So do you, folks, buy organic food or do you believe it is nothing but a marketing ploy on par with “fat-free” and “100% natural?” As for me, I’m undecided on the subject. The organic section of our grocery store (which used to be very tiny) has grown to about 1/4 of the entire produce section. This must mean that people are seeing something in this whole organic deal. So what’s your approach?
On the photo, you can see the only peas in the world that are worth eating. For some reason, they are called English peas here, although they are a staple in Ukraine. These peas are almost never sold in the Midwest, so I’m ecstatic to have found them. The difference between them and all other peas is that you are not supposed to eat the pod (and whose weird invention is that, anyway?). In these good peas, when you open the pod, there are actual peas, sweet, juicy, plump peas, inside. Whenever I chance to buy them, I always plan to use them for my vegetable soup. That never happens, though, because I eat them all long before the water for the soup boils.
Clarissa's Blog 
I do buy organic when I can. But sometimes it’s too expensive. I like it because it is low pesticide and that’s important to me. Organic also tends to be smaller farmers and promote more humane practices in general. And, like with anything, there are some issues. Like I know that organic labels can’t be trusted etc etc. But, at basis, I personally think organic is great. But I am not 100% organic because then I would go broke. 😉
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But if you can’t trust the label, then how can you know it is lower in pesticide and the other good things?
For instance, do you notice a difference in taste? Or in your health after eating it for a while.
I will be making a fully organic borscht today, and I will try to see if I feel any different about the taste.
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As J says below, you can trust most organic labels. I just know that there is some occasional scuttlebutt surrounding organic labels. So it’s more of an awareness thing. I don’t notice much of a difference in taste generally. (With tomatoes I do…..) But for me, it’s more about health, avoiding pesticides, avoiding genetically modified foods etc etc. Like I said, I’m not 100% but I do try. Especially with things like dairy and eggs.
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Yes! Eggs definitely differ A LOT. There is this guy who sells me eggs from his own hens, and they just look and smell amazing! The color of the yolk is this intense orange. And the taste. . . .mmm. . . they taste of the country-side.
As for milk, I only once found the really organic kind. It actually spoiled 3 days later! Oh, it was good.
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Not sure what “organic” entails, but milk that hasn’t been processed to hell and back really is amazing. Even full-fat non-UHT tastes like water in comparison. If the one you bought spoiled 3 days later, it must’ve been 4 days old when you bought it tho. Or did you not boil it before putting it in the fridge?
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” Or did you not boil it before putting it in the fridge?”
– No. . . was I supposed to?
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Yep, gets rid of the bacteria in it. Presuming it didn’t come from an ill cow, you won’t get sick from it anyway, but boiling it is still a good idea because you get rid of the stuff that spoils the milk. Of course, spores aren’t destroyed at boiling temperature (which is 86*C if you boil it until it swells or 100* if you break the skin when it starts swelling and keep mixing until it starts a proper boil) so 5 days after boiling I start testing it by heating up a bit in a pot before using any (rotten milk won’t necessarily smell or taste off when it’s fridge-temperature but getting it hot makes the smell and taste much more obvious) and 7 days later I throw whatever’s left away. If you boil it, keep it in the fridge and it still goes bad after 3 days, you’re being sold old milk.
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Stille: this is what happens to those of us who have been separated from real milk for 20 years! Thank you for reminding me. I used to know all this But I forgot. How very very sad. 😦
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Smaller farms. Not smaller farmers. 😉
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The organic sections could be bigger because “there is something to it”…or because the supermarkets, producers, advertisers, and others in the chain make about four times (actual number just guessed at) as much profit from the organic produce than from the others…
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It varies for me. The store I frequent uses different suppliers for their organic versus non-organic produce. So there are times when, for example, the organic kale looks fresher and crisper than does the non-organic — just as there are times when the non-organic variety looks better. I purchase what appears to be the best produce I can, regardless of whether it’s organic or not.
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For me it’s about both the pesticides and the GMO’s with produce, and the hormones and antibiotics in dairy and meat. We buy mostly organic. It’s one of the few labels on anything that actually has some concrete rules and safeguards attached to it. (Unlike “natural” and “local”–once my grocery store was selling “local” mushrooms from California. I live in Illinois. Effing ridiculous.) I don’t love the cost, but when I see milk for 97 cents a gallon I wonder where those cows come from and what they’re being fed…and pony up the extra few dollars.
J.
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“For me it’s about both the pesticides and the GMO’s with produce, and the hormones and antibiotics in dairy and meat. We buy mostly organic. It’s one of the few labels on anything that actually has some concrete rules and safeguards attached to it. ”
– So you believe the labels? I’m glad to hear this because I will be happy to become less paranoid about this. If I hear enough people whose opinion I respect say they believe the label, I will gladly believe the label, too.
“Unlike “natural” and “local”–once my grocery store was selling “local” mushrooms from California. I live in Illinois.”
– Well, if you think on the planetary scale. . . 🙂 🙂
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Well, it’s less about “believing” the labels than in knowing that “organic” is a federally regulated term; “natural,” “local,” “fat free,” “free range,” “multigrain” and stuff like that are not, and any schmo can slap one onto anything whenever they want.
It ain’t perfect. And God knows the FDA isn’t exactly the pinnacle of trustworthiness. But at least it’s something.
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This is making me feel really good. Thank you, J.!!
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In Israel we have lots of non-organic fruits and vegetables, so we never buy organic. I think that if I already f.e. breathe polluted air all day long, usual food won’t do much harm. And, as I noticed, people tend to die from genetical predispositions to XYZ at a certain age, without any connection to super healthy or not lifestyle. I am a big believer in genetics, based on what I have seen.
