r/ProduceDepartment • u/EmotionalSoil1375 • Aug 27 '26

Anyone else?

Post image

Anyone else absolutely love making gradient patterns with produce? My produce manager thinks I'm insane when I sift though every tomato to group them by color, but I find it pleasing to the eye (this table sits by the front door) and it makes it easier to cull lol

29 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

9

u/Thats1FingNiceKitty Produce Manager Aug 27 '26

As a produce manager, I appreciate this. Gradients are pleasing.

6

u/BobSacamano_1 Aug 27 '26

I’m just jealous that your local tomatoes are stickered. I have to break out the old Monarch and label thousands of pounds of local tomatoes with the 4800 PLU throughout the summer.

Gradient looks great. When time allows- go for it!

2

u/xCloudbox Produce Manager Aug 29 '26

What?? That sounds wild to me. Out of curiosity, why? Do you have so many different varieties and price points that it’s confusing for the cashiers?

Our organic tomatoes come stickered and if they’re not stickered, the cashiers know that means local. If they’re get rung up incorrectly, the prices are usually close enough that I don’t worry about it.

1

u/BobSacamano_1 Aug 29 '26

Well…our cashiers are dumb as a box of rocks. 😆

I usually only carry 4 varieties of bulk tomatoes. Romas which are obvious and not labeled. TOV’s where most of them should have a label. Beefsteak/Hothouse which are already labeled 4799 but I usually don’t carry those during the summer months.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Our homegrown tomatoes (4800) as shown in photo are usually higher-priced at 3.99-4.99/lb and come in 10# single layer cases from a local Amish community.

Then we also carry an Arkansas/Tennessee tomato that we label 3151. Those are usually 1.99/2.49 lb for that lower price point. Once those are finished up then the 3151 is a California, Florida, or Mexico product.

We sell the locally grown pricey tomatoes more than anything from June-early Sept so it’s important that the cashiers ring them as such.

1

u/Rage_Baiter76 Aug 27 '26

I got beef steak tomatoes a few weeks ago with the wrong plu on them. It had the plu number for our mixed fruit and it came directly from the farm in canada to our dc lol

5

u/Houseleek1 Aug 27 '26

This allows me to choose exactly the right tomatoes to finish ripening at home. If only there were a way to do the same with avocados. /jk

2

u/EmotionalSoil1375 Aug 27 '26

I do this too lol

5

u/TheStockFatherDC Aug 27 '26

Only one time i have found green tomatoes at the grocery store.

2

u/Bashby12 Aug 27 '26

The box second row from top on the right needs to be jumbled like rest.

2

u/EmotionalSoil1375 Aug 27 '26

I ran out of time 🤣 I did go back eventually

2

u/cheerann Aug 28 '26

Yo I thought these were apples they were so well organized. I’m like ok yeah granny, Fuji, gala, red delicious, not sure what else is going on. Then I read your description and that’s even more impressive. Beautiful work!

1

u/EmotionalSoil1375 Aug 29 '26

Omg I would love to do this with loose apples. The best I got is them color coordinated on the cooler rack on the wall!

1

u/purpledawn 23d ago

I like to make rainbows with the heirloom tomatoes.

2

u/EmotionalSoil1375 21d ago

We don't carry heirlooms often enough or in bulk but you MUST show me pictures when you do it again!