Imperfect Foods Review
IMPERFECT FOODS
For the past few weeks, I have been reviewing produce delivery services in The Bay Area. I have chosen a different company each week to review. At the end of ten weeks, I will provide a comprehensive list.
I had wanted to try out Imperfect Foods since I moved to the West Coast. I had read about the company, more specifically about its mission to reduce food waste and improve environmental sustainability. I had also heard it was an affordable way to stock up on fruits and vegetables. I was excited to start building my Imperfect Produce review box and to learn the ins and outs of the company.
SELECTING MY SIXTH PRODUCE BOX DELIVERY
There is a different model that Imperfect Produce employs than other delivery services I have subscribed to. The company works closely with over 150 farms and producers. They buy fruits and vegetables from the farmers and then sell them to customers. The produce items sold usually end up as waste due to one of the following imperfections: size, asymmetry, scarring, lack of consumer market, surplus, or discoloration. There are 3 billion pounds of produce going to waste per year in the state of California alone, even after food banks and animal feedlots take from it what they want to use.
THE WEBSITE EXPERIENCE
Before I built my Imperfect Foods review box, I checked out the FAQ page which provided a ton of information. Their overarching mission is to reduce food waste.
GETTING STARTED
Customization is a word that is plastered all over the website, so I knew once I got started, I would have some decisions to make. But for now, I had to make just a few selections in order to build my Imperfect Foods review box:
PLACING THE ORDER
Box Type:
Organic ($15-$43)
Mixed Fruit & Veggie ($11-$27)
All Fruit ($11-$16)
All Veggie ($11-$16)
Size:
Small: 7-9 lbs, serves 1-2
Medium: 11-13 lbs, serves 2-4
Large: 17-19 lbs, serves 4-6
Extra Large: 23-25 lbs, serves 6-10
Frequency:
Every Week
Every Other Week
Imperfect Foods prices their produce per pound, so the final price of my box depended on the final weight of the contents I selected. For this Imperfect Foods review, I opted for a medium box of the organic fruits and veggie as my base and built up from there.
CUSTOMIZATION
Customization is a large part of the process at Imperfect Foods, and it is the name of one of the headings located front and center on the home page (Customization 101). Upon check out and up to three days prior to my delivery, I could add and subtract any amount of produce to my Imperfect Foods review box. Of course, since the produce is charged by the pound, the more you add and the less you subtract, the more expensive your box will cost. If one does not wish to spend time customizing, Imperfect Foods provided a pre-built box with a solid variety of produce based on the size of the box selected (see average box weights listed above).
Imperfect Foods lists the origin of each item and the reasons why they have been deemed imperfect, or unfit for retail. The website provided meal plan and storage tips, and provided categories of produce based on length of shelf-life to accommodate the cooking schedule of the individual. This furthers Imperfect Produce’s mission of reducing food waste and rotting food in the fridge.
DELIVERY
Imperfect Foods delivers to the Bay Area, LA, Orange County, Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, with plans on some serious expansion down the road. A good thing to note is that Imperfect Foods charges a delivery fee, ranging from $2.99 to $4.99, depending upon location. This is not mentioned in the advertised price, but something of note once check out time comes along.
When I placed my order for my Imperfect Foods review, I immediately received a confirmation email. If you want to try this food delivery service out, click here to receive $20 off your first order of fresh food from imperfect Foods!
UNBOXING
All in all I received 21 items at roughly $25, plus a $2.99 delivery fee. Here are the items I received as part of my Imperfect Foods review box.
Large Lemons
Organic Ginger
Organic Artichokes
Organic Mini Watermelon
Organic Grapefruit
Organic Mandarins
Organic Cucumber
Organic Apples
Organic Small Avocados
Organic Kale Bunch
PREPARING THE FOOD
The majority of items I selected for my Imperfect Foods review box were pretty easy to prep. For example, I gave a few slices to my mini watermelon, and once all chopped up, I stored the cut fruit in a glass container for an easy and hydrating snack. And as always, the oranges and apples will serve as great midday snacks to provide an energy boost.
MY MEALS
I incorporated a few of the ingredients into some fantastic meals and snacks this week.
MEAL #1: KALE PAELLA
I built this paella starting with slow roasted mushrooms, peppers, a shallot, vegetable broth. and white rice. I then grabbed one of the two large bunches of kale I received as part of my Imperfect Foods review box, separated the leaves from the stem, and gave them a rough chop. After a quick sauté in a separate pan, I topped my almost-ready paella with loads of the greens. Four small divots made room for four eggs, one in each. I baked this in the oven for about 8 minutes until the eggs set. My favorite part of paella is the crispy rice.
MEAL #2: CHUNKY GUACAMOLE WITH SLICED CUCUMBERS
An easy snack that also doubled as a small dinner one night, this guacamole had tons of flavor and a healthy dose of good fats. I placed some carb-free scoopers in the form of raw cucumber slices on the side. I diced up my avocados, smashed about 1/2 of them with the back of a fork, added some quartered cherry tomatoes with cilantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and got to dipping. The crunch of the cucumber made for a great chip substitute.
MEAL #3: STEAMED ARTICHOKE
Could not be simpler and no special kitchen equipment required. I took one of the artichokes, pulled off the bottom layer of leaves, and snipped off the rest of the sharp tips. After boiling some water in a large pot, I dropped the whole vegetable inside, covered it, and reduced to simmer for about 30 minutes. Once I was able to easily pull off a leaf with a pair of tongs, I knew the artichoke was ready to serve. I squeezed some fresh lemon juice onto my leaves and dunk each one into some seasoned olive oil. I prefer oil over melted butter, but either is a fine choice for artichoke leaf dipping.
RECAP
Imperfect Foods works with many different farms and delivers produce that is unable to sell in stores for a variety of reasons, mostly aesthetic ones. I was unsure what to expect when I received my box: would my produce items look THAT different? What about the taste? Would it be up to par? The produce I received looked extremely similar to that which I have seen on shelves at the grocery store. In many cases, the size of each item is smaller.
The Imperfect Foods platform was almost as if I was online grocery shopping, as there were a ton of familiar items to choose from. The communication from the company was top-notch as well. I received text messages throughout the delivery process. I enjoyed being able to add and subtract items to customize my box. I learned where my produce was grown and also the reasons why the items were deemed imperfect.
Check out my summary of other CSAs found here!
NO ADD ONS (EGGS, BAKED GOODS, OILS)
NOT ALL ITEMS SOURCED FROM LOCAL FARMS
DELIVERY FEE
ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE
INFORMATION ON PRODUCE
VARIETY OF WELL KNOWN PRODUCE
PROVIDED STORAGE TIPS
EASY TO CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE
