I have a quick question for you. The HH and I were at the grocery store the other day and I mentioned we needed a tomato for taco night.
You know where this is going… right?
Well, I proceeded to look for the ripest tomatoes in the produce section and the ripe tomatoes happened to be the greenhouse grown tomatoes from Canada.
And yada yada yada there weren’t any single tomatoes so I proceeded to take ONE tomato off the vine and my husband nearly flipped out telling me I couldn’t do that and I was like what are you? The tomato police?
If I want ONE tomato I can buy ONE tomato. There isn’t a rule saying I have to buy the whole {5!} cluster of tomatoes.
Embarrassed that I was doing this he turned and walked away and left me in the produce department all alone. Husbands. They are SO WEIRD. Aren’t they? {Fact: This is the same man who puts bananas in a plastic bag.}
So my question for you is… When you shop for tomatoes, do you feel obligated to buy all the tomatoes on the vine?
I need to know.
~Mavis
Janie says
I only take one off the vine. lol
Have a great day, Janie
Christa H says
You do not need to buy all of them just like you don’t need to buy all of the bagged grapes either, which is why those bags are open at the top so you can take what you need and move additional cluster grapes to a different open bag. Since both are priced by the pound, you only take what you actually need.
Besides, the tomato cluster in your picture has multiple produce stickers on it as do other clusters on the shelf!
I actually taught this to my high school students when I took them on a walking grocery shopping field trip to complete group projects.
Michelle says
This is brand new information to me. I always thought they were sold by the vine, and grapes were bundled to be sold as is from the bag, like a bag of apples. Interesting information.
JoAnn says
I disagree with that. I hate seeing people touching all the produce especially grapes. Produce bruises so easily and people playing with it to get the amounts they need. Who wants to eat it after that. If it’s in a bag then it should be bought that way, open produce (without packaging) then it’s for the taking. – yes I worked at a grocery store store one time.
Nancy H says
I have the same dilemma with the grapes in a bag. I don’t want all of them. I have been known to move some to a different bag.
If I want one tomato I just buy one tomato.
I look at the thing as a grocery store plot to make you buy more than you want.
Jessica says
These are priced by pound items which makes it just fine to break down to smaller amounts. If it is a sealed bag or plastic clamshell items sold as a price by unit then you are stuck with the whole container! Like previous poster said- bags of grapes can be broken down.. said bananas can be divided out. etc
Angela D. says
Well said, Jessica! I agree!
Nancy Settel says
Oh my this sounds like my husband and I but yes I would end up buying the whole cluster since I know for sure I would use all the tomatoes with in the week. Oh how I have been craving tomatoes (even the cardboard type tasting ones at this point). But actually you are right as it is by the pound and I am sure contrary to your husbands thoughts you are not the first to do this.
Dianne says
Try the Campari tomatoes. Best store bought I’ve have had. A little more in cost, but worth it.
Erin says
Ha! I never buy the entire cluster. There’s only two of us to eat them (as I plant about 10 tomato plants in my garden…). I’m also the person who will take just one banana off a cluster, if there aren’t any loose ones laying about at the store. I also remove some grapes from the bag (putting them in another bag), if I don’t need 5 lb of grapes at a time!
Barbie says
I do not! I am a single person household and if I only need one tomato I am only buying one. I will also break apart bunches of bananas and bags of grapes/cherries that are sold by the pound to only buy what I need.
Tracy says
If they are being sold bulk, you get however much you need. And if that means one tomato, you can buy one tomato.
Julie V says
I do see vines with a tomato missing in the cluster often and if they have the identifying sticker for the register to price appropriately, I would say it’s fine. You are paying appropriately for your purchase. Maybe even smarter as you aren’t paying for vine weight or product you will not use or need. Life would be boring if we did not have differing opinions or views once in a while.
Brianna says
I break off what I need and I am careful to make sure they don’t fall off the vine and the remaining cluster is still part of the vine and has a produce sticker. One of the stores I shop at has a small basket each in the banana and tomato vine area to put any single ones in. To me, that means they expect people to break apart a cluster of tomatoes or bunch of bananas. I don’t break apart a bunch of bananas, but I do see people often remove a specific banana or a few either to take or put in the basket. If I need just one tomato, I look in the basket first to see if one is suitable.
