Look at me, Cheepin’ on a Wednesday, just as God intended.  The God of Supermarket Deals is a lower-tier deity, it’s true, which is why I can get away with slacking occasionally.  It’s time for grapes and stone fruit, watermelons and cantaloupes to get cheap, though, so High Holy Season of Produce is here and it’s time to represent.

In this context, ‘represent’ means ‘find the great deals’.

I’d always meant to put some farmer’s market posts here, and maybe review the various markets around town.  In visiting the couple near me, I just never found anything I thought was a deal.  When JBG does their big summer tomato sale, I’ll go in on that if I’ve got the time to spend canning, because I like to pretend I’m an Italian grandmother sometimes.  I’ll also sometimes buy a ton of peaches to freeze/can because every few years I forget what a pain in the butt it is to peel peaches.

If you know some sneaky cheap farmer’s market finds, please share in the comments.

In the meantime, here’s this weeks list.  Stock up items this week are: pasta & tuna at Randalls (unless you already got tuna two weeks ago), spareribs and raisins at Sprouts, pasta sauce at Fiesta or Wheatsville. For produce, navel oranges and bananas are cheap at Sprouts, and big pineapples are on sale at Fiesta.

Happy shopping!

Randalls

Skinner pasta, 12oz                                                           29c/ea (must buy 4)

Chicken of the Sea tuna, 5oz                                          49c/ea (must buy 4)

Signature Farms, bone-in chicken parts                   88c/lb

Smithfield boneless pork loin halves, in bag          $1.49/lb

Sprouts

Yes, it needs to be defrosted. Know what there’s room for? Cheap spare ribs!

jumbo navel oranges                             33c/b

bananas                                                      33c/lb

pork spare ribs                                          $1.49/lb

boneless skinless chicken thighs       $1.49/lb

bulk organic coffee                                  $6.99/lb

bulk Thompson seedless raisins          $1.99/lb

bulk rice                                                         50c/lb

Fiesta

large pineapples                                           $1.50/ea

Roma tomatoes                                            67c/ea

bscb, family pack                                         $1.69c/lb (Fiesta limit)

live crawfish                                                 $1.99/lb (sack), $2.19/lb (less than that)

Classico pasta sauce, 15-24oz                  $1.99/ea

Fiesta frozen vegetables, 14-16oz             88c/ea

HEB

tomatoes on the vine                                       77c/lb

blackberries, 6oz                                             $1.47/ea (more grackle only)

Gala apples, 3lb                                             $1.98/ea

kiwi                                                                      25c/ea

bscb, value pack                                             $1.99/ea

ground chuck, 80/20, club pack                 $2.97/lb

pork baby back ribs, in bag                          $2.97/lb

Whole Foods

4ct bag organic avocados                                  $2.98/ea (74.5c per avo.)

red, yellow or orange bell peppers                  $1.99/lb  (this is per lb, so you’ll have to look for light ones to get best price)

organic Bartlett pears                                         $1.69/lb

Trader Joe’s

TJ’s proscuitto, 4oz                                                 $3.99/ea

daffodils, 10 stems                                                   $1.49/ea

Wheatsville

organic artichokes                                                     89c/ea

Santa Cruz organic lemonade, 32oz                   $1.69/ea

Field Day organic pasta sauce, 26oz                   $2/ea

Weekly Flyer Links:

• HEB: more grackle     less grackle
• Fiesta
• Sprouts
• Randalls
• Wheatsville
• Central Market
• Trader Joes
• Whole Foods

Here it is! It got away from me last week, but here I am with the ad round up.

Boneless chicken is listed twice, because they’re both good prices and I know some people don’t get to Fiesta. You know who you are. Just go already though, because it’s seriously fun. And because you need clothes for the rodeo.

You know you’re in Texas when the grocery store sells “fantastic quality” kids cowboy boots.  I also approve of Fiesta’s ongoing commitment to the misuse of quotation marks.

Highlights this week are .  Shop on, Cheepsters!

Sprouts

strawberries, 1 lb                                          $1.50/ea

navel oranges                                                    33c/lb

honey mangos                                                50c/ea

Pink Lady apples                                            88c/lb

spare ribs                                                         $1.99/lb

boneless skinless breasts or thighs       $1.77/lb

mild cheddar cheese                                   $2.99/lb

HEB

green grapes                                                               $1.98/lb

kiwi fruit                                                                       25c/ea

HCF seasoned chicken leg quarters                      77c/lb

HCF smoked sausage, 30-42 oz.                            $5/ea

pork tenderloin, whole in bag                                 $2.97/ea

Texas grapefruit, 15lb bag                                         $3.98/ea

Fiesta

cucumbers                                                                                33c/ea

russet potatoes, 5lb                                                               $1.49/ea

boneless skinless breasts or thighs                                 $1.49/lb

selected General Mills cereal, 10-13oz.                          $2/ea  (free milk with 3)

Bumble Bee tuna, 5 oz can                                                   50c/ea (limit 2)

Blue Bell ice cream, 1/2 gal                                                 $4.99/ea

Randalls

cantaloupe                                                                             $1.50/ea

whole fryer chickens                                                          B1G1  (Reg: $1.49)

Syracruse ground pork                                                     $2.49/lb

dozen eggs                                                                            99c/ea    (limit 4, at least 2)

Starkist chunk light tuna, 5oz can, 2.6 oz pouch       49c/ea

Cap ‘N Crunch cereal                                                          $1.49/ea (must buy 2 or more)

Quaker granola bars                                                           $1.49/ea (must buy 2 or more)

Friday only:

Thibodeaux’s crawfish tail meat, 12 oz, frozen         $5

hot house cucumbers                                                          $1/ea

Weekly Flyer Links

• HEB: grackle     less grackle
• Fiesta
• Sprouts
• Randalls
• Wheatsville
• Central Market
• Trader Joes
• Whole Foods

It’s been a year since I checked in on cider here in Austin. This is my annual diverging from all things cheap to crow about other food topics I care about!

You can read my sum up of Austin’s cider folks for a baseline check-in and some background. Given the growth of pretty much everything, it’s not surprising to find that the cider scene has grown as well. Updating for the AFBA City Guide, here’s all your Cider News.

Argus Cidery is still exciting.  Their site now actually splits you off into two parts–the Cidery and the Fermentables. Their Ginger Perry, from the fermentable side, is a happy summation of ginger and pear and brightness that is well worth a visit.  The Ciderkin is a wild-fermented dry cider that takes the traditional cider we all remember to a new height.

Texas Keeper has expanded their range with their Cider Noir, a stout cider, which is a great addition to their line.  They’re also about to keg their cider–so we’ll be seeing them on tap soon!  The cidery is having an opening day party on the 12th, act fast and get your tickets here. Music, tastings, and kids get in free; it’s hard to imagine a better way to spend $10 and a Saturday afternoon.

Best cider label ever, right?

Newcomer to the review is Austin Wine & Cider.  On St. Elmo, with South Austin Brewing and Music Lab nearby, they’re a natural fit. Hard cider and wine are in the works, but according to his site, the ‘wine’ is a nomenclature issue due to TABC classifications (someone should make an infographic).He’s been working on getting up and running for a while, and now with the grand opening scheduled I can’t wait to see what’s on tap! 

Tours will start at Austin Eastciders this summer. As it is the ubiquitous cider of Austin, I think that’s exciting.  Their cans are everywhere lately, and I’m glad to see more people enjoying cider, and hope that they get out to visit.

If you haven’t had cider in ages, you need to give it a try. There are people making great cider, experimenting with fermentation and fruit, and waiting to hear what you think.  Giving cider a second look is well worth your while.