Heh party, I picked up a half dozen gallons of picking distilled last fall when the season was over and the store was clearancing them out! I tend to pickle year round, so like to have a good stock up when I can do so. I'm very glad I did it then. I did pick up a gallon of the cider the other day for my backup gallon since my open one is half gone. When you are using the stuff a couple cups at a time, it goes fast!

Flours are starting to show up on the shelves around here again. Not tons of it, but it's starting to come in. I bet once the wheat harvests ripen in soon we will start seeing more flours again.

Chicken other than boneless skinless is scarce here. Also dried beans are kind of spotty. Clorox wipes, hand wash, and other sanitizers are hit and miss, but mostly miss.

bbstx, no canned green beans or peas? Goodness! I can't imagine. But what I can't hardly find is tomato puree. Sauce is NOT the same thing, in spite of the folks at the store trying to convince me otherwise :-\ . It is still unlikely that we will find Lysol or Clorox products of any kind. But one day we were someplace that had a display of packages of disposable masks so we picked one up. The very next day the mandatory mask thing was announced. Talk about timing!

@ediej1209 AL Zn 7, how frustrating to not find something that simple. I rarely buy tomato purée, so my suggestion may not work, but could you take canned tomatoes and run them through a food processor or a blender and then mix 1/2 and 1/2 with tomato sauce? Seems like that texture and consistency ought to be about right. I don’t know how the seasonings in the 3 different tomato products may vary.

I was at a funeral brunch once when the hostess ran out of tomato juice for bloody Marys. The food editor for the local paper found tomato sauce in the pantry. She watered it down to a tomato juice consistency and made bloody Marys with it. I didn’t think it would taste right, but no one seemed to notice a difference.

I haven't been to the stores, but a checked a couple in the delivery sop and they seem to be offering vinegar. I still have plenty. TP by variety, rather than be grateful if we have any, is back, and so is flour. There's an aluminum can shortage. Perhaps there's also a shortage of the kinds of cans veg come in. One store is out of stock on organic canned peas and green beans, plus sone other green beans, but shows some of each as available, as well as frozen. Green beans are in season. I just got some in my farm box. I've been able to get most everything I want, but I miss TJ's and won't give a whole list to someone to do for me when so much is available elsewhere.

Edie, a lot of stores here stopped carrying tomato puree years ago. One store usually has it and WF does sometimes, rarely. I've been known to buy a case from Amazon because it's so spotty. Bbstx is right that you can puree your own, but I'd start with crushed or diced. Sauce is cooked and seasoned. It's a pain if you're making a big vat of something, and not quite the same, but good enough.

Artichokes are plentiful. :) .Can't be too sad when there are artichokes for breakfast. :)

I haven't had trouble with vinegar, found it at Fred Meyer last month. Two brands and one was only 4% acidity not the standard 5%.

I can't find refills of disinfecting wipes but have some. I always kept a couple of packages for DH to have in his truck, the Wet Ones Big for their generous size and have put those to use (since he's retired now anyway and usually closer to a sink and water)

I have rubbing alcohol, both 70% and 91%....both of those Fred Meyer too, they had it back in stock in Spring so early on. In fact, it was the day Oregon governor first closed down the state so I think about Mar24th ;0) I was in town that day to drop some things off at my mothers assisted living and heard all was going under shelter in place order. I called my SIL knowing she had no alcohol and told her to go freds, they had a limit of one bottle of each strength so I couldn't buy it for her.

I can't find decent green beans either. Costco's plain green beans in light sea salt are very much size and texture of what I may can myself and they haven't had any on the shelves all year. I like my peas frozen if not fresh and those haven't been a problem.

DH had mentioned his refill container of 409 multi-surface was low in the garage, asked me to get some. Only, the grocery stores and Amazon had none. I did find it at Home Depot in the gallon size and picked it up for him there. I took the last one on their shelf, a first for me - with most things I'm assuming someone else may need it more than I do and hadn't taken the final showing stock of anything 0:(

I had to go to 3 stores to find smoked ham hocks of all things. It figures the one time a year I need them there is none (or little) to be found. I have 2 gallons of purple hull peas to cook and freeze for SO. There is usually a lot of them,so I was surprised when 2 stores were completely out and the last store only had one pack of three...

And forget about my regular cleaning products.......

I can't use commercially canned sauce, all brands use either onions or garlic or both. Tomato puree is just tomatoes and salt and is my base for spaghetti or pizza sauce. I am going to try whizzing a can of diced tomatoes and put it through a sieve. Thank you for the suggestion, bbstx & plllog.

I wish I could feel like things will get back to normal sooner rather than later but it's starting to feel like this is going to be a permanent state of being :-(

Edie, are you on a low-FODMAP diet? If so, Prego and Raos both make a sauce without alliums. Both label their sauce as “Sensitive Sauce.” I’m not suggesting that you replace your homemade spaghetti sauce with it, but rather that you might use it as a substitute for your puréed tomatoes and season it to suit.

