Would You Return These Apples?

[Christine]

I'm not going to but I feel like I wasted so much money.

Today in the grocery store the actually had Honeycrisp Apples. I was buying these like crazy in the fall. They were about $1.39 a pound. I was so happy to see them back. They looked good, felt really firm so I bought five of them.

Got to the register and when she rung them up the bag was $11.50! Holy Cow. Well, I just kept them even those I'm sure she saw the shock on my face. But, I love good produce and it's a rarity this time of year.

Got home, cut open an apple and, while nice and crisp, it had absolutely no flavor. I hoped it was just that one apple. DH had one a bit later and had to throw his out--no flavor either.

I feel like I just threw away $11.00. I want to take them back but it's just not worth the aggravation. I'm not sure the store would take them anyway. What do you think?

 

[NAB]

I would try to take them back.

Worth a shot at that price. I bet they will return your money.

 

[etoiles]

Since they were fresh and not spoiled I would not take them back. I guess it's the same as if I would buy a fresh tomato in the store now since it is out of season I don't expect it to taste the same.

Maybe you could make something with them in which you add flavor to it, like an applesauce with cinnamon and sugar added for extra flavor?

 

[dakcp2001]

Probably not. I never return food unless it is the same day and it is expired or moldy. Did you not look the right price? Could they have been rung up incorrectly? I'd have asked at the register and put them back then if I thought eh were too pricey. You might be able to return the 3 uneaten ones for a partial refund since you know you won't eat them. But 11.50 for 5 apples seems like a lot unless they are huge.

 

[Agri]

Chalk it up to experience. And slice them up and cook them with some brown sugar and/or honey with some cinnamon.

In my experience, out of season produce tends to be rather flavorless. I refuse to buy commercially grown tomatoes for the same reason. The plants/trees do not have the benefit of oodles of cross pollination and they tend to all taste similarly bland.

 

[msjprincess]

No. I only return food if there is something wrong with it. Like the moldy hummus I bought a couple of weeks ago.

 

[badblackpug]

I would re-purpose them:

Apple cake
apple pie
apple sauce
baked apples
apple cinnamon muffins
apple fritters

I like to bake.

 

[lynxstch]

Yes, I would, without thinking twice! $11 for 5 apples is crazy, the store would be giving me a refund!!

 

[Malibustyle23]

No I wouldn't but I also never buy offseason produce expecting seasonal taste. Just because our grocers carry items year round does not mean they should.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I wouldn't take them back, I would repurpose them. It's a buyer beware situation when you buy produce out of season.

 

[Christine]

No, I did not look at the price when I was at the bin. It never occurred to me that apples would be $2.90 per lb. Yes, they rang up correctly!!

I am of the mind that you are "at your own risk" with produce. For instance, if I pick out a whole watermelon and it is not good, that's on me. However, I have seen people returning them to the store and the produce manager encouraged it!!!

I just feel like I threw out $11.00. I doubt I'll do anything with them. Not much of a baker/fruit cooker here and I'm done for the day with cooking. These will be going out in the trash.

 

[etoiles]

I'm not going to but I feel like I wasted so much money.

Today in the grocery store the actually had Honeycrisp Apples. I was buying these like crazy in the fall. They were about $1.39 a pound. I was so happy to see them back. They looked good, felt really firm so I bought five of them.

Got to the register and when she rung them up the bag was $11.50! Holy Cow. Well, I just kept them even those I'm sure she saw the shock on my face. But, I love good produce and it's a rarity this time of year.

Got home, cut open an apple and, while nice and crisp, it had absolutely no flavor. I hoped it was just that one apple. DH had one a bit later and had to throw his out--no flavor either.

I feel like I just threw away $11.00. I want to take them back but it's just not worth the aggravation. I'm not sure the store would take them anyway. What do you think?

Yes, I would, without thinking twice! $11 for 5 apples is crazy, the store would be giving me a refund!!

To be fair, the OP knew what the price was when purchasing the item. If there was a question about the price it should have been brought up at the register right then, not after two apples have been eaten/thrown away.

I would just take it as a lesson about off season fruit/vegetables.

 

[kwelch10377]

No I would not return them, but once they rang up at 11.50 I would have told the cashier that I no longer wanted them. As for the flavor I really wouldn't expect apples to have great flavor in the middle of the winter.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

No, I would not. It would never occur to me to return groceries. I have never heard of anyone returning groceries.

 

[Scornelius]

I wouldn't return them, and I certainly wouldn't throw them out!! Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on them , give them to a neighbour or something, but I think it's shamefully wasteful to put good in the trash because it's not flavourful enough.

 

[wiigirl]

Yes, I would, without thinking twice! $11 for 5 apples is crazy, the store would be giving me a refund!!

Exactly!

 

[tvguy]

Any reputable grocery store around here wouldn't think twice about taking them back. There is a big war going on between all the stores over who has the best produce.

 

[Christine]

To be fair, the OP knew what the price was when purchasing the item. If there was a question about the price it should have been brought up at the register right then, not after two apples have been eaten/thrown away.

I would just take it as a lesson about off season fruit/vegetables.

Yes, I did know the price and I had my opportunity to return them if price was my only concern. But I *love* Honeycrisp Apples and I have actually never had an apple be really bad even in the winter time. I think they do quite well. I am one of those people who, for the most part, does not eat out-of-season produce. In the winter I do not eat: asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, mangos. I mainly stick with citrus and, yes, apples. I had some fujis last week that were great.

 

[Christine]

Any reputable grocery store around here wouldn't think twice about taking them back. There is a big war going on between all the stores over who has the best produce.

I absolutely know that this store would take them back (Wegman's). But I generally don't return food. I have seen folks do it at Wegmans though and I was just wondering how many people would return an expensive apple that had no flavor. Looks like most would not.

 

[Janepod]

I bought honeycrisp apples at Target a couple of weeks ago. Can't remember the size bag, but it was $5.99 (so maybe 3 lbs)? They were very bland. But I'm 25 mins from Target; not worth going back. We ate them anyway; they just didn't have much flavor. I wouldn't waste them.

Now, my local grocery store (local boutique-y small chain) has honeycrisps for $3.99/lb. I bought 3 on Thursday and they came to $6.54. And they were perfect! Exactly what a honeycrisp apple should be. Really the platonic ideal of an apple.

My takeaway: don't buy produce at Target.