If you’re anything like us, you’re always looking for a way to save a few dollars here and there. A great way to do this is to buy in bulk. Ultimately, the price per unit tends to be significantly lower.
There is a right way to buy in bulk and the wrong way. The wrong way can cost you money instead of save you money. There are many outliers to keep in mind when buying bulk but here are a few of our most important guidelines:
- Don’t buy prepared produce. Onions that have already been diced, garlic that has been minced and is sitting in juice, etc. These items have already begun to spoil or have chemicals added to them to keep them “fresh.” The price also reflects the cost of labor that goes in to preparing the food.
- Don’t buy bulk if you haven’t tried the product before. The product may not stand up to your expectations and/or might be of poor quality. You can also ask a friend or family member to buy something in bulk with you so that you share the expense and the purchased items.
- Buying produce individually costs more money. Let’s do some math using garlic found at Wegmans*:
- 6 oz bag refrigerated Wegmans Garlic Cloves that have been peeled, cleaned, and cut = $3.99**; $0.67 per ounce
- 3 oz (1 bulb) Christopher Ranch Elephant Garlic = $3.99; $1.33 per ounce
- 3 oz bag (3 bulbs) of Organic Garlic Bulbs = $2.49; $0.83 per ounce
- 4 oz bag (5 bulbs) Spice World Garlic Bulbs Bag = $0.99; $0.25 per ounce
- Bulk Garlic = $3.99/lb; $0.25 per ounce
- If buying in bulk, don’t let the product spoil. Below, you will see a recipe that we use every time we buy garlic in bulk. Cooked garlic preserved in extra virgin olive oil can keep anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 weeks. Unpeeled bulbs can last anywhere from 10 days to one month if kept in a dark, dry space. Peeled and/or chopped garlic will last only a few days in the refrigerator.
Results: As you can see from our math, currently it is the most cost effective to go with either the bulk garlic or the Spice World bag. When something does come prepackaged, it is harder to tell if the product is of good quality. Personally, we have purchased both the Spice World and bulk from this specific Wegmans and with the prices currently being the same per ounce, we preferred the Spice World. When prices are the same or within a few pennies, go with the product that you enjoy best!
*Prices reflected are from Wegmans in Alexandria, Virginia November 2017.
**Wegmans Organic Garlic Cloves peeled, cleaned, cut were the same price at $3.99 per bag.
ROASTED GARLIC BULBS
Ingredients
- As many Garlic Bulbs as you’d like!
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Dried Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Using a serrated knife, carefully cut off the tops of the garlic exposing as many of the garlic cloves as possible; it’s okay if not all are exposed (reference the featured picture for how much of the garlic top to cut off)
- Place garlic bulbs cut side up in a baking dish
- Drizzle each bulb with olive oil
- Using your fingers, rub the dried thyme to release the aromatics and sprinkle over all the garlic cloves
- Bake for 40 to 60 minutes; some of the cloves will begin to push out from the paper
- Allow the bulbs to cool
- Taking your time, carefully remove each garlic cloves from their paper (I suggest wearing gloves for this step!)
Notes:
- Save the tops of the garlic bulbs for vegetable or other stocks or to use as fresh garlic within a few days.
- The cooked garlic can be frozen for up to 3 months. Use an ice cube tray and put a few garlic cloves in each cube slot with some olive oil and cover with plastic wrap to freeze. You can either keep the cubes in the trays or pop them out and wrap them individually in plastic wrap to keep them from sticking to each other and keep the wrapped garlic cubes in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Use as needed.
- Can’t get the smell of garlic off of your hands? Use salt of baking soda on your hands and rub them together and rinse with water. You can also do the same with toothpaste or a small amount of mouthwash and then rinse with water.
Girls That Nosh 