Def. no rubbing alcohol anywhere here as well. As soon as it's in stock, it's gone. I'm lucky we had quite a bit already and a lot of it's 91%, so I can dilute it to 70% and make it go further. 70% is reportedly more effective at killing virus than 91% anyway.

I thought this was just about food? Cleaning products are a whole nother thing for sure!

And yes - if you have a blender, you can pretty easily make puree out of crushed or diced tomatoes. I've done it often. If you want it thicker, just drain out some of the liquid first. I've also used a stick blender and pureed the tomatoes right in the can - in that case you have to remove some of the liquid first or it will overflow.

I was able to get organic whole wheat flour by going to Gelson's, a high-end market, which put quotas on certain items, like flour. Bags of flour were limited to one per customer. The whole wheat flour came in two pound bags, but that should make a couple of loaves of bread for me.

We're going to the store today, and I will see if we can get what we want. We will be going to Ralphs - a low-end market - but at least it will save us some money on what we do find.

The last time I went to Bristol Farms in Westchester, I could not find whole wheat flour. I am also having trouble finding a Pullman loaf pan. I did find one at Restaurantsupply.com (or some similar web site), but the shipping was $30 - more than the pan cost, and so I did not order it. I can wait on that one, as I have other bread pans.

Can't say I'm surprised anymore what is in limited supply. Labels, cans, soda cans, packaging, are backed up.

I'm sure we have a certain population that is full-on stock piling canned goods. They may be unfamiliar with gardening and home preservation. Survival mode.

It really is a time to adjust a favorite recipe and not get panties-in-a-knot. Alternatives can give similar outcomes. Roast whole canned toms drained of their liquid, with onions, celery, garlic, ...sauce pan with the liquid and veg. So many ways to deal with available options.

We have been eating better than ever and so much cheaper being creative with what we have.

We make our own vinegars every Fall.

Worth researching 'apple scrap vinegar'.

We were fortunate to get bulk after my homemade vinegars were in short supply. (I saved a pint to start a new batch in September)

Wholesaler saved the day. I just added a couple gallons to our order. We ordered in mid April. Seems we go through it.

Carolb, I’m sure I could do the math, but since you’ve already done it, how much water do I add to 91% alcohol to lower it to 70%? I have one last quart bottle. I’d like to extend it if I could. I’ve been using Pure Grain Alcohol (PGA) in the kitchen because (a) I have it, (b) it is food grade, and (c) it is available although it is pricey to use for cleaning. Even the cheap stuff is $20 a fifth.

sleevendog, you make your own apple vinegar? That's inspirational. What size container are you using there? We got a couple apple trees here, but we don't really pick them right now. They are old trees that came with the property, but we haven't gotten around to doing wine or cider, and we aren't much into apples otherwise, lol. But tinkering around with making small batch vinegar never occurred to me.

And heh, it took me a minute to figure out tomato sauce meant prepared seasoned sauce. I haven't bought a jar of that in ages. Too much junk and usually not enough flavor. For me tomato product is tinned paste, sauce, puree, diced, crushed, whole straight up tomatoes. All of which are actually on the shelf in not so bad supply around here.

I've canned some of my own seasoned tomato products in the past, and make a salsa or two every year... but last Christmas I got a gift certificate to get a tomato saucer. So this year once tomatoes are really coming in, I'll start canning my own tomato sauce/puree. I skip most tinned paste, because I make my own dehydrated tomatoes and powder. But dang I can't get diced tomatoes to can up as nice as the tinned stuff from the store. I make a pretty good crushed tomato, lol.

I just stumbled onto a bulk foods website. I don't know anything about them but they advertise that they have KAF Artisan flour 50 lbs for under $25. They also have 50-lb bags of baking soda!! Anybody ever order from them?

https://allbulkfoods.com/

Yeast

Low sodium deli meats

Tomatoes that look edible

Rockypoint, I'd be making friends with any neighbor who grows tomatoes! Or find a Farmers' Market. In most areas of the country, tomatoes are starting to come in. Ours aren't ripening yet but my son picked 4 or 5 off of his plants yesterday.

I didn't know cider vinegar was hard to find. I was out so asked my husband to pick up a gallon when he was a Menard's. He brought one home so Menard's has/ or had it in stock.

The only isle that looks somewhat bare is the rice/pasta area. My guess is that not being able to eat out all the time (as my millennial children do! Grrrrrr), they think rice and pasta are easy to cook.

The cleaning/ TP isle is spotty, but stocked most of the time.

ediej1209 - I miss the excursions out if only to shop for groceries. We live in a seasonal, remote place. Fewer summer tourists I've seen here for years.

