Costco's 64-ounce Tropicana Orange Juice is history

The 64-ounce cartons of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack have been replaced by 59-ounce plastic bottles -- like the ones that have been sold in ShopRite and other supermarkets for years.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss the passing of Tropicana's 100% Florida Orange Juice in half-gallon cartons at Costco Wholesale, and the short Summer Can Can Sale at Shop Rite.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

First, I saw the "new" Tropicana container in the July 2014 edition of The Costco Connection magazine.

Then, my wife brought them home from our Hackensack warehouse store instead of the familiar 64-ounce cartons -- a full half-gallon that hasn't been sold in supermarkets for several years.

But Costco also adjusted the price downward, keeping the cost at about the same 4.5 cents an ounce.

My wife paid $10.79 on Wednesday for four 59-ounce plastic bottles of Tropicana, compared to $11.59 for four 64-ounce cartons in June.

Like the carton, the new plastic bottle has an inner seal.

But the new container and packaging means you'll have to deal with recycling cardboard, a hard plastic bottle and cap, and plastic shrink wrap.

Now, it will be far easier to compare the price of Tropicana at Costco and when it is on sale in supermarkets to see which has the best deal.

Can't Can't Sale

The Summer Can Can Sale is in its second and last week at ShopRite in Paramus.

That seems shorter than previous Summer Can Can Sales.

No real bargains jumped out at me.

ShopRite's 100% extra-virgin olive oil from Italy is $7.99 for a liter bottle -- $2 or $3 higher than at past Can Can Sales.

I tried to compare the price of Adirondack Seltzer in 12-ounce cans, 20-ounce bottles and liter bottles, but one of the price signs was missing.

I bought six 12-ounce pints of Jersey Fresh Blueberries twice this week for $6.99, and Bing Cherries for $2.99 a pound, but I'm not sure they are part of the sale.

Update

A ShopRite flier with my newspaper today (July 12) shows the Summer Can Can Sale continues next week.

That means I was misinformed by an employee at the Paramus ShopRite who said it was ending this week.

Black-pepper pasta wasn't intentional

The white top with holes, left, came off with the screw cap, and I inadvertently dumped nearly one-third of a bottle of Malabar Black Pepper into my pasta sauce.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss a dish born of a kitchen accident, and take a look at the latest Perdue chicken label.

Hurrying to prepare a pasta sauce for dinner on Monday night, I emptied a half bottle of marinara into a non-stick pan and followed it with a can of anchovies and oil, red-pepper flakes and dried Italian herbs.

What about black pepper, I thought, then grabbed a bottle from Costco Wholesale I had in the cabinet, unscrewed the top and shook it over the sauce -- dumping one-third of the bottle into the pan.

The loose-fitting cap with holes came off with the screw top.

I scooped up as much as possible, but the result was a peppery whole-wheat spaghetti unlike anything I have ever tasted before.

I'm planning to take back the bottle of Kirkland Signature Coarse Ground Malabar Black Pepper and ask for a refund.

Black-Pepper Pasta with Black Tiger shrimp.

For breakfast today, I had Black-Pepper Pasta with two organic eggs.

Can Can poultry

The current Perdue label shows a mythical farm house.

Perdue poultry is 40% off during the 10th anniversary Summer Can Can Sale at ShopRite supermarkets, but the low-quality birds are almost always on sale.

The newest label boasts of an all-vegetarian diet and  no animal byproducts, but is silent on the use of antibiotics to keep the chickens from getting sick in the close quarters of huge poultry houses.

Also missing is a statement the poultry is raised humanely.

The package says "no hormones or steroids added," but that's meaningless because federal regulations bar those harmful additives.

And "raised cage free" also is meaningless.

When in ShopRite, look for antibiotic-free Readington Farms or Coleman Organic poultry. 

You'll pay more, but get a tastier bird and one that's better for you.

Garden salad

Red-leaf lettuce and cucumbers with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Now, when I have a Garden Salad, it actually comes from a garden, the one behind my house.

We're also harvesting a few black figs; fresh mint and oregano, and we're waiting for tomatoes.