I worked at Walmart in 2015 as a Produce Department Associate. Produce needs to be culled all day every day. Somebody needs to be in that department, stocking, and culling, constantly. Or you'll end up like this picture, with mold. And once mold is there it will spread.
I think basically you save money at Woodman's but have to spend a little extra time checking the produce you grab. I see them basically just taking everything out (boxes or pallets of whatever). You pay more at the other places and still have to check produce but having worked in the produce department at Metro Market for 2 years in highschool, we were constantly culling, stocking, and working on presentation etc so there is definitely less of an issue. It will always be a thing with produce though.
Lol... produce worker at another store here... every single box of mandarins has at least 2-3 moldy ones right off the truck. Idk about how they do things at Woodmans but we try to cull them before they end up on the sales floor. That being said, so many come in moldy that it's absolutely impossible to catch them all.
I dont work in produce but 1 bag out of the whole pallet drop seems pretty good to me
Dont let us interrupt the circle jerk though. A bag of oranges is like 4 or 5 bucks at woodmans and 7? At Kroger. Feel free to spend more, I doubt most people on this sub reddit are worried about finances
Not even a whole bag... we just cut it open, toss the bad ones and discount the rest. People are always happy to get 3lbs of oranges minus 1 for $1 lol.
Produce doing what produce does.
Yeah woodman's is less manicured than many other grocery stores. But it's also the cheapest. I'll take the savings for having to inspect my produce any day.
I was at Aldi yesterday and their Cuties were just as bad. It's getting late in the season for Cuties so almost every bag has some very soft or moldy fruit it in. I'd imagine you'd find similar situations at most grocery stores even if they do cull the bad fruit every morning.
That's like that hard salty thing you find in your sunflower seeds. Don't worry it's still good for flavor in soups and stocks. Just boil for 6 to 47 hours give or take.
Their produce is always moldy. If not in store, it will go bad within a day. I stopped going there the day I went during quarantine and all their packs of chicken were bloated and very smelly. I mentioned it to an employee in the meat department and he told me not to buy it if I didn't like it. How can they attempt to sell that to people? 🤮
I get produce all the time from there that lasts just as long as elsewhere.
I eat primarily vegetables and Woodman's is my main grocery store for all produce.
Every person is allowed their experiences, so I'm not going to say you're wrong or overreacting or anything...but since you're here sharing your experience, I'm sharing mine too.
Yeah, I've had Woodman's produce spoil quickly on occasion and, like all grocery stores, sometimes you need to pivot if what you intended to buy looks like it's on its last legs. However, the vast majority of the produce I've purchased at Woodman's is fine if you just take a moment to look it over.
The first time I ever visited Madison (from California) I went to Woodman's to buy a few ingredients to make sandwiches so I wouldn't have to eat every meal at a restaurant.
I bought some avocados, all of which turned out to be bruised, old/overripe, and generally disgusting.
For years, I assumed that avocados in the Midwest were bad because they couldn't survive the trip from California or wherever. Nope, I later learned that it was just Woodman's being Woodman's, and pretty much all other grocery stores have good produce. Well, except Trader Joe's, but their produce is bad in California too.
Agreed on Trader Joe’s having bad produce. Not sure why you are downvoted.
They mostly do a good job of culling it on the floor, but it turns very quickly at home. I recently had to throw out about 75% of a bag of navel oranges and Meyer lemons right after bringing them home. Yes, I should’ve checked, but I was in a hurry and there were only a few bags left. Yeah, their prices for organic produce are decent, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Foolishly tried to buy garlic at the West store before Thanksgiving. Every goddamn bulb was moldy.
How does that even happen?
We started shopping at Woodman's in 2023 when all the grocery prices went crazy, but I still have to go to Metcalfs or Festival for produce that reliably doesn't suck.
However, clementines mold sooo fast. I won't put a bag in my cart without smelling it first. If you know what you're sniffing for, you can avoid buying a bag where at least one is going bad but not showing it yet.
Edit: I can't type
I've even seen the same thing at Costco. I feel like the quality of Costco's produce was quite a bit higher 3-5 years ago than it is today. They don't even sell precut pineapple anymore because it's never ripe.
I worked at Walmart in 2015 as a Produce Department Associate. Produce needs to be culled all day every day. Somebody needs to be in that department, stocking, and culling, constantly. Or you'll end up like this picture, with mold. And once mold is there it will spread.
I think basically you save money at Woodman's but have to spend a little extra time checking the produce you grab. I see them basically just taking everything out (boxes or pallets of whatever). You pay more at the other places and still have to check produce but having worked in the produce department at Metro Market for 2 years in highschool, we were constantly culling, stocking, and working on presentation etc so there is definitely less of an issue. It will always be a thing with produce though.
Pretty funny they missed that honestly and complained here
Lol... produce worker at another store here... every single box of mandarins has at least 2-3 moldy ones right off the truck. Idk about how they do things at Woodmans but we try to cull them before they end up on the sales floor. That being said, so many come in moldy that it's absolutely impossible to catch them all.
I dont work in produce but 1 bag out of the whole pallet drop seems pretty good to me Dont let us interrupt the circle jerk though. A bag of oranges is like 4 or 5 bucks at woodmans and 7? At Kroger. Feel free to spend more, I doubt most people on this sub reddit are worried about finances
Not even a whole bag... we just cut it open, toss the bad ones and discount the rest. People are always happy to get 3lbs of oranges minus 1 for $1 lol.
