Go Buy Tomatoes Today (Peppers, Zucchini, Asparagas, Cucumber, too)

Speaking of food prices in the US, the prices of fresh produce are set to jump significantly thanks to unprecedented crop loss in Mexico and Southwest, due to frost.

Portland's news channel KGW reports:

PORTLAND -- Get ready to pay double or even triple the price for fresh produce in the coming weeks after the worst freeze in 60 years damaged and wiped out entire crops in northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

The problem started less than a week ago, when our nation was focusing on the Superbowl and sheets of ice falling from Texas Stadium.

Farmers throughout northern Mexico and the Southwest experienced unprecedented crop losses. Now devastation that seemed so far away, is hitting us in the pocketbooks.

"We've had to double and triple some prices and consumers come in and it's quite a shock to them," said Rusty Peake, GM of Food4Less in Southeast Portland.

"Increase, increase, increase," said produce manager Troy Winterhalter as he watched urgent messages coming across his laptop computer. "Peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, the entire asparagus crop was wiped out," said Winterhalter.

Roma tomatoes have more than doubled in price since Thursday and very soon they may not be available at all.

It is possible to freeze tomatoes, by the way. Not for eating fresh, obviously, but for cooking. No need to take the skin off.

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