What is the last thing you ordered from Amazon?

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosie Our new home has a couple of orange trees in the backyard, and we're now inundated with ripe, tasty oranges! We're giving a bunch away but we still have plenty. So earlier this week we purchased this. It's a Black & Decker CJ630, it cost under $20 (err, when we bought it it was $18.99, I see it's now a bit over $21, oh well), and it works great. I don't think I've ever had truly fresh-squeezed orange juice, it's a revelation. Yum!

I was listening to a story on NPR yesterday about so called "natural" foods, and they were talking about what was done to orange juice. They store it in giant vats, remove the oxygen which makes it flavorless, then add in packets of flavoring from oranges before packaging it. It's all natural, since it all comes from the orange, but they said all you need to do is taste fresh squeezed and you'd understand the difference between "natural" on the package and really natural.

I've been thinking about planting an orange tree myself, although I'm also considering an avocado. We've got an incredible mango tree, but they ripen after we head back north so I've never tasted them.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I was listening to a story on NPR yesterday about so called "natural" foods, and they were talking about what was done to orange juice. They store it in giant vats, remove the oxygen which makes it flavorless, then add in packets of flavoring from oranges before packaging it. It's all natural, since it all comes from the orange, but they said all you need to do is taste fresh squeezed and you'd understand the difference between "natural" on the package and really natural. ...

I'd expect that fresh squeezed tasted better, fresher than anything that isn't fresh. But I wouldn't criticize their 'processing'.

Of course they "store it in giant vats" - this is mass production, and actually, "giant vats" are preferable - the ratio of surface area (exposed to O2), decreases with volume.

And they "remove the oxygen" (which is likely only a few ppm), so it doesn't oxidize. It may be that O2-less OJ does taste flatter than OJ with O2 (that is why boiled/cooled water tastes 'flat' - the boiling removes most of the few ppm of O2). But it would likely taste worse if the didn't remove the O2 - so why should it be surprising that they do this? (edit - BTW, I bet that vigorous shaking of your OJ container for 45 seconds will return the O2 to the product. Homebrewers do this prior to fermentation, the yeast like some O2 at the start, and it has been documented that this brings the un-fermented beer 'juice', called "wort", O2 content near its saturation point at room temperature. Wort has a similar sugar content to fruit juice, maltose rather than fructose, so should be applicable)

So to counter the drawbacks, they "then add in packets of flavoring from oranges before packaging it". Again, this makes sense to me, why not add back some flavoring from the oranges to improve the flavor?

If you don't like shelf/frozen OJ, don't buy it. But fresh is either unavailable or expensive for many people. IIRC, frozen actually tested better in taste tests, even though it is concentrated, that process actually preserved the flavor better.

"It's all natural, since it all comes from the orange,.." At least it comes from the orange. The term 'natural' is really pretty meaningless. Even a label like "natural Maple flavoring" does not mean that the flavoring came from anything Maple related. It just means the flavoring is 'natural' - from an animal/plant/mineral source - not synthesized by a chemical process. Pretty meaningless. In fact, maple flavoring is an extract of an herb, Fenugreek.

Of course, the flavor component of Fenugreek is the chemical Sotolon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotolon and it is represented like this:



But, if you create that exact chemical structure in a lab, rather than extracting it from an herb (and how is that process done?), your Maple syrup is no longer legally considered to have 'Natural Flavorings".

Stupid. Plus, how many "natural" things, like poisonous mushrooms, botulism, and salmonella, are very, very bad for us? Natural-shmatural.

-ERD50

[easysurfer]

Cat water fountain... My kitties need fresh water when I'm away.

note: picture is not my cat, but a stock photo of the fountain with a feline .

[Nodak]

Just ordered a replacement power supply for my Toshiba laptop computer, only $9.

[travelover]

Some people shop brick and mortar stores to see the product, then order on Amazon. I shop Amazon including reviews, then try to find it for less on eBay. If both use the same photos, you can use Google Images file search to locate the exact item.

[Lakedog]

A replacement washer door lock switch assembly for a Samsung front loader. The door would not close/lock so the washing machine was inoperable. It is great that you can find videos online showing how to fix issues like this. The part from Amazon was only $26 - a very inexpensive repair requiring only about 20 minutes (after my initial thoughts of having to pay a service tech a couple hundred bucks).

[Theseus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 I'm that way too but I learned that if you ever get a foot condition that requires special shoes that will alleviate the pain you'll be willing to spend much, much more. DW had a bout with plantar fascitis and we ended up spending nearly $200 on a pair of special sneakers for her. Both of us had to swallow hard to do that. It worked, so it was well worth the money.