I did see a lady one time breaking all the florets off of the fresh broccoli crowns and putting them in a produce bag and leaving the stems behind. That is definitely a hard NO and not appropriate. She left 3 stems behind and a mess and nobody could grab broccoli while she was there forever doing it. Plenty of people noticed and gave a look of disgust or shock.
Dawn says
I’m the only tomato eater in my house. If I only need one tomato I only buy one tomato and I will take it off the vine if those are the only ripe ones.
Kari says
Team Mavis, here. I also break off a couple bananas, as well as break apart the ginger if I just need a small amount.
Kelly-Jo says
No need to buy the whole vine. I’m constantly looking for the best, most ripe and then I gently remove it from the vine. Also, that is why they sticker so many of the tomatoes on the vine. Grocers expect people to separate them and then it is easier to ring them up through self check!
Bananas in a plastic bag? I’ve only seen one person do this in my entire life and would love to know the reason your husband feels the need to do that!
Janet says
I have always put bananas in a bag. The carts have kids dirty shoes and bottoms, dogs, and meat that has not been placed in a bag, which the cashiers hate. Plus, when checking out the belt has had meat put on it. To me it’s normal, not a big deal, and my preference. Sometimes I also buy a few loose bananas to add to a bunch. I see a lot of people not bag any produce or their meat. That’s their preference. I use the bags so they are not wasted at my house.
Becky-TN says
If HH gets upset by that, would he get upset if he saw me take the few outer leaves off a head of cabbage at the store? It’s sold by the pound. The outer leaves are usually always on the wilted side and they usually get thrown away since we don’t compost. Our neighbors don’t have chicken anymore, so we can’t send the extra leaves to the neighbors.
Tracie says
I do the same thing!
Katy @ Practical Walk says
Where I buy tomatoes on the vine, they’re already in a bag, so in that case, yes I purchase the whole vine/bag.
Lynn says
I never buy the whole vine. I usually only need one or two and almost every time there are singles or doubles already available because other shoppers have already taken what they wanted off the vine.
Sue says
HH was THAT horrified?
Man, I’d have waved that tomato in front of his face for the rest of the shopping trip, doing the c— walk.
I only buy organic bananas. The stems have very sticky tape wound around the stems, so trying to separate an organic banana from the bunch will destroy at least that one, if not more. Which: unacceptable.
suzanne says
In all fairness it’s supposed to slow down how fast they ripen. They should leave a few singlets around though.
Irene Hartrum says
I always take my tomatoes off the vine. If my tomatoes get holes poked in them they rot. Also, I’m not eating the vine so I’m not paying for it, if paying by the pound. My older farmer neighbor told me to do that. The stickers are for price so that’s taken care of.
At our local stores they sell ” Broccoli Crowns”, twice the price of regular broccoli and all florets.
Annette says
No problem with the tomato purchase. But I saw a person taking strawberries from a clamshell and adding them to the clamshell she was buying. That’s stealing!
Pj says
If I need one, I only buy one. Pluck it off the vine with not a care in the world. Just make sure it has a price sticker.
Cathi says
I never buy the whole vine, I always only buy what I need!
The only thing to remember is take a sticker and leave a sticker! That way everyone can get it rung through quickly.
Sometimes men are weird.
Richelle says
Exactly. Same with bananas.
Linda says
In South Carolina they are often sold by the vine so make sure you’re not showing anyone.
Michelle says
I was never taught this. Brand new information. Is this location in the US specific or generational? Maybe I was just oblivious growing up. Tomatoes can be bought individually, and I rarely see them on the vine, so I haven’t had to consider purchasing them that way. I can say with complete certainty, however, that, not knowing the proper protocol, I would have been humiliated if my husband had done that. I like rules. I follow rules. If things feel uncertain, I am out. It would have created a full-on panic attack. I also never knew about grapes. My dad always tasted one and made sure the bag was to his preference, but I have never seen grapes removed from bags. Fascinating.
