Indian and Med. stores usually have very good deals on olive oil too-particularly larger containers, and many other oils worth trying-mustard, coconut, peanut,sesame, etc. All much tastier than corn oil, which I never use as it ends up in a film over everything and has a nasty aftertaste. Also-it doesnt seem to emulsify properly. I never buy oil at the grocery store any more. They are also better priced for dried fruit and nuts, with a larger variety available and less processed.

I buy tea in bulk; imagine buying the world’s best teas by the pound for the same price you’d pay for a small box of the equivalent tea bags. My husband and I make a pot of tea every afternoon in the coffemaker. Anyone can have a pot of Darjeeling, the “champaign of tea” for a penny or two.

Per pound, herbs and spices cost about what a one-ounce bottle of grocery store spice, and since their products move quickly, all of it is very, very fresh.

The teas and spices go straight into the freezer where they keep indefinitely, without losing the volatile oils that make them what they are.

Sfherb.com (San Francisco Herb Company) has made us much better and more adventurous cooks and improved our lives.

I now buy all my hand/bath soap there. Specifically Mysore sandalwood soap-it is superb quality, has the true sandalwood oil scent (Mysore is where most of it comes from), is much cheaper than grocery store soap, so that I now ship cases of it to friends…. No more boring unscented Ivory. The range these stores carry is large and well worth exploring. Nag Champa (plumeria) and rose for example.

Butter is excellent quality (Amul) made of proper high butterfat milk unlike wimpy American butter, and which behaves correctly when you cook with it.

Yogurt-excellent quality, better prices, w/o that weird gelatiny consistency american yogurt has. Again-it behaves correctly when you cook with it.

If you go to one, explore the non-spice items as well-often well worth it in my view.

Think like a scientist (I am one) and store unused spices -ground or whole-in the freezer. At minus 20 degrees they, like many chemicals and biologicals, are stable for ages. Thats where I keep my stocks-they last for years and don’t go off. A few, like black cardamom, get bugs and the freezing fixes that as well.

I’m glad you enjoyed your trip there! I suggest working it into your routine and finding something else to do in the area (are there any good biking/jogging paths nearby?) so that you can justify regular trips. It’s totally worth the cost savings.

Recently we needed a few walnuts for a recipe and are two hours from a Trader Joe’s. In Basha’s, a family owned chain, there were walnuts in clear plastic tubs in the produce aisle, walnuts in bags in the baking aisle and walnuts in bulk in the 1/2 aisle devoted to “health food.” Buying just the amount we needed by scooping them into a bag was also cheapest per pound.

Baby Spring Greens in the Safeway produce aisle look expensive at around $6.00 a pound for salad when place next to iceburg lettuce fior $1.29. But the bagged spring greens are about $4 for seven ounces and you get whatever’s in the bag. When the loose greens look fresh, they’re definitely a better buy. A bowlful weighs only a couple ounces and you can pick around any that look wilted. (Wash well.)

My parents live in PA, my mom and I went out to Lancaster when I visited last. I did see a sign for a salvage store, but didn’t want to stretch the trip out. It is on my list of places to check out next time we’re there!

Several years ago, I invested in a dozen tin containers from http://www.specialtybottle.com. I use these for storing my bulk spice purchases. They seal tightly and keep light out, which helps keep the spices fresh.

If you can avoid it, store your spices AWAY from heat — in other words, NOT over the stove! The heat will hasten the flavor deterioration process.

Anyhow, the price difference is absolutely amazing. I used to think couscous was a luxury food because the boxes at the chain store were super expensive. Now whole wheat couscous is one of my staples because I can get it for cheap.

I don’t feel bad buying the small containers from Penzeys. They’re all very good quality and I can try some of the mixes. Plus, it’s cheaper than the grocery store. I buy basil & chili powder in the larger packages.

They have bulk spices, candy, pasta, and beans in big barrels. It’s just north of the fresh veggies section.

~ Where possible always buy WHOLE bulk spices as they stay fresher longer
~ Try and buy specific spices from ethnic groceries where they are staples and are sold in quantity (cardamom, coriander and cumin from Indian groceries, Szechuan pepper from Chinese groceries, etc)
~ Grind what you need as you need it for best flavor
~ Store Spices in well sealed glass containers but don’t buy them from Storables! Pick a food you use a lot whose jars you can recycle into a uniform and growing spice collection (I picked tall thin jam jars whose lids sealed well and weren’t too offensive).
~ When you get a new recipe or book you’ll be using, read through it at the spice cupboard and note any spices that you don’t already have to build your shopping list. That way you can have a small amount of everything and be ready for anything as inspiration strikes you.
~ Keep old coffee grinders (blade not burr) to grind your fresh spices.
~ Buy a bulk pack of baking soda and use it in the grinder to help neutralize the flavor and oils of the last spice you worked with before moving onto the next one

~GC
P.s. In Seattle/Redmond I head to Viet Wah and Mayuri for bulk spices otherwise it’s the Madison Market Co-Op bulk section.

What I would recommend for anyone in Chicagoland is to go to the Spice House. Now. Thank me later.

Their spices are sold in bags or bottles, and all of them are of extremely high quality. Yum.

Someone else mentioned Penzey’s, which is the Spice House’s more expensive cousin (I believe the same family runs both, but they had some sort of falling out at some point). Anyway, if you plan on buying more than just a few spices, the Spice House website is also a good tool (but the shipping rates will kill you if you aren’t careful).

Another suggestion, if you want to buy spices for a specific recipe, but don’t know when you’ll use the spice again, is to buy whole spices. More annoying to work with in the short-term (you have to grind or grate them) but they last FAR longer (they have much less surface area than ground spices, so they aren’t exposed to as much air). Also, keep your spices in airtight containers (a well sealed plastic baggy is probably better than a jar for this).

Here is a directory of Co-Ops in the US:
http://niany.com/food.coop.html

If you don’t have a co-op near you, I highly recommend going to an international market of some kind (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, mixed-Asian, Indian/Pakistani, Mexican, Latino, Italian) because you may find all the spices you need at very good prices. Some are in bulk, and others are packed in small plastic bags. I sometimes go to the Indian grocery in my city, buy bags of spices and then split them with friends. These are also excellent sources for bulk white and brown rices, and dried beans and peas.

D.B.
Philadelphia, PA