOW


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

SJSFarm said:


> $1.99 boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the standard price (on lock down) at Wegmans here. Tops sells it for, I think, $3.99.
> I did get some at a little local shop, Sloans if anyone here is close to the Buffalo area, for $1.19. I keep watching their sale ad, but haven't seen that low a price in a while.
> 
> When I first moved to NY from CA, I wanted to make guacamole. I found the avacados but I couldn't find the guacamole mix. So I asked.
> ...


Lol about the meat freezing!

Have you learned how to make guacamole without the packet by now?

Soices: (to taste)

Garlic poder
Onion powder
Salt
Red pepper
Chile powder
And lime juice, 1/2 lime for on avacado
Cilantro, fresh

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

Yea I have now, but my taste buds are still addicted to the packet! 

Thanks!!


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

SJSFarm said:


> Yea I have now, but my taste buds are still addicted to the packet!
> 
> Thanks!!


You need to work on that!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

This was just sad. Last week dh and I were at the local WM, buying a few things. We kept running into this one lady and her son with their cart full of garbage.
The boy was grabbing things off the shelves and mom was telling him yes or no.
Well we ran into them on the bottled water isle, while we were grabbing 5 cases, and dh just couldn't stand it anymore, as the boy was grabbing a case of soda. So he made a comment, nicely, asking if they were having a party for the beginning of school. Mom said "Oh no. I'm teaching him how to shop."
Every single thing in that cart was processed snack type food. 
She said he was learning how to get the best deals, and this was his lunch stuff for school.
I told dh that they probably hadn't gotten to the produce and meat isle yet.
Until we saw them in line, not a single piece of fruit or a veggie that wasn't canned or boxed. The only liquid in the cart was canned soda. She even had those box dinners with the meat included.
They were in the next line, and she smiled at me and said "Isn't it great how they make it so you just don't have to waste your time cooking now days. Our kids are so lucky they don't have to deal with that."
All I could think was how sad that seemed to me.


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## elkhunter10 (Nov 29, 2012)

This wasn't at the grocery store, but when I was still working, one of the wives of a deputy started homeschooling and told me the kids were eating everything in the house, so what could she make for a cheap snack. I told her popcorn, but she replied she didn't have a microwave. I told her how to make popcorn the old fashioned way, with a heavy pot, oil and on the stove. Her eyes glossed over and I could tell she wouldn't even consider it.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I much prefer the taste of real popcorn to the microwave junk! 

I've been working at a local nature center this summer. For 4 weeks in July, we had 1/2 day day camps. And the kids would bring snacks w/them. There was one boy that brought a large bag of chips every day.


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## irondale (Oct 3, 2012)

My favorite apple is the Zestar.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I've got a Red Delicious tree that has fabulous apples, sweet, crunchy, and juicy. But they aren't picked under-ripe, stored for 5 months in cold storage, and shipped across the country.

It's normal to chat in the grocery store here and I have frequent conversations with the checkers and other people in the line about our favorite recipes to cook stuff. Not a lot of idiot questions, except at Christmas when the standing rib roasts are on sale. I always end up explaining to several people how to cook them.

I do occasionally have someone ask me why I am smelling the cantaloupes.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

My preference in apples is Gala, but then we don't have a lot of choices ... usually Gala, Red Delicious and Granny Smith. I've finally gotten over being amazed by the lack of good fresh fruit here in KY ... we had a much better selection for a longer period of time in the smaller stores in MT.


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