News – Page 2 – Peapod Foods

February 25, 2020March 10, 2020

Happy Fasching

When I visited Stuttgart almost exactly eight years ago, the gutters were overflowing with garbage and streamers. Since everything was weird and European, I just assumed this was probably normal too.

After eight years of living here, the weird European things now feel a lot like home. So when I find the streets full of garbage and streamers, it can only mean one thing: Fasching is here! Fasching is the German celebration of Karneval. Everyone dresses up in costumes, drinks a lot, binges on jelly donuts, and goes to parades.

Costumes, drunkenness, jelly donuts, and parades are all some of my least favorite things. However, Fasching has a special place in my memory because it reminds me that another year has passed since the beginning of this weird adventure in Germany.

February 17, 2020March 3, 2020

Social Media

Visit us on our Facebook page!

I’m not a big social media user. I actually had to google “what is a Facebook page?” after people kept telling me to set up a Facebook page for Peapod. It turns out that Facebook pages and Facebook profiles are actually different things. But now we have one! I need a teenager to show me how to do these things.

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020

Vegetable Stands

During the slower times at the farmers market, I sometimes chat with the people running the neighboring stands. I like hearing about their businesses.

This past weekend, I learned how many typical vegetable stands run their businesses. It was fascinating!

For readers not familiar with German farmers markets, these vegetable stands appear at basically every farmers market in every German city. They have big plastic bins with colorful, carefully arranged produce which usually looks fresh and enticing. Customers are willing to pay a premium for this produce.

Stuttgart farmers market. The produce looks beautiful even in the wintertime.

It’s not uncommon for people to say things like, “I buy my produce at the farmers market because the quality is just so much better than at the grocery store.”

I had never specifically inquired about the sourcing or distribution of the produce. I just assumed it must be somehow superior. Otherwise, why would people pay more? Maybe it was regional? Maybe it was sold directly from the farm to the customers? Maybe it was organically grown?

It turns out that the produce sold at the farmers market is purchased from large distributors. It comes from countries all over the world, and because of the supply chain, it’s probably not particularly fresh. After buying in bulk from distributors, the people running the stands arrange their merchandise nicely and then mark up the price for a nice profit.

It sounds exactly the same as a normal grocery store!

This just doesn’t make any sense. Why do people pay more for produce at the farmers market? They’re certainly not all being tricked? Certainly not thrifty, southern Germans who pride themselves on buying things of high quality? Somebody please help me understand!

February 2, 2020February 2, 2020

Introducing Knacks

Our line of Knacks Green Beans is now available in our online shop. We have two flavors. Check them out!

The Knacks made their debut yesterday at the farmers market at Bihlplatz. The feedback from customers was overwhelmingly positive, and we even sold out of the chili flavor!

Earlier that morning, while I was hauling a cart full of Peapod stuff through the dark streets, onto the U-bahn, and over to the farmers market, I have to admit that I had my doubts. But starting Peapod has been a series of exercises in pushing through doubts. So I pushed through again, and what a pleasant surprise it was.

January 27, 2020February 2, 2020

Waterproofing

Just in time for Peapod to open a stand at the farmers market, nonstop rain is coming to Stuttgart.

Find us Saturday mornings at the Bihlplatz farmers market!

January 13, 2020January 15, 2020

Green Beans are Coming

The Peapod test kitchen has been cooking up a storm. After many months of experimenting, tasting, and refining, we’re ready to share a new line with you!

Over the next few weeks, we will introduce a spiced, crispy, delicious, chip-like snack made from green beans. They will be available in a few different flavors. One of my favorites is coated in coconut oil and then salted and spiced.

We worked hard to add this option to our lineup. It wasn’t easy finding a suitable vegetable and developing recipes which met all of the tough criteria.

One big obstacle was the seasonality of produce. Not only does price fluctuate a lot with season, but the quality of the product in the off-season is often far inferior to the quality in-season. Maybe in the summertime we will share some of our recipes with tomatoes and strawberries. In the wintertime they’re just not as delicious.

Another big obstacle was the handling of the produce. Cooking for family and friends is quite different from producing food at scale. We needed a vegetable which was production-friendly through all steps of preparation, from cleaning to dehydration to packaging. Green beans fared well.

We’re putting the finishing touches on packaging and labeling. You’ll find the green beans in our online store soon.

December 23, 2019December 26, 2019

Merry Christmas

We’re taking a few days off to relax and celebrate the holidays. We’ll be back in the new year with some exciting, new developments.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tonight is the last night of our Christmas market here
in Stuttgart.

December 15, 2019December 22, 2019

Sharpening Up

We’ve been busy tying up all the loose ends here at Peapod so that we can start the new year with a bang.

Since every fresh start needs a sharp knife, I finally took the blade on the slicer to get sharpened. Look how sharp it is now!

Workhorse
James battled hard to get that blade off.

The dullness really snuck up on me (as dullness does). Even the guy who sharpened the blade commented on its poor state. I can’t wait to test it out.

December 1, 2019December 2, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving

There are so many things I am thankful for this year. Creating Peapod has been one of my favorite parts of the year, and it has only been possible because of the support of my family and friends. Thank you all!

We’re planning a proper Thanksgiving feast with some friends next weekend. To tide us over until then, we made and devoured a pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 17, 2019December 1, 2019

Does This Count as Competition?

New snack food idea from Rewe (local grocery store)

Our local grocery store started carrying these pocket sandwiches. I usually taste test foods similar to ours, but in this case I just really don’t want to. Any volunteers?