Best Prices in Machane Yehuda, Off The Beaten Path

I try to get to Jerusalem's excellent open air market, Machane Yehuda, every week especially in the spring and summer. That's when it's easiest to get prices that are much lower than I see in Rami Levy. The big discount supermarket chain, Rami Levy, has a principle to keep the staples, carrots, apples, potatoes, onions etc and citrus in season at prices that favorably compare with the shuk/shuq (market.)

It's in the summer, when seasonal fruit is too delicate to store very long when he really can't compete as well. I found peaches and nectarines for NS6-7 in Machane Yehuda, while they were over NS10 in Rami Levy. Rami Levy has been selling large apples for a relatively low NS8.90 if I remember correctly, but that works out to close to NS2 for just one albeit delicious apple. I found slightly smaller apples for NS7.80 as you can see here. When you're trying to reduce your weight and expenses, these shuk apples are the best deal.

This stand, which I always check out, has different foods each week, but the prices are always fantastically low. I get my melon from him and decided to buy one of his very large zucchinis. At NS2 a kilo, how could I pass them up?

I only discovered this section of the shuk relatively recently. It's pretty much hidden away, off the beaten path. It's actually not far from Rechov Yaffo, Jaffa Road and paralel to it. You can enter by taking the first turn from the shuk street. No, it isn't the "Iraqi Shuk" which is large and has pretty much uniform prices of all of the standard vegetables. It's closer to town.

There's also a stand that sells greens for salads and soups for just NS1 per bunch. And it's actually a lovely "square" with a bench an view of the street via a restaurant. It's connected to one of the warrens of little "lanes" off of the main drags of Machane Yehuda, which are the best locations for bargains.

Enjoy in good health!

Shuk/Shuq Shopping, Annoyances

One of the good or bad (best or worst) things about shopping in Jerusalem's open air market, Machaneh Yehuda is its prices. 

Last week I was there wandering around with my granddaughter before taking her to see the JEST performance of "The King and I."  It was Tuesday afternoon and the prices of even the best summer fruits was temptingly low. 

But logic got in the way.  I knew too well that I wouldn't be able to schlepp them safely for hours, so I didn't buy any.  Less than twenty-four 24 hours later I was back raring to shop, and the prices were much higher.  I did buy some fruit but it was hard, ok, actually-impossible to find such prices.  And I did re-trace my steps.

The lesson is that if you really want great bargains, you must choose your shopping days wisely.  The
first half of the week has prices lower than the last half, but they drop extremely low the last couple of hours before Shabbat, because nobody likes to have to store the fresh produce until Sunday.