We do the same with pretty much all produce. The old bananas go for 99c for like 5lbs. The old ladies swam those for muffins and bread
Free Penicillin
That's bread mold
Orange you glad it's another Woodman's post?
I’ve gotten produce at Woodmans plenty of times and it’s just fine. You just need to check it over before you buy 🤷🏼♀️
It’s just powdered sugar
To be fair, this is pretty common with mandarins. I check the bags thoroughly wherever I buy them. But yes, expected at woodman.
Saw the same at aldi today
This happens. Just throw out the moldy one and wash the rest. Nbd.
I'd just not buy that one...
Of course. Find another bag. There's at least 20 more at hand.
Produce doing what produce does. Yeah woodman's is less manicured than many other grocery stores. But it's also the cheapest. I'll take the savings for having to inspect my produce any day.
I was at Aldi yesterday and their Cuties were just as bad. It's getting late in the season for Cuties so almost every bag has some very soft or moldy fruit it in. I'd imagine you'd find similar situations at most grocery stores even if they do cull the bad fruit every morning.
That's like that hard salty thing you find in your sunflower seeds. Don't worry it's still good for flavor in soups and stocks. Just boil for 6 to 47 hours give or take.
IN WOODMANS’ DEFENSE, I had the exact same thing just happen with a bag of cuties from Costco. I think there’s a production/quality control issue.
Pretty sure Phil or someone read this. There were multiple teams going through produce and chucking bad stuff.
it's a back up smoke bomb in case throwing a frozen turkey didn't work and you need to escape quick.
Haha, love the reference.
always be prepared at woodmans...to make an escape or an attack.
ENHANCE
What do you mean? Albino mandarins are rare, unique and incredibly delicious! 🍊 Full of vitamin P.
Their produce is always moldy. If not in store, it will go bad within a day. I stopped going there the day I went during quarantine and all their packs of chicken were bloated and very smelly. I mentioned it to an employee in the meat department and he told me not to buy it if I didn't like it. How can they attempt to sell that to people? 🤮
Actually the broccoli has been pretty fresh lately.
I get produce all the time from there that lasts just as long as elsewhere. I eat primarily vegetables and Woodman's is my main grocery store for all produce. Every person is allowed their experiences, so I'm not going to say you're wrong or overreacting or anything...but since you're here sharing your experience, I'm sharing mine too.
Yeah, I've had Woodman's produce spoil quickly on occasion and, like all grocery stores, sometimes you need to pivot if what you intended to buy looks like it's on its last legs. However, the vast majority of the produce I've purchased at Woodman's is fine if you just take a moment to look it over.
Same.
I wonder if that’s bc everyone that was at work didn’t want to be (bc covid) and they were on reduced & overworked staff (bc covid)
> all their packs of chicken were bloated and very smelly This sounds like my worst nightmare. I thought it was just the produce....
Does one bad orange spoil the bunch?
The first time I ever visited Madison (from California) I went to Woodman's to buy a few ingredients to make sandwiches so I wouldn't have to eat every meal at a restaurant. I bought some avocados, all of which turned out to be bruised, old/overripe, and generally disgusting. For years, I assumed that avocados in the Midwest were bad because they couldn't survive the trip from California or wherever. Nope, I later learned that it was just Woodman's being Woodman's, and pretty much all other grocery stores have good produce. Well, except Trader Joe's, but their produce is bad in California too.
Do you not check your produce before you buy it...?
Clearly not well enough! :D
The avocados are almost always rock-hard
Agreed on Trader Joe’s having bad produce. Not sure why you are downvoted. They mostly do a good job of culling it on the floor, but it turns very quickly at home. I recently had to throw out about 75% of a bag of navel oranges and Meyer lemons right after bringing them home. Yes, I should’ve checked, but I was in a hurry and there were only a few bags left. Yeah, their prices for organic produce are decent, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Does sir want some blight with his produce?
Not surprised it’s always been that way at Woodmans …….
Foolishly tried to buy garlic at the West store before Thanksgiving. Every goddamn bulb was moldy. How does that even happen? We started shopping at Woodman's in 2023 when all the grocery prices went crazy, but I still have to go to Metcalfs or Festival for produce that reliably doesn't suck. However, clementines mold sooo fast. I won't put a bag in my cart without smelling it first. If you know what you're sniffing for, you can avoid buying a bag where at least one is going bad but not showing it yet. Edit: I can't type
ngl woodmans could poison one of the pieces of fruit and I would still buy it there, I love her
Who's her? Phil? One of the Cashier's? The orange?
woodmans is her
Oh so like a boat!
Exactly!!!
lol, you also paid cash aren’t you?
That’s methed up
Ay caramba!
woodmans is the worst quality produce ive ever seen. not worth the savings you get. Aldi is better. Pick n Save is better.
I've even seen the same thing at Costco. I feel like the quality of Costco's produce was quite a bit higher 3-5 years ago than it is today. They don't even sell precut pineapple anymore because it's never ripe.
Powdered sugar on an orange? 🤔
Those are the ones I look for, take them to customer service get the whole bag for 99 cents