I have a frozen vegetable rant.

[Food Network Fan]

Going to the grocery store now and trying to buy frozen veggies is a real task these days. It seems like all they carry are those microwave in the bag steamer packs. Every time I go back there are more. These huge puffed up bags with what feels like about a half a cup of veggies inside. Their presence keeps expanding and the regular old bags of veggies are loosing real estate. Some things they have stopped carrying to make room for those things.

Is it really that hard to lay a vegetable steamer over a boiling pot?

[Pluff Mudder]

In my neck of the woods I haven't seen that happening. We still have plenty of the regular frozen veggies in the bags and boxes, but they also stock the "steam in the bags" from Bird's Eye. At least, that's the way it is at my local Pig, FoodLion and the Super WallyWorld on this side of Charleston.

[BerryBaby]

We have the Bird's Eye Steamers and other brands that are following in the same way.

Although, there are still A LOT of vegetables in just the regular boxes or bags that you make the 'old fashioned' way.

Who would have thought heating up frozen vegetables in a pot would be a novelty?

[ping]

The Krogers here does that so I now goto Hong Kong Food Market or Fiesta looking for frozen veggies.

[Food Network Fan]

They take up so much more space, I assume to have the air inside for the steam to move around. I don't want to try and fit that in my home freezer either. And they are expensive, I wanted broccoli today and picked up a bag and realized it was just a bag of air with a little bit of broccoli in it and it was about 2.50, I put it back and found a bag FULL of broccoli that wasn't micro zap ready and it was just a little over a dollar.

[ping]

People like to pay for the quick stuff it seems.

[Pluff Mudder]

People like to pay for the quick stuff it seems.

They're under the spell of Aunt Sandy.

[bakerman]

It goes to show that companies will find any way to sell existing products for more money, without added value.

I too have noticed other companies starting the steam in the bag thing. At my store there are still lots of the regular veg.

At my store a 12 oz. steamfresh bag of veggies is $2.69, FOR 12 OUNCES!!!!! The regular store brand veg goes on sale for $1 a pound all the time. Is it really that hard to throw some veg in a bowl with a little water or butter and zap it in the microwave? The convenience of the steam fresh isn't worth paying triple the price per pound for me.

[Food Network Fan]

They even make microwave steamers. And they aren't that expensive. Joyce Chen Microwavable Steamer for Rice (2-qt.) at Cooking.com

I did find more of the non steamer type in one section but I bet I picked up 4 different bags before I found them and they all were steamers. And they no longer had one type I get with corn, black beans, peppers etc. and one of the other mixed vegetable packs I get weren't there. I hope they were just out.

[Pluff Mudder]

I've only gotten the steam in the bag veggies once and that was because the store (either The Pig or FoodLion) had them on sale for 5 for $5. Seems what I got was a couple of the rice/veggie mixes and the peas/mushroom mix. They're still out in the freezer. Guess I better use them.