Do You Take Husks off the Corn Before You Buy It (Spin off Grapes)

I sample the grapes.

I peek under the husks.

& no, none of this is stealing....it's a case of savvy shopper!

EDIT: I regularly use a farmers market in St Louis. The vendors always offer a taste....it's the norm for my world. :)

I don't know if this helps, but the main grocery store we use, has a trash can next to the corn specifically for husking it before you buy. I have never seen a de-husked corn ear back in the pile...yet.;)

I don't sample my grapes before I buy them, but I do de-husk my corn. I love being able to leave the mess at the store and not at my house. If the corn looks bad, I don't take the whole husk off. Grapes and corn are two totally different issues. I agree with who ever said that if the corn is bad no one is going to buy it so it doesn't really matter if someone husked it or not.

I actually peel and core my apples before I let them weigh them.

:)

I peal back one side and fold it back up if it looks bad. Troy actually takes a bite of one to see if the lot is bad. Of course we buy the bitten one even if it is bad. Funny story though the produce guy saw us do that once and asked why we only bought one. We said they aren't sweet. He insisted we not purchase the one he bit on and pulled the whole lot of them off the shelf.

Like I said in the other post, tell the produce department if they are bad. It actually saves them money because they don't want to sell bad produce.

Yes. I do. Why ???? At my local grocery stores there is a TRASH BIN NEXT TO THE CORN!!!

They EXPECT you to husk it.

Our grocery store also would cut open a cantaloupe, watermelon or other fruit for M. to sample and they have several covered containers with tooth picks and paper towels for people to test the fruit before they buy it.

I see neither of these instances as stealing.

If you "dehusk" an ear of corn and it is bad, you don't buy it and neither will anyone else. It wouldn't be right for the store to expect anyone to pay for a bad ear of corn. If you "dehusked" the corn and it was good then you buy it. Where is the problem?

And of course the store employees are not going to lose their jobs due to the sampling of grapes. I doubt that very many people even do it and even if lots of people did it there's not a "Grapes Department" at risk of being laid off. Lol. I would hope that if it became a huge issue where people were eating the grapes for a snack rather than test quality, the produce manager would have enough sense to post someone by the grapes to prevent it and if that didn't work then stop selling grapes. :D

I don't take the whole husk off, but I do peek. The produce manager actually told M. that it was fine to do, and if it is a bad ear to toss it in the trash.

As for the grapes, no way would I ever ever ever sample them without washing them. Same with apples. I have seen what those things have gone through before you put it in your cart and I would never eat that without washing it. I am not overly concerned with germs, but seriously there is some nasty stuff on produce.

I don't see the need to take the whole thing apart. I J. open it enough to peer inside and close it back. Maybe dehusking is not stealing, but I do think that it's defacing and making some pieces undesirable to those who want the husks. If they don't get bought, then maybe that does fall into the "stealing" category.

I didn't respond to the question about grapes, but I do think of that as stealing. How many people actually buy the bunch that's been depleted due to tasting? Maybe you taste from one and then find a full bunch of grapes that look like the yummy one you J. ate. I think that the consumer does not (should not) get to decide that it's harmless because it doesn't belong to him, until he makes the purchase. (It's like the cashier who keeps your penny because it's "no big deal". Well, maybe you can afford to leave that penny behind, but it's not that person's call to make.)

If you let the consumer decide, where does it end? Some people think that it's harmless to sample lotions, but do you want to be the one to buy the container that has less product because someone decided to "taste" it? When you try on clothes in the department store, do you then purchase the items in the back that have seen less traffic? Thsi shows that you want "the best" while leaving "less than best" behind for someone else's consumption.

We all want to do what's most convenient for us in the moment, but we aren't so quick to consider how these choices affect people who come behind us.

ETA: The "quality" of the product is subjective, so you can't assume that you're doing someone a favor by tossing certain things that you deem "not good". Some people enjoy sour grapes. You might like your corn a little plumper where someone else might prefer them a little dried. Bottom line--it's not your call in that moment to decide the fate of what does not belong to you.

