Recently, my wife and I spent about six weeks in a hotel … without a kitchen.  We had sold our home in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, and were working to get our affairs in order prior to leaving the State.

Our room did have a small refrigerator with a tiny freezer shelf and a 700 watt microwave oven.  Consequently, over time, we ate many frozen, microwaveable meals.  Shopping for these products led me to think about the cost of buying convenience products in one’s grocer’s freezer case.  The following is my small, unscientific research which will bolster what you likely already know:  Convenience has a cost (so do name brands).

I decided to take a look at something simple, Green Peas.  For my research, I chose HarrisTeeter.com, which is the online outlet for the upscale grocery chain located in the Southeast.  I chose them because they offer full store-wide shopping there for curb pick up or delivery.

 What you will see in the above listing for store brand peas is that the going price for generic frozen peas at Harris Teeter’s is $.10 per once in the one pound bag, or $.13 in the smaller 10 ounce box.

Next up is the product type that seems to be sweeping a freezer case near you, Steam-in-the Bag Vegetables!  Is this a great idea?  It sure was in a kitchen with only a microwave.  However, if you have a stove, you might want to take a look at the price.  Also, note, this is again the store brand offering.

This “special” easy, convenient bag of peas will set you back $.17 per ounce … 70% more than the other bag of petite peas!  But, does it work the same way for name brand products?

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Taking a look at the Birds Eye brand, we find that the Steam-in-Bag version costs exactly the same as the standard bag peas, $.18 per ounce.  Hmm, interesting.  It would seem that Birds Eye recognizes that a bag is a bag, but these peas are high-priced across the board. There is one more variation of basic peas available.

One of the problems that I discovered with using the Steam-in-Bag products is that I cooked the whole bag at once.  If you have enough mouths to feed, that is not a problem.  And, storing the uneaten peas in the frig is easy enough – simply close the bag and do it!  Just make sure to eat the left overs before they spoil.  The next product solves this “problem” by packaging its contents into four separate sealed bags!  But, you will have to keep your wallet open longer for the $.23 per ounce price!

Conclusion.  You don’t need me to draw conclusions for you!  Here’s what I learned for me.  I’ll buy the 10 ounce bag of store brand petite peas at a quality grocery store.  Since frozen peas cook very quickly, in a small amount of water, I’ll do them on the stove where I can season them more easily than in a bag. I’ll pour out what I need and throw the bag back in the freezer where they will last longer than in the refrigerator. One thing I know is that the cost of food is raising!  I find no need to pay extra for a different bag for my frozen vegetables’ trip home … unless I’m in a hotel 🙂

Coming Soon: Simply prepared frozen vegetables can be delicious and are a great side dish, particularly when fresh ones aren’t available.  Salt, pepper, butter and an unusual ingredient is my “simple veggie” recipe for success.  I’ll post a video of this preparation soon.

* Vegetable graphic from BirdsEye.com.  Thanks!