Cindy Brick says
You didn’t EAT the tomato. That’s what really bugs me — people who help themselves to “just a few,” then don’t pay for them, of course.
If you did it discreetly, why not. If I have an extra-large bunch of grapes, I don’t have a problem with breaking a section off – PROVIDED I don’t just pull the grapes off and plop them in the bag. Read about someone who took them off the stems and just filled the bag. (“I don’t eat those, so I should have to pay for them.”) Unh-unh.
Husband is a retired engineer, and used to help service a tomato greenhouse on Colorado’s Western Slope. The tomatoes were grown hydroponically — and they were delicious.
Angela M Elias says
no- sold by the pound not cluster
Alecia Loveless says
We take what we need. No matter if it’s tomatoes, bananas, grapes or Brussel sprouts (my local store has them in big bags with enough for at least 6 servings). Since there’s only 2 of us we can’t eat 5 tomatoes before they go bad, much less 6 servings of Brussels.
Our local store has also primarily moved towards 5lb bags of potatoes which we also can’t use before they spoil.
Cheryl says
I do not feel obligated to buy the whole cluster…especially if there’s an icky one on the cluster!
Zadu says
They’re sold by the pound so you can buy as many, or as few, as you like.
He’s wrong.
Now if they were sold by the bunch (like beer is sold in a six pack), then it would be different. But they’re sold by the pound so you’re correct.
And I’m speaking as a husband (besides, even if she’s wrong, she’s not wrong, if you know what I mean!).
Sue S. says
Wow this generated a lot of responses. Guess you’re among kindred spirits, and I say “absolutely not!” Buy as many or few as you want.
Tracy says
Stores usually sell loose tomatoes, and strings of them on vines. If I want one tomato, I buy a loose one. But I’d never pluck one from a vine, just like I’d never pull a few grapes off the cluster.
Dianne says
I’m just learning this today. I didn’t know if the produce isn’t wrapped: tomatoes on the vine, grapes etc you can remove what you want. Is that why there are all those empty bags everywhere? Now I understand. Good info thank you. My husband would reacted just like HH and walk away. Anytime I do something bold etc., he walks away. LOL
Lori says
Hey Mavis, I never buy the whole vine full. I take off what I want, be it one, two or three. The vine is just for transporting.
Wendy Steele says
It never has occurred to me in 1000 years to take a tomato off of one of those vines. Lolol. I’m them oldest of 5 kids & it’s hard to stop buying ‘in bulk’. However, I might start doing it-it’s all the rage it seems!!!!! Lolol
Tracy T says
It depends if they are selling by the bunch or by the pound. By the pound, what you did is not an issue. If it is by the bunch, you short -changed the next person.
Stacy Bowen says
The loose tomatoes in the bin are for one at a time…those on the vine are meant to be a cluster purchased together. Sorry, hubs is right on this one.
Chela says
I take a tomato off the vine if I only need one and they are better than the loose tomatoes. I have always felt mildly guilty doing it. No guilt from here on out after reading these comments! I also bag my bananas. Even though they are in nature’s wrapper, you never know what was in the cart.
Jenny Young says
No, I don’t see anything wrong. If the clusters are loose, then take what you actually want. If they’re prepackaged that might be different….but even then…I take grapes out of a bag when I just want a small amount. If they’re sold by the pound then absolutely…just take what you need.
I don’t see how it’s any different than picking one banana off of a bunch of bananas. I do that when I want a quick snack while out shopping.
Pamela Sheppard says
Of course I buy only one if that’s what I need. At my grocery store they are loose in a bin but still on the vine and sold by the #. The only thing I do is make sure it has a sticker so it gets rung up correctly.
Stacey says
Yes, of course you can buy only what you need. If this weren’t the case, they would be packaged. Just be sure to break off the piece of the vine your tomato is attached to so you are paying for a fair weight and not leaving too much vine for the next person. Besides, it would leave the bin of tomatoes untidy if everybody just picked off a tomato.
Carrie V says
I thought they were sold as a bunch so I would never take only one of the stem.