# Food shortages that don't make sense **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [July 13, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213 "2020-07-13T13:14:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/201 "2020-08-22T20:33:14Z")
> [@knavette57](#): > > Here 'tis! I confess I have not tried it yet, but I plan to do so soon. My family loved the ones by Archway. I had to hide them, sometimes. My granddaughter called them,“flower cookies” bc of their shape. I have a flower shaped cookie cutter, so I hope to really emulate the Archway model. > Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Looks good - need to play with the shortening a bit, pure solid shortening now is palm in most commercial bakeries, which acts differently than the non-palm solid stuff - Crisco is now palm, so that should work [I tend to use lard or butter, haven’t found a source for non-palm solid that doesn’t come in 50 pound bricks …] ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/202 "2020-08-22T20:42:50Z")
> [@knavette57](#): > > Archway Soft Molasses Cookies, none available anywhere for weeks. I did find a recipe for that claims to be just like Archway, so I will make my own. i’ve tried those … they’re gingerbread cookies … just without ginger , you might beable to use gingerbread cookie recepies just dont add ginger … ---
**Author:** ![knavette57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knavette57/32/3871_2.png) [@knavette57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knavette57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/203 "2020-08-22T20:44:51Z")
I am taking note of your ideas about the fat choices. I am not in love w Crisco, would prefer to try other methods of getting that delish soft and chewy cookie! ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/204 "2020-08-22T20:46:41Z")
and meats even gone up here in ca to the point the mystery beef patties are starting to get expensive… just a q has anyone seen any of the patties made with out “by products” recently ? all the kinds i see have beef hearts or other organs mixed in ---
**Author:** ![knavette57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knavette57/32/3871_2.png) [@knavette57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knavette57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/205 "2020-08-22T20:47:58Z")
I do have gingerbread cookie recipe that I like, and I will try that one too, without the ginger. Though I love ginger, and either version is delightful, with or without. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/206 "2020-08-22T21:33:13Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > and meats even gone up here in ca to the point the mystery beef patties are starting to get expensive… > > just a q has anyone seen any of the patties made with out “by products” recently ? all the kinds i see have beef hearts or other organs mixed in Lol, I just ground up a beef heart this afternoon and I’m about to cook it. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/207 "2020-08-22T23:51:28Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Lol, I just ground up a beef heart this afternoon and I’m about to cook it. Heart is one of my favorite meats, chicken, duck or beef are/were all available at my favorite Chinese grocery in Hartford CT. Coeur a la Bonne Femme is one of my comfort foods - Take heart, cut into pieces [chicken or duck just in half, beef or whatever into sort of half inch cubes] and soak for about 30 minutes in iced salted water, then squidge around to force blood/blood clots out of the meat [or just call it ‘koshering’. The blood clots are what make it taste liverish] Dig out a small cocotte/mini bean pot/little covered baking dish, dump in the drained heart bits, an equal amount of roughly chopped onion, however many whole garlic cloves [at least 3 or 4] and about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning blend, a few grinds of black pepper and a large pinch of salt, add a good red wine to almost cover [I prefer a barberrone] cover and bake at about 300 degrees f for about 4 hours. Serve over wide egg noodles with a nice salad on the side, and a good sourdough. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/208 "2020-08-23T03:08:28Z")
Where were you in my thread about how to cook heart? Anyway, I ground it and made keema. It came out well. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/209 "2020-08-24T00:01:55Z")
I got to it late =( But give my recipe a try sometime, you may like it. Never thought to grind heart unless it was actually in the recipe I was using, I like it en casserole too much. Well, we also make hearts en brochette on bamboo skewers [still do the ice salt water thing to get the blood and clots out] seasoned with a but of salt and pepper. Well, I do grind them up and use them instead of gizzards and livers in dirty rice, mainly because I dislike gizzards and livers =) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/210 "2020-08-24T14:55:25Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > just a q has anyone seen any of the patties made with out “by products” recently ? all the kinds i see have beef hearts or other organs mixed in Our old dog is recuperating from an illness and I’ve been supplementing her food with yummy stuff. I bought a big box of frozen hamburger patties and they contain beef heart. The dog absolutely _loves_ these burgers. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/211 "2020-08-24T15:30:27Z")
