Organic food in supermarkets

Kirri

^ I'm wondering the same, looking at the large A&C box this week as contents suit my needs but have to be really organised to eat it all! I keep going to the fridge to see what is there, rearrange it and plan meals..

I like the YV butter, think the salt is slightly lower than some of the others. Down to taste really but I prefer a slightly salted butter on toast and unsalted for baking, do interchange though and usually have both here.

If you don't like too strong a cheddar, you might like the Little Moos organic cheese sticks, it's called a mild but had a really nice flavour, I normally like quite a mature cheddar but was impressed. I find if I buy a whole large slab I either have to eat it all before it goes off or eat more than I planned so it suits me more to have individual cheese sticks. Saying that I'm tempted to get the Caerffilli in wax again..

Edwardia, I like that mustard with honey in salad dressings. I do have some Dijon here (non org, bought in France) but I don't like it as much.

I also planned on shops when I moved! I always said I'd never live anywhere without a Waitrose and although I did move to a town without and can get there by bus/car it is really irritating that I can't walk there. I'd love to live now though in a place with all independent shops but now I've got back into org deliveries that would be higher on the list than anything as it's far too convenient.. am not so fussed on Ocado now I can get smaller deliveries from A&C.

sophlowe45

Thanks

Veo Valley on offer 2 for £3 at Ocado.

I read the description for Duchy butter and it says to use within one month so I think I have to go with butter that lasts longer. Milk and eggs I can get through quickly but not butter and to some extent cheese.

I'm looking into using Microfibre cloths instead of chemicals for cleaning, anyone else use them?

Edwardia

!!!!!! Strawbridge and son James who did 'The Hungry Sailors' are being landlubbers for this new series, 'Saturday Farm' on ITV. They will be basing themselves at Daylesford for a farming year.

First show aired 20/04/13
http://daylesfordorganic.com/about-daylesford/saturday-farm-at-daylesford/

Daylesford has a shop on Ocado. The farm also supplies Claridge's.

Edwardia

UNhomogenised
Abel & Cole, Calon Wen, Duchy Originals, Riverford

Homogenised
Yeo Valley, Country Life, Rachel's, Graham's (from Sainsbury's), ASDA, Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's SO organic, Fresh Meadow (from Lidl), Moo (UHT), Acorn Dairy (from Riverford) and McDonald's.

???
Daylesford (from Ocado)

AFAIK, things like pasteurisation, filtration and ultra heat treatment prolong the life of milk, whereas homogenisation just breaks up the fat and distributes it evenly through the milk.

Having said that it is possible that skimmed milk, which is virtually fat free, might keep longer than whole or semi-skimmed milk.

I think it was Mojisola, who brought to my attention, the fact that homogenisation breaks milk up into such small globules, that they can get into the bloodstream.

We've tried Abel & Cole (favourite), Calon Wen, (second favourite), Duchy Originals, Fresh Meadows (worst), Graham's, Rachel's, McDonald's, Yeo Valley, Sainsbury's SO organic, Riverford and Moo so far.

sophlowe45

Daylesford is unhomogenised i think as their cheese went bad so quickly! (Also, their cheese is not vegetarian). I love the packaging of their milk.

i keep semi skimmed or skimmed milk way past its use by date, it doesn't go bad.

I miss Cravendale a lot, it would not go bad.

Edwardia

OH takes a tub of the Lurpak organic spreadable butter to work and prefers it to the Yeo Valley spreadable with real butter, which has a lower butter content and is more expensive than the Lurpak too !

OH not impressed with Yeo Valley or Rachel's butter either. Waitrose organic is salted with no unsalted option available but other organic own brands do.

Most of the own brand organic butters seem to be made by Brue Valley Farm. We had their own butter from Riverford and were as unimpressed with ot as we were by own brands from Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.

http://www.brue-valley.co.uk.edge.deepbluesky.com/our-products/butter/

For now, we're sticking with President and we hope that the organic variant will be as good.

https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-3296-president-beurre-doux-biologique-plaquette-250g.aspx

We prefer unsalted and to add salt to food if we want it. Generally speaking we don't bake, so the butter is for eating.

I use Netherend Farm organic ghee for some cooking (eg omelettes)
http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Netherend-Farm-Pure-Butter-Ghee-Organic.html#aGRO189

Fantastic stuff but :eek: expensive. Ghee keeps for ages if stored correctly. In India you can buy hundred year old ghee.

Edwardia

sophlowe45 - Cravendale is filtered. The longest lasting milk I've had is Moo UHT.

Kirri - besides deliveries, the other consideration is broadband speed.We have 100Mb and 16Mb for cable and 11Mb for landline is just EEK sloooooowwwww

It's a gorgeous historic medieval town on Kent/ E Sussex borders, with a small fishing fleet, surrounded by marshes and bird reserves, marinaded in smuggling tales, full of tourists, very pedestrian-friendly, farmer's market, markets, deli, fleapit cinema, cute small swimming pool, cute single track diesel train which chugs to Brighton, annual festival.. it's also only 7 miles from my mother's place so I could borrow her gardeners hehe.

I have a microfibre dusting mitt which my mother bought me not terribly impressed TBH

Edwardia

Live yogurts will contain beneficial bacteria, it's the other things that wil make a difference nutritionally and then of course where it comes from, how it's made and whether it's organic or not will determine price.. and then there's the taste.

This is fantastic but not organic
https://www.totalgreekyoghurt.com/

Equally fantastic IMO, organic, live and cheaper
https://www.yeovalley.co.uk/things-we-make/yeogurt/greek-style-natural
https://www.yeovalley.co.uk/things-we-make/yeogurt/natural

Edwardia

Lye Cross Farm makes a lot of organic cheese, you can buy it at Sainsbury's, Ocado, Riverford, Abel & Cole etc.

http://www.lyecrossfarm.co.uk/product-organic.php
Lye Cross also makes cheeses for Sainsbury's.

I would recommend this as being not too overwhelming
http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/mature-cheddar-abel-cole-325g
Currently 15% off too

Lidl does an organic Farmhouse Cheddar which to me seems a bit stronger. OH likes it and I stock up for him whenever I see it.

Red Leicester and Double Gloucester are pretty mild and also on offer at A&C. Sainsbury's has an offer on organic cheese that's a long one. You may be able to try some organic cheese at Sainsbo's deli counter. My local one stocks blocks.

Hapshade

Hi everyone!

My first time posting on MSE, finally got all the way through the thread... it took a while!

A huge thank you for all the interesting things posted, especially to Edwardia who is a constant source of insights. I hope I can help in the future with posts.

I'm a student currently in the Winchester area, been living mostly organic for about a year and a half. Mostly sourcing from Sainsbury's and the odd Waitrose visit; though there's a large Tesco round here too. Switched over to pitrok deodorants and Kingfisher natural toothpaste, and once I run out of what I'm currently using will be trying out Faith in Nature shampoo and conditioner.

I thought I'd add a couple of offers. Sainsbury's and Waitrose still have what seems to be an eternal offer on Yeo Valley 450g pots 2 for £2.

Both are also doing Ecover offers. Sainsbury's have 1.5L Concentrated Laundry Liquid at 2 for £13 and 750ml conditioner 2 for £2.50. Waitrose have 1.5 CLL for £5.99 and 1.5L conditioner for £2.32.

Sorry for rambling, I hope the above is helpful to someone.