I've been quarantined since March except for a few drives we go on and a few clam shack take out meals we eat in the truck by the beach. I'm starting to experience very depressive episodes - like hiding under the covers and zoning out most of the day. Cutting myself off from any new outlets in an effort to get some mental health back.

I didn't do the math myself, but it's a scant 1/3 cup water added to 1 cup alcohol. The proportion I found was for 99%, so I use slightly less than 1/3 cup.

I use isopropyl alcohol and save the ethyl alcohol for internal use.

Seagrass, I can relate to the mental health episodes. I stopped taking my anti-anxiety medication (Avapro) because I did not like the side effects, and I feel better without it than I did with it. I used to take Librium, which I really liked, but my doctor said that I should not take it over a long period of time, although I'm not sure why. It was really the only medication that worked for me.

Today we found whole wheat flour, but we did not find dried bell pepper, and so I guess I will have to try to order that on line. I think we found everything else.

I have to chuckle when I go down the pasta aisle. Those dreadful cans of tomatoey pasta ick things are wiped out. Buy stock in chef boy R dee. Ramen is back on the shelves too ... but the flavors are hit/miss.

I find it so interested to hear the regional variations re supplies.

For weeks now I haven't been able to find golden couscous. And although my local Gelson's had 00 flour a few weeks ago, once I wanted to buy some - none to be found. (Lars - the Dana Point Gelson's definitely had several kinds of whole wheat flour.0

Ultimately, we have been very lucky - no really notable shortages. For now.

It seems the aluminum can issue is much like the TP issue. Much more beer, soda and other drinks are being bought for home consumption; less being sold in kegs/barrels since fewer bars and restaurants are open. Brewers are cutting down the number of choices they are making-sticking to the biggest sellers.

I haven't found apple cider vinegar in my grocery store since last year, when I tried to buy it for canning season and there was none to be found, so that's not a COVID issue here, it's an ongoing issue. That includes WalMart, Meijer AND Aldi, and no matter how much I ask, it's not stocked. Lots of distilled vinegar, only the apple cider vinegar is missing.

Here it's still the "convenience foods" that are sold out. Canned pasta, frozen pot pies, boxed instant potatoes, etc. Lots of fresh potatoes and produce, meat and chicken, eggs and dairy. Just none of the frozen/boxed stuff...

Annie

Annie, wow, I had no idea it's been an issue for so long. I haven't seen the problem until a few months ago.

lizbeth-gardener, you just reminded me that I couldn't get Labatt's recently -- I hope that's only a temporary problem.

sarahsocal, store managers here have never heard of couscous, let alone golden. lol!

Availability of all things seems to be hit-or-miss here. A new grocery store opened two weeks ago, but I haven't gone near it yet because the parking lot is always packed with cars. And the local produce stand FINALLY opened last week! I haven't stopped there yet either... I'm waiting until I think their sweetcorn might be local-grown, versus being trucked in from PA.

eta: rockypoint, I was finally able to buy yeast on amazon through a 3rd party seller. A one pound bag and it was shipped to me immediately. You could go that route.

sleevendog, you make your own apple vinegar? That's inspirational. What size container are you using there? We got a couple apple trees here, but we don't really pick them right now. They are old trees that came with the property,...

We use our old overgrown trees as well as the fruit trees we put in. We try and make minimum 3 gallons every Fall. Pear, apple, concord, and wine grape. One of the easiest ferments.

Lars, I like NorthBayTrading. HERE

They supply bulk to WholeFoods. At the time, a half dozen years ago, I was making homemade cup-a-soups, for various reasons. Good quality. They have a good flake and powdered tomato.

Makes sense about the packaging, cans, veg/tomato cans, even labeling. And appliances. Especially freezers. Repairs are backed up. We had to wait 10 days for our central air conditioner to be fixed. Fortunately it was easy. Repaired that day. No need to wait for parts or replacement.

Those shopping in stores have noted the holes/empty shelves of favorite products and have settled for other brands. Buying more than normal. Shopping less often. Even dog food seems to be a problem.

I started a 1010 tray, 36 cell, 5-6 seeds per cell, of a Fall crop of veg. That is close to 200 plants. 15 or so varieties. Not my usual plan. We always put the garden to bed in sept-october. This year I'm trying something new for us. Even peas.

I was in a local store the other day and the stock person had a large box vinegar. A tiny little lady came up and took every single gallon jug of vinegar the stock person had and had just put on the shelf. I considered asking why she was taking everything but didn't want to get into a confrontation with her. She actually was fussing at the stocker about not giving her more!

She might not have told you for fear you would want some of her vinegar. Some people use vinegar as a disinfectant and cleaner. I suspect the lady may be among them, although vinegar is ineffective against the coronavirus. You would have to do a LOT of pickling to need that much. Maybe there are theories about eating pickled products and the virus?

