It Only Sounds Crazy
I'm considering making another trip to the orchard for some additional apples.
No, wait! There's logic involved, I swear, so hear me out.
It's apparent that I didn't pick up enough Galas, primarily, as they can fit the bill for my mother-in-laws request for a multi-purpose eating and baking apple. Everyone else on the planet uses Granny Smiths and other tart apples for baking and just adds sugar, but, well.
I've been irritable today, let's not dwell.
ANYWAY, I've already given her a quarter bushel, could use some more myself to toss into the applesauce I haven't started yet to sweeten it up, and so I've been suspecting a shortfall. But it sounded kind of crazy, given gas prices and the drive and what not, especially when they're available in the store, yeah? So I figured it all out.
I'm so impressed with myself for doing what essentially boils down to a basic word problem, but whatever. The point is, I'm sharing.
Here are the essential numbers:
The drive to the orchard is 50 miles one way.
The car gets 28 miles per gallon.
Gas is currently $3.39 per gallon.
A bushel averages about 40 pounds and, for pre-picked apples (which the Galas are), costs $34.95.
Organic Gala apples at the grocery store are currently $1.88 per pound.
The number crunching:
100 miles round trip / 28 miles per gallon = 3.57 gallons
3.57 gallons x $3.39/gallon = $12.10
$12.10 / 40 pounds = $0.30 cost per pound for gas
$34.95 / 40 pounds = $0.87 cost per pound for the actual apples
$1.88 - ($0.87 + $0.30) = $0.71 per pound savings
$0.71 x 40 pounds = $28.40 total savings
Which was considerably better than I expected. Nice! Then I realized that I better figure on whether or not we'll actually use that many apples. So I estimated out our weekly apple consumption at 6 apples for me (I usually have one for breakfast and, yes, I do often end up having one for breakfast plus applesauce later in the evening as well) and 3 for D. I weighed 9 randomly selected specimens from the table and they came in at 3.5 pounds.
From now until the end of January, the length of time I'm estimating they'll keep in the outside refrigerator, there are 17 weeks. We currently have about 30 pounds on hand and if I add to that another half bushel (20 pounds), assuming the second half would go to my mother-in-law and to applesauce, then it would be a total of 50 pounds. Dividing 50 pounds by 17 weeks, I get 2.9 pounds per week available. So, no, we probably wouldn't have a problem consuming that many apples before they start to go bad.
Just to see, I also multiplied 3.5 pounds (our estimated consumption) by 17 weeks, which gave me 59.5 pounds. Not too much more and should nicely account for those weeks D doesn't go through 3 in his lunches or I don't eat them 6 days of the week.
The list version of the above:
Pounds of apples consumed weekly: 3.5
Weeks apples will store: 17
Pounds of apples on hand: 30
Pounds of apples additional for fresh eating: 20
30 pounds + 20 pounds = 50 pounds total
50 pounds / 17 weeks = 2.9 pounds
or
3.5 pounds x 17 weeks = 59.5 pounds
Believe it or not, it is perfectly logical and cost effective for me to drive 50 miles to the orchard, purchase 40 more pounds of pre-picked apples, and drive 50 miles back home.
Crossposted to Dreamwidth where there are
comments. Comment here or there. ♥ Blue :)
No, wait! There's logic involved, I swear, so hear me out.
It's apparent that I didn't pick up enough Galas, primarily, as they can fit the bill for my mother-in-laws request for a multi-purpose eating and baking apple. Everyone else on the planet uses Granny Smiths and other tart apples for baking and just adds sugar, but, well.
I've been irritable today, let's not dwell.
ANYWAY, I've already given her a quarter bushel, could use some more myself to toss into the applesauce I haven't started yet to sweeten it up, and so I've been suspecting a shortfall. But it sounded kind of crazy, given gas prices and the drive and what not, especially when they're available in the store, yeah? So I figured it all out.
I'm so impressed with myself for doing what essentially boils down to a basic word problem, but whatever. The point is, I'm sharing.
Here are the essential numbers:
The drive to the orchard is 50 miles one way.
The car gets 28 miles per gallon.
Gas is currently $3.39 per gallon.
A bushel averages about 40 pounds and, for pre-picked apples (which the Galas are), costs $34.95.
Organic Gala apples at the grocery store are currently $1.88 per pound.
The number crunching:
100 miles round trip / 28 miles per gallon = 3.57 gallons
3.57 gallons x $3.39/gallon = $12.10
$12.10 / 40 pounds = $0.30 cost per pound for gas
$34.95 / 40 pounds = $0.87 cost per pound for the actual apples
$1.88 - ($0.87 + $0.30) = $0.71 per pound savings
$0.71 x 40 pounds = $28.40 total savings
Which was considerably better than I expected. Nice! Then I realized that I better figure on whether or not we'll actually use that many apples. So I estimated out our weekly apple consumption at 6 apples for me (I usually have one for breakfast and, yes, I do often end up having one for breakfast plus applesauce later in the evening as well) and 3 for D. I weighed 9 randomly selected specimens from the table and they came in at 3.5 pounds.
From now until the end of January, the length of time I'm estimating they'll keep in the outside refrigerator, there are 17 weeks. We currently have about 30 pounds on hand and if I add to that another half bushel (20 pounds), assuming the second half would go to my mother-in-law and to applesauce, then it would be a total of 50 pounds. Dividing 50 pounds by 17 weeks, I get 2.9 pounds per week available. So, no, we probably wouldn't have a problem consuming that many apples before they start to go bad.
Just to see, I also multiplied 3.5 pounds (our estimated consumption) by 17 weeks, which gave me 59.5 pounds. Not too much more and should nicely account for those weeks D doesn't go through 3 in his lunches or I don't eat them 6 days of the week.
The list version of the above:
Pounds of apples consumed weekly: 3.5
Weeks apples will store: 17
Pounds of apples on hand: 30
Pounds of apples additional for fresh eating: 20
30 pounds + 20 pounds = 50 pounds total
50 pounds / 17 weeks = 2.9 pounds
or
3.5 pounds x 17 weeks = 59.5 pounds
Believe it or not, it is perfectly logical and cost effective for me to drive 50 miles to the orchard, purchase 40 more pounds of pre-picked apples, and drive 50 miles back home.
Crossposted to Dreamwidth where there are
comments. Comment here or there. ♥ Blue :)