What names do you guys use for a “punnet”, as in a punnet of strawberries you’d get at the grocery store?

38 comments

1. I’ve never heard that word, I’d just say a quart or a basket.

2. “Punnet”, though most lay people don’t have a specific word for that thing.

   It’s kind of like knowing a group of ferrets is called a business; nobody much says “there’s a business of ferrets in my garden”, and likewise people seldomly say “pick up a punnet of strawberries”. It would just be “some berries.”

   ETA: if you really needed to specify a unit, you would literally say “thing”, as in, “can you pick me up two things of strawberries?”.

3. It wouldn’t have a specific name. Most might just use the weight, or just say I bought 3 things of strawberries. I’ve used clamshell for the plastic that they typically come in. Or simply a pack of berries

4. I’ve heard the word punnet used before. Mostly berries or tomatoes these days come in plastic boxes instead of a basket. I would probably just say a container of strawberries.

5. …you know, now that I think about it, i don’t think I really call it anything.

6. >One thing suggested “berry baskets” but I can’t imagine such a long description is the norm

   Extremely Australian thought process.

7. In retail goods, the “technical” name for hinged containers that are made of a single piece of material that can hold themselves closed (through friction or locking tab) is “clamshell”. But my wife would never ask me to get berries in this fashion. It’s either “some berries” (whatever is a good deal) or a specific weight like “2 pounds of strawberries” (if she has a recipe).

8. I’ve never heard or seen that word before. I’d use the term basket.

9. I would call that design of container a clamshell but I wouldn’t say “go buy a clamshell of strawberries” I’d just say “go buy some strawberries.” Maybe just like a box of strawberries or a container or strawberries

10. I would only ever call them “things” as in “I need to get a thing of strawberries today”

11. Isn’t wordle only 5 letters anyway?

12. The only context I’ve seen “Punnett” in is a [Punnett square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punnett_square).

    I would call it a container of berries.

13. We’d generally refer to the size of the container, such as a pint or a quart of berries. e.g. “I got three pints of strawberries”

    Berries may come in plastic baskets, plastic clamshell containers, or paper baskets, but we’d refer to the size. Maybe I’d say “a container” or “a box” of strawberries, but usually I’d say pint or quart.

14. The only time I’ve ever heard “punnet” used was when I was studying Mendelian genetics in high school.

15. I’d just say a box.

16. A “thing.”

    Example: “I bought a thing of strawberries two days ago and they’re already moldy.”

17. “a box of strawberries”

18. I’d call it a punnet up here in New England.

19. I had to google it, but it looks like that quantity is about a (US) pint, which is the volume berries are typically sold in at the grocery, so we’d say a “pint of strawberries.”

20. you refer to it by the amount of it that you got like a quart or a pint

21. I either say “pint”, “small container”, or “big container”.

22. Pack or packet.

    Example: Me: Strawberries are on sale
    Wife: which size?
    Me: the bigger ones
    Wife: Ok, get X packs of them.

23. “container” of its not a by-weight purchase

24. Never heard the term. We would say basket or carton. Or the volume measure of pint or quart.

25. Wordle is for words of five letters. Punnet has six.

26. I’d just call it a “package of strawberries” or maybe even just a “thing of strawberries.”

27. 1. It’s a container.

    2. My mother is Australian, I have never heard her say “punnet.” She buys fruit by the container. Is punnet a regionalism?

28. Most people I know, including myself, just call it a box or plastic box. If I say “I got a box of strawberries at the store” most people will know what I mean as that’s the only box-like thing you would get strawberries in at the store.

29. Basket.

30. I’ve heard people who are in the fruit business call them punnets, but most people probably call them baskets or containers.

31. It would be a pound of strawberries. Most strawberries are sold in 1 or 2 pound containers.

32. If I just said “can you get me some strawberries”, everyone will come home with 1 ‘punnet’ of strawberries. So idk I guess it’s never come up?

33. I’d call it a carton of strawberries.

    But I don’t think there’s any standardized word in common use — as in a word for a specific size. A carton or a container can be huge or tiny.

    The size I see most commonly has 20-30 berries in it.

34. From the [Wikipedia article](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punnet):

    >Contemporary punnets are generally made in a variety of dimensions of semi-rigid, transparent, lightweight PET plastic with lockable lids, or of clamshell design, and with vents.

    Is this sounds what you’re referring to? We use that exact same thing, but we just don’t have a specific word for it in America, I guess. The plastic one I would just call a strawberry container? Or fruit container more generically? If it was wood or another material I’d probably just call it a basket.

    The only time I’ve heard “punnet” (other than this question) is the “Punnett square” from biology, but spelled with two T’s. And it’s also a last name, so that spelling might not count as a word either.

35. Interesting, I googled punnet of berries and saw a photo box of strawberries (almost a flat of strawberries here).

    >A fresh market flat of berries, sometimes referred to as a tray or crate, contains 12-pint baskets (or hallocks) of berries. Each of the 12small baskets that make up a flat typically contains enough berries for2 to 2.5 cups of sliced berries or 1.25 to 1.5 cups of pureed or mashed berries.

    Berries are usually sold by the pint, in small square baskets. The basket is often made of food safe (paper) pulp fiber.

36. A pint. No, I’m not kidding.

37. Food industry term is usually “clamshell”

38. What does a punnet look like? What is it made of? What is its size and color?

    Is it one of [these](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punnet)? If so, I called them “berry baskets.” If someone needed clarification, I’d say, “The little green plastic square basket that strawberries come in.”

    We also have [clamshells](https://www.qualitypackagingsupply.com/product/clamshells/), too.