+1MM

Having endured a Cortisone shot into my foot with a needle the size of an Gemini rocket, just about any price to prevent a recurrence of planter fascitis is easier to swallow.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I'd expect that fresh squeezed tasted better, fresher than anything that isn't fresh. But I wouldn't criticize their 'processing'. Of course they "store it in giant vats" - this is mass production, and actually, "giant vats" are preferable - the ratio of surface area (exposed to O2), decreases with volume. And they "remove the oxygen" (which is likely only a few ppm), so it doesn't oxidize. It may be that O2-less OJ does taste flatter than OJ with O2 (that is why boiled/cooled water tastes 'flat' - the boiling removes most of the few ppm of O2). But it would likely taste worse if the didn't remove the O2 - so why should it be surprising that they do this? (edit - BTW, I bet that vigorous shaking of your OJ container for 45 seconds will return the O2 to the product. Homebrewers do this prior to fermentation, the yeast like some O2 at the start, and it has been documented that this brings the un-fermented beer 'juice', called "wort", O2 content near its saturation point at room temperature. Wort has a similar sugar content to fruit juice, maltose rather than fructose, so should be applicable) So to counter the drawbacks, they "then add in packets of flavoring from oranges before packaging it". Again, this makes sense to me, why not add back some flavoring from the oranges to improve the flavor? If you don't like shelf/frozen OJ, don't buy it. But fresh is either unavailable or expensive for many people. IIRC, frozen actually tested better in taste tests, even though it is concentrated, that process actually preserved the flavor better. "It's all natural, since it all comes from the orange,.." At least it comes from the orange. The term 'natural' is really pretty meaningless. Even a label like "natural Maple flavoring" does not mean that the flavoring came from anything Maple related. It just means the flavoring is 'natural' - from an animal/plant/mineral source - not synthesized by a chemical process. Pretty meaningless. In fact, maple flavoring is an extract of an herb, Fenugreek. Of course, the flavor component of Fenugreek is the chemical Sotolon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotolon and it is represented like this: But, if you create that exact chemical structure in a lab, rather than extracting it from an herb (and how is that process done?), your Maple syrup is no longer legally considered to have 'Natural Flavorings". Stupid. Plus, how many "natural" things, like poisonous mushrooms, botulism, and salmonella, are very, very bad for us? Natural-shmatural. -ERD50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04

You didn't like Chemistry in school, I take it?

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer Cat water fountain... My kitties need fresh water when I'm away. note: picture is not my cat, but a stock photo of the fountain with a feline .

Would love to hear how you like it when it arrives. I've pondered getting one although there is no outlet on the wall where I have their water so I would have to move it.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh You didn't like Chemistry in school, I take it?

I minored in Chem, but I must admit it was an effort....

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I minored in Chem, but I must admit it was an effort....

Life is so easy to understand when you choose to ignore anything that doesn't fit what you want to believe. But will it help you?

-ERD50

[tmm99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Time has passed, and I hated that swivel barstool more and more as time went by. (I don't know why I used the plural in my post above, because luckily I only bought one.) My swivel barstool not only didn't float my boat, it became as annoying as a pebble in my shoe or a thorn in my sock, and was the source of considerable grumbling under my breath. So, last week I got what for me is a *MUCH* better barstool. It's cheap, extremely sturdy, just the right height, comfortable, not terribly heavy, and doesn't take much room. This one I really like! It doesn't look comfortable but it really is, and in every desirable quality it is just right. So, I ordered another yesterday and might order a third one later on. I guess this is one case in which the cheaper option actually is better. THIS one floats my boat. It requires felt adhesive pads to protect my hardwood floor, but they didn't cost much either.

I have the same exact thing! And I love it too! The contour of the seat fits my bottom perfectly LOL. I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond years ago. When I was moving and giving away tons of furniture, a friend of mine asked me if I was getting rid of it and I said it was coming with me. It didn't cost much but I really like it. My friend got my designer couch though.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 I have the same exact thing! And I love it too! The contour of the seat fits my bottom perfectly LOL. I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond years ago. When I was moving and giving away tons of furniture, a friend of mine asked me if I was getting rid of it and I said it was coming with me. It didn't cost much but I really like it. My friend got my designer couch though.

I love mine too! In fact yesterday I ordered two more so I will have four of them. They are comfortable, just the right height, don't take up much space, and they are light and easy to move around.

[ghsebldr]

60 pilot point 5/16" drill bits, 60 sets of two 1/8" drill bits, 60 5/16" nut drivers. 1 each per customer per greenhouse. Retirement gig gone wild.

[stepford]

Brake rotors and pads for the Beemer. Cheaper than anyplace else I could find (and WAAY less than from the parts dept at the BMW stealership).

[bradner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I was listening to a story on NPR yesterday about so called "natural" foods, and they were talking about what was done to orange juice. They store it in giant vats, remove the oxygen which makes it flavorless, then add in packets of flavoring from oranges before packaging it. It's all natural, since it all comes from the orange, but they said all you need to do is taste fresh squeezed and you'd understand the difference between "natural" on the package and really natural. I've been thinking about planting an orange tree myself, although I'm also considering an avocado. We've got an incredible mango tree, but they ripen after we head back north so I've never tasted them.

The Canadian consumer show Marketplace did a spot on orange juice - just what you said but in a taste test, people preferred fresh squeezed LESS because people are so used to the post-processed flavoured OJ and really have forgot what fresh squeezed tastes like now.

To keep OT, I purchased a meat thermometer last month from Amazon. 1/2 the price at .com vs .ca - even with the poor CDN exchange.

[dixonge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R So, last week I got what for me is a *MUCH* better barstool. It's cheap, extremely sturdy, just the right height, comfortable, not terribly heavy, and doesn't take much room. This one I really like! It doesn't look comfortable but it really is, and in every desirable quality it is just right. So, I ordered another yesterday and might order a third one later on.

We picked one of these up for our apartment. $5 at Salvation Army. The DW gets a special thrill for every 'find' like this she comes up with. On a related note, she's pretty much the reason I'm not approaching my 60's with $0 in the bank...

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Life is so easy to understand when you choose to ignore anything that doesn't fit what you want to believe. But will it help you? -ERD50

I'm not sure I need help. If you actually read my post, all I did was report about a story I heard on NPR, which backed up Rosie saying how wonderful the fresh squeezed is. I didn't make any moral judgments about processed, organic, or vat grown foods. And I certainly didn't ask for a lecture. So I think my video response was right on track. If you don't like it, the ignore button is pretty easy to find.

[MichaelB]

Come on, let's not sidetrack the thread ..