Of course, by “super healthy or not” I don’t mean “eat junk food all day, don’t walk at all, etc”. Those things are worth doing simply to make today’s life better, and sometimes (but not always, like in cases of dying before 65 despite living healthily – imo the time of death would be the same with any food) one can shorten one’s life by behaving thus.
And if you can’t buy not organic peas, the question organic or not is moot. 🙂
Now remembered that recently Amanda linked to this article about organic food:
http://www.salon.com/2013/04/11/organic_eden_foods_quiet_right_wing_agenda/
Organic Eden Foods’ quiet right-wing agenda
A crunchy, natural food company marketed to liberals discreetly sues to stop covering employees’ contraception
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In the US, the quality of food is so poor that this is a very specific concern for this country. People from other countries don’t need to worry about this (for now). I had neighbors from Israel at my grad school apartment, and they were telling me in horror that they both gained over 20 pounds in the first semester in the US without changing anything about their diet. So I had to explain how things worked here. 😦 😦
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I do not buy organic systematically. I try to buy locally, however. In the months of August and September I go to my local farmer’s market and buy TONS of tomatoes/eggplants/red bell peppers/zucchinis and other vegetables, and I go on a 72-hour extravaganza of cooking/canning/freezing. Food lasts until March. This system works for me.
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Oh, so you do canning? Lots of respect!!! I’ve been thinking of venturing into canning. I still have all the recipes from my mother & grandmother.
This thread is making me very hungry.
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Venture venture! I only can tomatoes and tomato sauce. but your family must have extraordinary recipes.
The more I think about it the more I realize I do not buy lots of organic food. My only dietary rule is to buy very little processed food and to cook everything myself.
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I’d give up on processed but sausage! Sausage!! 🙂
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I also draw the line at sausage. Though I am at least fortunate enough to be near at least 3 stores with reputable, knowledgeable butchers — who can tell me precisely what is or isn’t in any of their types of sausage. That, I feel, is a reasonable compromise. 😉
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Is sausage by definition processed? I buy my sausage homemade from a local butcher. So I think of it as not processed. But maybe I’m wrong. (And it’s delicious!) 🙂
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So if it’s from a local butcher who makes it right there, in front of you, it isn’t considered processed? This is GOOD NEWS.
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“So if it’s from a local butcher who makes it right there, in front of you, it isn’t considered processed? This is GOOD NEWS.”
Well I don’t consider it processed. Don’t tell me if I’m wrong. 😉
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My other dietary rule is not to ge too zealous about food.
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I wouldn’t be too zealous either if I were moving to you-know-where! 🙂
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The peas on the picture. I eat them raw. They are delicious.
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They look like sugar snap-peas. I thought you were supposed to eat the pods.
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Since we had our daughter, we buy organic eggs, yoghurt, milk and meat. The non-organic versions have too many hormones, which is my main concern. I also developed a severe reaction to non-organic eggs and have encountered other people that have too. As to the fruits/vegetables, we have started buying organic potatoes because I read that non-organic potatoes (and corn) are often genetically modified.
I agree with Ol though – in Montreal we’re lucky to have wonderful farmers’ markets and I trust them more than anything found in grocery stores.
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I will miss my dear old Jean-Talon market…
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Oh, the farmers’ markets in Montreal totally rule. In comparison, our local farmers’ market is poor and miserable.
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Raw peas – love ’em. My mother grows them and you can get them easily in the UK. You can get them fairly easily in France too. I never cook them as I prefer them raw.
I buy organic milk, eggs, bananas and sometimes carrots. The milk and eggs because of the hormone/crap issue, and the bananas and carrots because of the taste. I’d like to buy more organic but the prices are too high, and we also have scandals about false labelling so I just can’t be arsed to spend more for food which might not be as it’s labelled.
I wanted to buy a veg basket of ‘reasonable agriculture’ as it’s called, for limited chemical intervention but not organic, but they are also pricey and my boys are a tad fussy about what veg they eat so I don’t want to be left with stuff on my hands (no cauliflower, no beetroot, cabbage, endive, aubergine, pepper, courgette etc).
When I was in the US I didn’t put on any weight. I was there for a year and we couldn’t afford top quality meat but I returned the same weight I had when I arrived. That was in 1999 though so maybe things have got worse since then.
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” My mother grows them and you can get them easily in the UK.”
– Is she looking to adopt? 🙂 🙂
” You can get them fairly easily in France too.”
– Are you looking to adopt? 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Have a feeling this topic may generate lots of replies.
Anyway, no, I don’t buy organic vegetables. As for dairy, even regular milk and yogurt these days comes hormone-free, I believe. I don’t think there’s any scientific study out there that says organic food is healthier. If you have the money, you can always pay a premium to get the ‘feel good’ factor. I mean, organic food surely can’t hurt even if they’re not better.
It’s not worth it for me, and, like I’ve said earlier, I’ve turned my health around by eating fuckloads of lentils, beans, greens, veggies and fruit, none of them organic.
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” I’ve turned my health around by eating fuckloads of lentils, beans, greens, veggies and fruit, none of them organic.”
– OK, now I’m really hungry! 🙂 I’m very glad about your health, really.
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Some things I find actually are better in the organic section. Bananas, for example, last longer if they’re organic.
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Unrelated to the topic of organic food, Case 1 in this article made me think of your post on how you will handle food with your children: http://www.scienceofeds.org/2012/05/28/does-too-much-exposure-to-thin-models-lead-to-eating-disorders-case-reports-of-anorexia-and-bulimia-in-blind-women/
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Thank you for this great link!!! I will write a post about it now.
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