This is appalling!
By pergammano
@pergammano (7682)
Canada
July 20, 2008 7:25am CST
I live in a Rural area! No big stores! So I have learned to buy/store in bulk!
Dried fruits for cooking, like raisins, apricots, etc, I have stored in air tight containers....NOTHING can get in! NOW with the summer heat...inside this Fruit is now crawling with worms! THAT MEANS ALL PACKAGED DRIED FRUITS ARE CONTAMINATED...The eggs for these worms, were on the fruit when I stored it!
Caution....now we must wash dried fruits before using....did you know this, and have you always washed your raisings, etc., before using!
Huge waste of money (cuz I bought in bulk)....now just great compost!
6 people like this
17 responses
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Wow, I didn't know you're supposed to wash dried fruits. What about the kind with sugar and stuff on the outside?
I've had that happen with bugs in my pet food before. I hate when that happens. I usually have to throw it out, unless that happened to the bird food, then they enjoy the "extra food".
3 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
I guess that has to be washed too! I'm just so annoyed, because washing defeats the purpose of dried food...when washing it absorbs some of the moisture, and you have to dehydrate it again. I just think that it should be handled better at the source! Thanks & Cheers!
1 person likes this
@brimia (6581)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Oh that's awful! I've never heard of that happening to dried fruits and have never even thought about washing them.
I have heard you should put flour and other dry goods in the freezer overnight when you first buy them so it kills any eggs or anything in it.
The summer heat does bring a lot of bugs with it...the mosquitoes and ants around here are relentless.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
Yes, brimia....we are having a buggier summer than usual! I have to stand guard over my dog's food as they eat...to keep the flies away, so they don't lay eggs as the dogs eat! I just hate the fact that, food prepared for human consumption is handled in such a manner that it is bug infested! Yuck! Thanks & Cheers!
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28206)
• Australia
20 Jul 08
Oh that is such a shame, is dried fruits the same as flour and such that always gets bugs after awhile but is a natural thing as it come from within, I don't know if it is the same or not but gee that would turn you off from buying bulk in the future wouldn't it.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
20 Jul 08
Hi Pergammano,
I always wash dried fruit before using it. It has happened to me too that I bought dried fruit or whole grains and when I went to use them the jars were crawling with insects. Too bad for all that wasted money.
3 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
You'd think I would be old enough to know that! But this is the method that I have been using for years, never has this happened before! Thanks for sharing!
1 person likes this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Jul 08
It won't help to just wash them. The eggs for those critters are often inside the fruit, too. Plus there is always bacteria that you won't be able to perfectly wash off. I suggest investing in a second fridge or even freezer for cool storage. Also a good way of storing food like that is through canning/preserving them in jars. It's a tedious process but it's tastier than dried. They still have to be stored in a dry and cool place. But the heating process usually eliminates the contamination with bacteria and other stuff that would otherwise ruin the fruit during storage.
3 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
Jonesy123....your advice is bang on! But, I am a single woman and it doesn't make sense, time wise for me to invest in canning! The fruits that I use most for cooking, like raisins and currants, apricots (for chutney) etc., don't can well! Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
1 person likes this
@RDugas (247)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I dont know what to say but I feel for you. I hate spending gobs of money on food and it going to waste. Maybe you could buy some fresh fruit in bulk, wash it and then dehydrate it yourself. I wonder if Keeping the dehydrated fruit in the freezer would help any. Just my 2 cents!
3 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
You are so right...that is the route that I have to go! I just didn't like the moisture that seemed to happen when I put the dried fruit in the freezer. How the heck do you think the eggs got in there? Thanks and cheers!
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
20 Jul 08
No matter how hard that the food processors try they can't kill all the insect eggs they can't I had this happen with some flour. I now freeze it before I put it into clean containers to go on the shelf. The heat and humidity seems to cause these eggs to hatch. Maybe if you would freeze the fried fruit before you put it one the shelf would help or maybe buy less during the hot humid weather.
2 people like this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
14 Jan 09
HI pergammano. Could you have stored them in cooler areas to prevent such things form happening? As I live in a small island I don't feel the need to buy in bulk. Shops and superamrkets are just around the corner. I noticed that when you buy in bulk you tend to waste more food. Thus instead of doing one shopping per month we are doing it every week.
