I only bought things from one seller at a Needham Market Saturday car-boot sale earlier this month. There must have been 100 booters but these were the only useful things I found from one of the House Clearance people.
After checking for sell by dates (I don't mind slightly out of date but not years!) I paid £3 for half a pack of non scratch sponges, sandwich bags, pack of frothy coffee sachets, bottle of Shloer grape and elderflower juice and 12 tubs of mandarins in jelly. I've never tried any of these little pots of fruit in jelly and luckily they have a bit of flavour as I've be eating one instead of a portion of fresh fruit every day. But they are not something I'd bother with again.
And following on from posts about Ultra Processed Foods I looked to see what was in the jellies. Quite a list. Water, Mandarins, Sugar, Thickeners = Carrageenan and Locust bean Gum, Natural Flavourings, Acidity Regulators: Fumeric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Citrate and Malic Acid. Colours: Carmine and Beta Carotene, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid.
That's a good haul, I think. I like jelly but prefer to make my own with fresh fruit. It makes a change now and again and takes me back to childhood. xx
ReplyDeleteFruit cocktail in jelly was a staple when we had aunts and uncles and cousins round for tea. I sometimes make a trifle at Christmas but no one is very keen .
DeleteThis UPF debate is so complex - Dole say their mandarins in jelly "contain no artificial flavourings, sweeteners or colours" (fumaric acid is a fruit acid, and malic acid comes from apples) But the list of ingredients seems so long and complex for a little pot of jelly. I remember buying "E for additives" in the 80s and religiously checking all the foods I was feeding my toddlers!
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember a lot of fuss about colourings at one time.
DeleteGood value purchases. The fruit jellies are a one off but surprising so many ingredients. Carrageenen is red seaweed based and used since 1950s as a thickener. "Might help fight infections". Like Angela, I bought E for additives in the 1980s. . . and still read labels!
ReplyDeleteI might add that house clearance people round here must chuck any food, cupboard stuffs as it's only furniture and textiles which appear at boot sales in these parts.
ReplyDeleteDon't often see foodstuff in the house clearance boxes but thought these were worth a try at this price.
DeleteThat's a really good haul for just £3. Those 'fruit in jelly' pots would be a good buy for my Mum, I will have to look out for them in the supermarket before we go next time.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of folk are getting confused about the whole UPF thing, it's not necessarily that some of the ingredients 'sound' healthy and natural it's the ultra processing of the food in factories for profit, and the cocktail that is produced from the powders and additives. To cut it right down to an easily understandable way of looking at it ... if it's not an ingredient you would have in your kitchen at home readily available for use, it's not something you should eat too often or even at all. Even some 'natural flavours' are actually made from concentrates and powders with additives.
We literally just have to 'choose our poisons' don't we.
Having read most of the book without taking in too many details I've decided I'm not too bothered about all the fuss as I eat mainly from scratch anyway!
DeleteThe fruit in jellies were OK - a nice fruity flavour but quite small. Might be ideal for your Mum
I like your idea of car boot sales. We have yard sales (mine is tomorrow) and it's SO MUCH STUFF. With a car boot, seems like you would be limited so you could do more often and with less stress.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to a good car boot sale for quite a while, poignant isn't it - thinking about the folk whose houses have been cleared, at least their 'stuff' is not going to waste.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
100 car boot sellers in one location sounds like a lot. Your luck is ongoing as you seem to always find something useful.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to find things you like or want to use or eat. Lots of garage and yard sales this time of year here in Oregon. I did buy some things from our neighbor's next door month before the house for sale. I rarely go to sales like that as I have enough stuff.
ReplyDeleteAll the talk of ultra processed food reminds me of my mother's lemonade, a staple of my youth. Lemon juice and grated lemon rind, sugar and tartaric acid and diluted to taste was all that was in it. Makes the list on bottles of shop bought squash look like a novel by comparison.
ReplyDeleteAscorbic acid is Vitamin C. Like I said, too much tv is bad for your health.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely batch of goodies and usable items.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I buy those jellies as a treat for the children - "no jelly if you don't eat your first course" - works miracles. One peppy every so often isn't going to cause an OD of Vitamin C!!
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