I can't find my jars of Fleishman's yeast. I've seen some packets and a few jars of a brand I'd never heard of, but not my favorite.

Madonna

I haven’t been shopping for a bit. When I do I am going to the smaller local store more than I used to... It is garden season so even if I am out of something I have other options. The pasta/rice/beans department continues to be patchy. The paper and cleaning aisles as well.

I haven’t noticed a vinegar shortage. I use white vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. Larger containers of each last for months. I use a fair amount of cider vinegar. I will have to look into making my own.

Bleach and 91% alcohol were at my local garden supply store. Yeast and KA flour are available at the local health food stores. Also we have a local gristmill.

I don’t eat a lot of meat. I usually buy beef and chicken from my sister. I have heard locally that meat prices are up and stock a bit low at WM and Hannafords.

I am concerned more generally how people are going to get through the winter. I live in an economically stressed region. The local school systems did an amazing job getting meals to children after the shutdown. Nonetheless I was shocked how many people needed help immediately after the shutdown.

I met a wonderful lady who started a community garden in my small town last year. She got a grant and built a greenhouse. She donated 500 pounds of food last year. Nonetheless she is finding it difficult to connect the food with those in need. I think in some cases people don’t know what to do with fresh food.

agmss, I tried to give zucchini to our local food pantry, they always take it, but they told me that they couldn't take it now due to health concerns.

Annie

So I've done a little bit of searching on the web and in 2019 Fleischmanns 4 oz. jar of yeast was priced just under five dollars a jar. Today it's around twelve dollars for a 4 oz. jar. Highway robbery!

Buying my food to be delivered and they messed up and gave me 4 packages of hot dogs instead of one. So, I like them best grilled over charcoal - searched every store (called on phone) for just a small one. They have lots of them at $400 to $999 (Green Egg). I just want a $50 small one. Even online hardware sites said they were out of stock. Is everybody in the US buying grills?????

nancyofnc, with most people stuck home and not going out to eat I think a lot of folks who've never grilled out before took the plunge this year. Sometimes charcoal is in short supply for a few days until another shipment comes in, but so far has never run completely out, thank goodness.

For some reason, organic mayo has been out of stock at Trader Joe's and Target for weeks...

For just a little grill, try the local dollar stores.

Two stores (dollar) didn't have grills, nor the convenience store or large pharmacy. My son said to put the charcoal in the propane grill but I couldn't find a thing to use to put the charcoal on as it wouldn't be good to have ashes in the base of the propane grill, let alone try to get them out!

If you use Amazon they have many choices. Starting at 13 dollars....I use my chimney starter for quick small grilling. A piece of newspaper under, a dozen charcoal, heats up fast. I just set it in my smoker/grill. Toast buns for burgers or dogs, then grill sausages, burger, dogs. We just rest an extra grill grate on top. Resting on your gas grill, just put a few layers of foil underneath.

I like the little cute 9inch round one. That would be my choice.

https://www.target.com/p/char-broil-14-34-portable-kettle-charcoal-grill-black-model-13301719/-/A-76382987 can order this online . . I used to have one and to bring it up to waist height I got a metal trash can and inverted the lid then set the grill on the lid. It worked very nicely and when the ashes cooled I dumped them in the bag inside the trash can. Mine even came with a nice little cover for when I went camping and took it. @nancyofnc

@nancyofncAlso ACE Hardware says they carry the old cast metal Hibachi style grill. That might suit you as they have the 2 grates that you can set at different heights. https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal-grills/8306037?gclid=CjwKCAjwjqT5BRAPEiwAJlBuBUgVZST1TvRq9r4rX-jzTGrISrK3xCEcof2Yucmj8t3duykePowBIRoCe6YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I got that little Weber Go-Anywhere grill. I can vouch that it's a nice little grill for 2. I use it quite a lot when I don't feel like using the big traeger smoker grill.

@sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA) . . I have seen the charcoal chimney as a grill tip on the Sous Vide chats too. Brilliant idea for small grill, just add a grate on the top and you are set! I wish I had known this back when I camped more . . I hated using the public grills or having other campers want to use my grill (because of food allergies, not because they had cooties).

The hibachi at Ace is perfect! I can put it inside my big propane grill and it'd be at waist level and use it's cover when not in use! The nicest part is that it brings back such good memories of grilling at the beach in the '60's! Thanks to all for your input. Hot dogs here we come!

Simple hibachis are so great for minimal grilling. I had one in college but still useful for side burner or tabletop grilling.

a rational conversation ...

We went to Publix in Guntersville AL today and just out of curiosity I browsed some of the aisles. TP was still very low, any Lysol or Clorox cleaning/laundry products were non-existent still. Absolutely no canning supplies except a couple of boxes of tiny jars. But they had all major brands of apple cider vinegar. I wish I had turned my brain on and looked for yeast, though. :-/