Potatoes and Onions

For the last several months, I have had the worst potatoes and onions consistently than ever. I buy different places, on sale, full exorbitant price and given to me. All are so horrible. The potatoes either have rotten places, black spots or both. The onions are over-ripe and sprouting or just black, mushy rotten places. It is so discouraging. 

One was called Idaho White Potatoes. While I have heard of white potatoes, I never knew or forgot that they were called that as a variety or brand. Tommy says he does not like red potatoes. But, he never complains when he eats them. I think it is because I really like red potatoes with the skin on for mashing or just eating. I have to peel them for him although I have seen him eat red potatoes with the skin still on at church dinners! 

I suppose I have not bought Yukon Gold. As a matter of fact, I rarely buy potatoes or have ones given to me. When we do eat potatoes, I let mine get cold and barely heat them to just barely room temp to eat. 

The only onions that have been decent have been the three lbs. red onions given to me. Three pounds of yellow onions from Publix were all rotting to some degree. Finally, I needed onion for my potato salad and just bought one loose, good yellow onion at a premium price. It was very good.

When I went to Publix one day this last week, I took the three-pound bag of onions with three onions and no receipt. I told the cs person that I had no receipt and did not expect a refund. But, every onion was rotten, that they needed to buy better onions. The guy gave me $3.99+tax back on a store card that I used immediately. I now feel vindicated. 

If the potatoes are not filled with rotten spots, they have multiple black spots, tiny places that I don't like to eat. It has been a trial. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind the trimming that is sometimes inevitable. But, the continual rot is just annoying when  I have paid by the pound for produce. 

Last Friday, I saw the first Vidalia onions of the season, my favorite onion. They looked as though they had been chopped, harvested by a drunk person. And, the price was exorbitant--$1.19/lb., about twice what they should be. 

AND, I store onions and potatoes in different rooms. I am not spoiling them here by hastening their ripening. 

Has anyone else found that onions and potatoes are lacking, not high quality this year? 

Tommy's wounds are okay today. When we went for a drive on Sunday, he wanted the place on his Achille's tendon covered. I could not find a bandaid even though I have plenty in all sizes and gauze and tape.   He said to take tissue and put it on tape and use that. I took a square of my tp that does not shred, folded it and put mupirocin on it and applied the makeshift bandaid to his leg with packing tape. Then, I took another long piece of tape and put in along his tendon and under his heel so the shoe would not peel/scrap it off. This wound is worse than the finger but still does not look like it will fester. I will keep an eye on it. 

The person, neighbor who mowed Tommy's yard for free, a neighbor, just whizzed around and did not mow in corners. There are some weeds over 2 feet high. I hate Roundup, but had him use the handsprayer for about a half-dozen terrible weeds. The whole yard looks so ratty and backyard was not mowed, so something must be done! I was going to use vinegar, but I could not locate the empty sprayer I purchased two years ago. I was going to put vinegar and dish soap and water in it to kill the weeds. 

We can only do things in small increments around here, so we can never get it all done. Tonight, I will make strawberry shortcake. The strawberries have been macerating overnight. The shortcake will be just sweet, buttery biscuits. For dinner he had an incredibly old two drumsticks that I fear will make him sick and a salad. I had Romaine with a can of tuna on top. I put Miracle Whip and dill and sweet relish in the tuna. 

So, are you having a problem with potatoes and onions?