Good and bad buys from Aldi and Lidl

Cornucopia

What they need is someone who knows their onions.

SailorSam

I bought a new rucksack for £8.99 at Lidl last week which i'm pleased with.

System

Doc_N wrote: »

What surprises me is that Aldi don't sort out their wretched onions and change the supplier.

There have been any number of complaints about them in this thread (and I can't believe that Aldi don't have someone keeping an eye on it)
and it's also been raised on their Twitter/Facebook pages.

There aren't that many problems with Aldi products, but this is a particularly glaring one.

I somehow think, the problems are more to do with the storage and transportation of the onions rather than an actual issue with the onions. Next time, you are in Aldi, make a note of the variety, which normally on the packet. Then go to one of the big 4 and look at their bagged onions. If they are the same variety, then its supply chain issues.

Feral_Moon

I've never had a problem with onions from Aldi, either red or white. I buy a bag of each every month and keep them in the salad drawer in the fridge. They will quite easily last all month. I think I've had the occasional one with a softer outer layer which I just remove and use the rest but I've had that from other supermarkets too.

Feral_Moon

Cornucopia wrote: »

I've genuinely never come across that with Aldi onions. I have a bad habit of keeping them for several weeks before finally getting through all 9, and even then, they maybe on the turn, but certainly aren't mouldy. I keep them in a dark, dry cupboard, rather than the fridge.

I've bought the following over the past few weeks from Aldi, with no problems at all...

- Red Onions
- Baby Sweetcorn
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Mixed Peppers
- Sweetbite Peppers
- White Mushrooms
- Chestnut Mushrooms
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Tomatoes (various)
- Celery
- New Potatoes
- Coriander
- Garlic

Has anyone tried their Pak Choi?

Yes, have bought it twice now and is perfectly good. I'm also fond of their avocados and asparagus. Far better quality than other supermarkets and don't have to wait forever for the avocados to ripen.

dlusman

Feral_Moon wrote: »

I've never had a problem with onions from Aldi, either red or white. I buy a bag of each every month and keep them in the salad drawer in the fridge. They will quite easily last all month. I think I've had the occasional one with a softer outer layer which I just remove and use the rest but I've had that from other supermarkets too.

Agreed .
I dont think you can do an all encompassing "supermarket X onions/carrots / whatever are better than supermarket Y". You can only comment on your particular store. The supply chain / storage arrangements will be different in different areas & individual stores. The only thing you can do is try them for yourself - and if they arent good then complain to the store manager.

Feral_Moon

dlusman wrote: »

Agreed .
I dont think you can do an all encompassing "supermarket X onions/carrots / whatever are better than supermarket Y". You can only comment on your particular store. The supply chain / storage arrangements will be different in different areas & individual stores. The only thing you can do is try them for yourself - and if they arent good then complain to the store manager.

A lot depends on weather conditions during harvest time too. I recall last autumn was a particularly wet one so this would affect quality of onions and cause an increase in mould/soft layers so would actually be a farmer/supplier problem rather than individual supermarkets.

Obviously home storage needs to be taken into account too. Any plastic wrappings need to be removed immediately to prevent swearing and condensation which can promote mould/mildew growth.

System

I have just been to Aldi. I had a look at their onions and I felt a few bags of brown onions. They were very soft. Variety on the bag says Centro. http://www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk/shop/prod_331.html says they should be firm and long life. The ones in store were soft and fit for the bin!

Again, no small trolleys available, despite of me phoning both the store and careline in the past. Aldi, not everyone wants a big trolley. Those that have back problems, live on their own or just buying a few heavy items need a small trolley.

Doc_N

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Any plastic wrappings need to be removed immediately to prevent swearing.........

Loved that!

A._Badger

Doc_N wrote: »

Loved that!

You'd swear if you were wrapped in a plastic bag!