No… what I was getting at was that there’s the regular “Great Value” brand, which at least in my neck of the woods is labeled as coming from a deep well in Caddo Parish, LA by Magic Mountain Water Co, and is made via steam distillation, micron filtration and ozonation. The “Parents Choice” brand is 20 cents more, specifically says not sterile, and that it’s made by steam distillation and has minerals added for taste. Why would you pay 20 cents more for the same exact thing? Is distilled water not distilled water? Seems to me that Wal-Mart’s using the doctor’s instructions as a sneaky way to charge 20% more for the same exact thing. (we go through a fair amount of distilled water in our pellet ice machine, so I’ve ended up with both brands of distilled water) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/212 "2020-08-24T17:02:32Z")
I think distilled water with added minerals wouldn’t be the same thing as distilled water. I wouldn’t use it in places like humidifiers where you want the distilled water because the lack of minerals is what you want there. But it’s probably 20 cents more just because it’s got a “better for babies” aura ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/213 "2020-08-24T17:27:06Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > I think distilled water with added minerals wouldn’t be the same thing as distilled water. Me too. I was kind of surprised to read that on the label; I suspect that most people are expecting distilled water with nothing added also. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/214 "2020-08-25T00:06:16Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Why would you pay 20 cents more for the same exact thing? Is distilled water not distilled water? Seems to me that Wal-Mart’s using the doctor’s instructions as a sneaky way to charge 20% more for the same exact thing. That is exactly what they are doing. Surprised it is not more than 20 cents more expensive actually. Added minerals for better taste? Hogwash, no one could taste anything over the overpowering taste of infant formula powder. The formula already has any vitamins or minerals in it that babies need. That’s why they call it a ‘formula”. It’s the old “don’t you want what is best for your baby?’”. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/215 "2020-08-31T16:55:58Z")
Un-hijacking, if I may … The frozen food section at Wal-Mart was plentiful … except for specifically the Hot Pockets. Every spot on those shelves were stripped bare, as if 4-cheeze in a microwaveable crust contained the secrets to all of life’s happiness. Don’t judge me, I have a retail job on my feet and need quick, hot, portable food. I found other options. But I did think it odd that specifically the Hot Pockets truck was having problems getting through. ---
**Author:** ![Flopnoodle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@Flopnoodle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flopnoodle)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/216 "2020-08-31T22:48:19Z")
Gelatin. Unflavored plain gelatin. Plenty of jell-o in the baking aisle. Plenty of flavored gelatin packs in the Mexican aisle. Unflavored gelatin is gone from multiple stores. Is it because Covid hit the rendering plants? Who knows. But it will be tough to convert an RSO to gummies for dosage control without plain unflavored gelatin. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/217 "2020-09-01T01:34:32Z")
Too bad you don’t get delivery from the Walmart I do. They thought plain unflavored gelatin was a reasonable substitution for sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix! Thankfully, only one box. RSO? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/218 "2020-09-01T04:17:42Z")
> [@Flopnoodle](#): > > Unflavored plain gelatin Do you think you could go through [20oz](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Unflavored-Gelatin-1-25-Lb-20-Oz-Tub/897075789?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=6521&&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=9002447&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=115064617&wl11=online&wl12=897075789&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy9Lk_IvH6wIVw56zCh22pAwsEAQYBSABEgJqEvD_BwE) before it goes bad? It’s 20x the amount of a standard box of Knox, but seems somewhat cheaper per ounce. Or if you do prefer Knox they have a [16oz canister](https://www.amazon.com/Cup-Bundle-Unflavored-Gelatine-Measuring/dp/B07GSGT9SV/ref=asc_df_B07GSGT9SV/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312229224619&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2271416463732653612&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002447&hvtargid=pla-569060932790&psc=1) at Amazon with a measuring spoon. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/219 "2020-09-01T11:28:33Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > RSO? Rick Simpson Oil, a concentrate of cannabis. Very potent, a drop on a cookie is plenty. Used in the making of edibles. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213/220 "2020-09-01T11:33:18Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > (I told my wife I’d buy a box of raisin bran and then pick out the raisins for her, but she declined.) Now, THAT is “True Love”!! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-shortages-that-dont-make-sense/915213.md?page=12)