It is SOP(Standard Operating Proceedure) in this area to provide trash cans beside the corn so if you want to husk it yourself you can. Or you can take it home and do it. Both of the stores I usually buy from have a composter that composts the husks (as well as all of the other pulled/spoiled produce). I'd rather have the husks go into compost rather than in the landfill.

I know how to choose ripe and fresh corn and I have picked up fresh ears others have rejected because I know what to look for and aparently they didn't.

I have even taken "less than desirable" ears left behind and offered to buy those ears at a discount from the produce menager. Most of the time they take M. up on the offer.

Husking corn is not stealing unless you are paying by the pound, but I've never seen corn on the cob sold by the pound. Grapes on the other hand, are sold by the pound, not by the bunch. So if you reduce the weight of the grapes by eating one or two or a handful, then you are stealing. If you ask the produce manager, he will probably give you a taste. Then it is not stealing. J. like if you had your hand out and asked someone for a dollar. If they gave it to you, it is not stealing. If, however, you reached into their pocket and took a dollar, then you are stealing.

If the cashier dropped a grape, you should ask her for it if it is important to you. J. like you dropped a quarter. If you see it and don't pick it up, the quarter is fair game for anyone willing to pick it up.

Good luck to you and yours.

It is not the same thing.
If you LOOK at a piece of corn and decide not to buy it, it is still there. The store may decide to trash it, other shoppers may buy, whatever... but you are not taking it with you. And I'm guessing if a store trashes a lot of corn b/c it is bad, then they take that into account in their losses and who their suppliers are.

If you eat a grape, you have consumed it without paying for it. You pay by the pound. Not so with corn. You pay by the piece. So it doesn't matter if you pull off the husk or not. Say the grape you ate was good, and then you buy the bag. You aren't paying the full cost, because it weighs less. If you buy the corn, the fact that it has been shucked doesn't affect what you are paying.

Granted, the cost of the grape is small. I'm not sure I would go so far as to say less than a half cent (as someone mentioned) when grapes go for as much as $3.99/lb. But the moral issue remains. It is still, technically, theft, because you are taking it without paying for it.

I am not "looking out for" the grocery store. I am looking out for my conscience.

ETA: forgot about what I do about corn myself--- actually, no I don't pull the husk back. Usually, if I am buying fresh corn at the store it is in season and not pricey, like 30 cents an ear. Very rarely, but occasionally it happens, do I get a bad ear of corn. Never more than one when I am buying for the family meal. So what I do, is J. buy one extra piece. If they are all good, then there is an extra if someone wants it, and often one of the kids does. If one of the ears is bad, then everyone still gets an ear of corn. OR, I J. buy what I normally would and if one is bad, I J. cut the good ones in half, and everyone gets a cobbette or two. As mom, I usually will forgo having a piece if necessary, but it's never been necessary.

No, I don't. I used to feed them to my guinea pigs and now we J. compost them. Our grocery store has a trash can, and I have noticed ears that were poked at, but not completely dehusked.

If a store consistently sells a poor product, whatever that product was, I would tell them and stop wasting my time and money there.

Yes. ONLY if they have a garbage can next to the corn. I hate doing that at home because it's so messy. Where I live corn is not sold by weight but by piece so they don't care if we take of the husk. I don't think sampling one grape is a big deal (from a stealing standpoint) -- I'm more concerned that it's dirty and covered with pesticides.

If you keep the husk on the corn and DON'T shuck it in the store then the corn lasts much longer at home. If you shuck it in the store then I hope you plan to use it that night or the next day.

I grew up with corn growing in our back yard garden, so we never even picked the corn until we were ready to cook it. It seems so strange to M. that people shuck the corn in the store. I've rarely ever bought it and never shucked it there. I've "peeked" a couple of times inside the husk when I overheard other customers complain that they found a couple of rotted cobs.