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
14 Jan 09
You are so right, they could have been stored in a cooler place....BUT, what appalled me is that I did NOT know that the foods that I was buying, came complete with protein; BUG EGGS! If I would have frozen the products, I guess I would not have seen them hatch....but would have ingested them!
On the note of shopping, I really do have to buy in bulk....anytime that I go to the City, just the Ferry fare alone is $60.00+...not including the fuel that you burn to get to the larger stores, and the ferry schedule is configured so that you are gone for 11 hours....so that means losing an entire day's work! You just don't take that trip every week, at those kind of costs! A different way of life, that I choose!
I really believed that most of the food that we use, there was care taken in the handling & storage before it arrived at the consumers!
@urbandekay (18278)
•
20 Jul 08
I have had a similar experience with flour that I stored in airtight container only to find it alive with weevils.
all the best urban
2 people like this
@urbandekay (18278)
•
20 Jul 08
They do if you hit 'em hard enough!
all the best urban
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
21 Jul 08
I had the same thing happen to me but mine was rice and I was just disgusted. It is dissappointing too when you are buying in bulk just to have to throw lots away. I never thought of having to freeze the stuff. I have had it happen with flour and such too.
@blackmantra_x (2732)
• Philippines
20 Jul 08
good day.. sad to hear that and such a waste but now we know better.
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Just hate when that happens. For me its weevils. (if I spelled that right) They are tiny little bugs that love flour, cake mixes, cereals etc. Found them in my cereal the other night and was totally grossed out - especially since I hadn't noticed them until the bowl was half empty! yuck yuck yuck. I've resorted to storing flour in the fridge to avoid it but geeze, I can't keep everything in there. Wouldn't it be nice if air tight really was air tight?
1 person likes this
@goodhappens (671)
• United States
20 Jul 08
ewwww, I know that feeling, I now store my flour, grains, cream of wheat and oatmeal in the fridge, but like you said I really need a bigger fridge now, hehe. oh I hate that, ewww
1 person likes this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I used to live in the Mountains in ca. and I too bought in bulk. The trick is to freeze everything like grains, flour any dry goods as well as dried fruits. It won"t hurt thr fruit, it will kill any bug eggs and problem solved. After an over night stay in the freezer, I would then put it in plastic jars or glass. Just make sure the fruit is completely dry or it will mold. You could single layer the fruit on a cookie sheet and put it in the over on low heat, about 200 degrees for as long as it takes to dry. I also used to freeze cheese but you have to grate it first because it will crumble if frozen in chunks. Where there's a will there's always a way.
Leenie
2 people like this
@deemazing (395)
• United States
20 Jul 08
That makes me disgusted to know that! So anytime I eat fruit or dried fruit there's actually insect eggs on there? Yuck! I am sorry that this happened to you. If you want to avoid buying in bulk you may want to check out one of those online stores or farms that will ship to your home. I mean, the cost to ship it would probably be outrageous by now because of the fuel charges, but it's worth a shot. I also agree with the others who stated you may want to get a second refrigerator for storage.
@Foxfire1875 (2010)
•
21 Jul 08
I used to buy organic dried fruit with no nasty preservatives on but stopped when I bought a packet and it had bugs crawling all over them.
I've been really put off by that and won't be buying any dried fruit again. It's a shame as I really liked them but unlike you I don't have to buy in bulk so it was only the price of one packet that cost me.
I've been really put off by that and won't be buying any dried fruit again. It's a shame as I really liked them but unlike you I don't have to buy in bulk so it was only the price of one packet that cost me.1 person likes this
@goodhappens (671)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I have never had that with dried friut, although I havent ever been able to keep it around long enough, but yuck....I do know I now keep oatmeal, cream of wheat, flour and grains in the fridge and sometimes my raisen bran cuz i get those little bugs in there and yuck. I hate that.
@thebeaddoodler (4262)
• Lubbock, Texas
20 Jul 08
I haven't tried this with dried fruit, but I always put my beans, grains etc. in the freezer for 48 to 72 hours before storing them in containers in the cabinet or pantry.
I don't know what would happen to dried fruit if you froze it and then thawed it out. It would probably be best to just freeze.
I haven't had that problem because usually dried fruit is dried at a high enough temp. that the bug eggs die, but some bug eggs can only be killed by freezing.
1 person likes this