People tend to shuck first rather than later, especially if the bins are provided by the store, in order to "check for rotting" and "to save space" in the bagging. Saving space isn't an issue, really, since it will be used in the near future. Small kernels or "missing" kernels aren't an issue except on the pointy tip, which again, isn't an issue. And unless the corn has been sitting there for weeks, chances of any of it rotting are slim. If I see piles and piles of corn, I'm not worried at all about grabbing a rotten ear.

When you grill corn, it's best to dip it in water first and grill it while it's still in its husk anyway. It tastes better and grills better. When you boil it, you don't want the corn shucked until right before it gets dropped into already-boiling water for the crispest, sweetest taste (and then boil for only 7-10 minutes from the time it's dropped into the already-boiling water... do not put corn into cold water and bring to a boil or it is tough and nasty).

If you MUST buy shucked corn from the grocer, at least buy it already-shucked and wrapped in plastic.

But no, it's not stealing if you shuck it in the store. You don't buy ears of corn by the pound, but by the ear.

You guys CRACK M. up!! I missed all this produce drama this morning.

I J. had this conversation with my husband last night. Out of the 3 ears of corn, one was all runt-y looking and I took one for the team and took it for my plate since I'm the mom. Then I "enlightened" my husband on the process of picking corn at the grocery store. Peeking in the husk to make sure it was a decent ear had never occurred to him. I told him some people go so far as to pull it all off to really see in there. GASP!

Frankly, I've never seen an ear of corn "dehusked" in a store before. I've seen ears of corn in which the husk has been opened to allow a peek at the corn. I think this would be similar to viewing (not eating) a bunch of grapes.

Corn is sold by the ear, not the pound. Peeking at corn (or even dehusking the corn) does not result in it costing less at the checkout stand. Plus, you've left the husk in the store. (Who really does this btw? Is it really that onerous to remove the husk at home?).

Eating a grape reduces the value of the bunch, resulting in the bunch costing less at the checkout stand. Where is that extra money that the store does not receive? It's in your tummy. Did you pay for that grape? No. Hence, you stole that extra value/money from the store.

Look, you can try to justify eating/stealing the grape all you want. But it's still stealing. All you have to do for it not to be stealing is ask the store for a sample. Problem solved. If a store wants to encourage sampling the grapes without the bother of being asked, I would expect them to post a sign saying so. Second problem solved. [Caveat: If you've asked in the past and the store employee has informed you that it is perfectly fine to sample the produce before buying, then maybe you don't need to ask every single time. If you haven't asked though, you can't really use this excuse, can you?]

If it makes you feel better, I admit to doing something illegal all of the time. I speed while driving my car. I do it almost every day. Do I justify it to myself? Yes. Do I try to convince myself that what I'm doing is legal? No. I'm not an idiot.

You think you have a good reason to steal. Fine. Call it "justifiable stealing." J. be self-aware that what you're doing is illegal and does cost the store money.

Taking pens (paper clips, etc.) from work is also stealing. Taking towels from hotels/motels is stealing. Taking glasses/silverware from restaurants is stealing. Need I continue?

ETA - J. M. If a bagboy drops 2 grapes and smushes them, I wouldn't call it "stealing", but I would call it an error that resulted in lost value/produce, and the store should replace it. If it's worth your time, it would be valid for you to ask them to go and pick 2 grapes from another bunch and hand them to you. Frankly, it wouldn't be worth my time.

I'm sorry, but do people have an alternate definition of "stealing" somewhere that I've not been made aware of?

I peel back a little bit of the husk to peek, but it has been my experience that sweet corn for sale in the grocery store is OLD, wormy or not. In fact, I don't buy it at the grocery store any more. Get it while it's fresh, support your local farmer!

If eating one grape or blueberry at the grocery store is stealing, slap the cuffs on M.. I don't like sour grapes or berries. I would also be very guilty at the local u-pick raspberry patch because we didn't weigh my daughter before she started to "help" M. pick berries.

I guess I'm late in this conversation from the grapes, lol.

Ok, the grapes, not sure why people would eat a grape to see if they're ripe or bad. Makes no sense to M.. I'm wondering how people can't J. look at them and see whether or not they're good or bad, lol. I'm no food expert but if I can look at a bunch of grapes and tell if they're good enough to buy anyone should be able to. And eating a grape is still in principal stealing. Why would anyone want to eat a grape in a store is beyond M. anyway. Maybe people aren't aware how many people handle those grapes from farm to store without being washed. Yikes! All fresh fruits and vegetables bought from a store should be washed so no one in my family would eat anything from a store before being cleaned. If you guys only knew, lol.

As for peeling back the husks on corn cobs, not sure why anyone would peel the entire husks down to check it. Again, I'm no food expert but if even I can look at it and feel it and see if it's good then anyone can. All you have to do is peel a touch down the top to see it and put it right back up. Peeling off the husk isn't stealing corn. It's destoying it because as you said few people will buy ears of corn that are already stripped mainly because of sanitary reasons, which makes you wonder why it's ok to eat dirty grapes in a store. Peeling corn husks off is like breaking a vase in a store and not offering to pay for it. Not stealing, but destructive.

It boils down to principal. I can tell you a farmer at his fruit and veggie stand wouldn't tolerate the same behavior.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

Hi J.-

I have lived ALL over the place...and 'de husking' corn was something I had NEVER seen...til we moved here to SW VA.

EVERY store provides a trash barrel...and everyone 'de husks'. I usually have a kiddo or two in tow, so I usually leave them to get the corn...and frankly, it means less mess at home. lol

Grapes...no, I would not taste in store...for all the myriad reasons listed below.

Best Luck!
michele/cat

I missed the grape question, but when I buy corn I peel enough of the husk back to see if the ear looks good before I buy it. Do people really completely husk their corn in the store? I've never seen that. And for the record, it certainly wouldn't be stealing, it would J. be annoying to the people trying to buy the corn while you stand their husking it all.

I go to a "mexican" grocery store and they are kind and loving enough to already de husk(?) and cut the corn, wrap it and keep the price LOW LOW LOW. So, I do not have to worry about moral issues on husking/dehusking but I would not think it was an issue. I check my produce to make sure it is up to my standars - but I also shop in places that keep the produce standards high. I get the best produce at two places, farmer's market - loves to give out free samples of products, and the "mexican" mart the prices are low and the quality is high.

Ask the produce manager the next time you are there about tasting grapes or other produce.

At most of the stores here, they actually have clean grapes in a dish so you can taste them. You can even request the taste of other produce and the will cut you a slice.

I do pull the husks if I am going to boil them.. If I am going to grill them, I J. pull it back slightly to make sure it is fresh and plump. If it has rotted, I will either throw it away, or open up the whole husk to show everyone it is not good.

I hate the de-husking! In my supermarket everyone does this. You literally cannot get in to get your corn because of all the people peeling the corn. At one point they did try to stop this but people did it anyhow so they put trash baskets there. The thing is-how often is there a bad corn? Maybe one out of 5 may have a yucky in it. Cost of doing business in my mind.
I don't sample the grapes but sometimes I do re-package them so I can get less. I will never understand why they sell grapes in huge bags with several bunchs in them. The grapes go bad before we ever get a chance to eat them.
LAstly-the thing I hate the most is to get mold inside a pepper. I never end up taking them back but I probably should-J. too much trouble I guess.

Nope, I don't. I also don't 'sample' any produce from the market because it needs to be washed first.

They have the garbage set up so people can husk the corn right there, because it is kind of a messy process to do at home. I open the corn and peek inside, but I don't husk it in store because I don't know if the store composts, and I figure it is more responsible for M. to take the husks home and make sure they get composted. I husk the ears outside so I don't make a mess in the kitchen. If someone husks a cob of corn in the store and doesn't buy it because it is no good, all they have done is save themselves the hassle of returning it later. I imagine that not allowing grape sampling has more to do with where to draw the line. If you sample grapes, can you sample apples? If you sample a grape, can each of your children also sample a grape, can you sample the food in the bulk bins too, and so on...Also, the produce is not washed and ready to eat.

no I do not peel it off. I have never understood why people do that anyway. I've never had a bad one and I buy corn all the time