The Biggest Bargain In Your Pantry5 Reasons To Buy Bulk Spices

Bulk spices are available at your
local food coop or Whole Foods.

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The Biggest Bargain in your Pantry
Yesterday I needed some bay leaves, cumin, and chili powder so I scooped some out of the bulk section at Whole Foods. When I got home I looked at the receipt and was shocked at how littles these organic spices cost - most of them less than a dollar! There are few times that I'm shocked at how little I'm paying for something at Whole Foods, so it's worth noting. This morning I walked back over there with a notepad to jot down the bulk versus packaged cost of some common spices so that I can share them with you. But before I do that,  there are more reasons to buy in bulk. Here are 5 of them.

#1 - Freshness
Bulk herbs tend to be fresher than those sitting in jars on the shelve. Old herbs not only lose their flavor, but their nutritional value.

#2 - Buy what you Need
Some recipes call for an exotic spice that you don't normally use. When you buy in bulk, you can just get the tablespoon that you need and not commit to an entire jar. The last time you moved I bet you found jars of spices that you bought a decade ago.

#3 - More Environmentally Friendly
By refilling your spice jars with bulk herbs, you save packaging, freight, and landfill.  

#4 - Try a New Spice
Being able to buy a small amount of a spice, you might be more willing to try a different flavor without committing to an entire jar.

#5 - Price, Price, Price
You will be shocked at the savings. Here's the ounce to ounce comparison of some common  spices that I discovered during my outing this morning. I am comparing the Whole Foods bulk price per ounce to the Whole Foods packaged spice per ounce (not per jar since some jars have more than an ounce and some have less.) All prices are for organic herbs. (Different stores and different packaged brands will vary in savings but bulk will always be less - these are just examples.)

Prepackaged Whole Foods Organic Spices

Bulk Spice Section at Whole Foods.
Just weigh out what you need.

Basil: $1.44/oz bulk vs. $5.64/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 4 times more. Bulk saves $4.20 per ounce.

Bay Leaves: $1.25/oz bulk vs. $26.60/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 21 times more. Bulk saves $25.35 per ounce.

Cayenne: $1.00/oz bulk vs. $2.36/oz packaged.
Packages costs 2 times more. Bulk saves $1.36 per ounce. 

Cinnamon Sticks: $0.87/oz bulk vs. $7.03/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 8 times more. Bulk saves $6.16 per ounce.

Cloves, Whole: $2.00/oz bulk vs. $4.28/oz packaged.
Packaged costs twice as much. Bulk saves $2.28 per ounce.

Coriander, Ground: $0.99/oz bulk vs. $2.63/oz packaged.
Packaged cost 3 times as much. Bulk saves $1.64 per ounce.

Crushed Chili Pepper: $0.59/oz bulk vs. $4.92/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 8 times more. Bulk saves $4.33 per ounce.

Dill: $1.75/oz bulk vs. $8.67/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 5 times more. Bulk saves $6.92 per ounce.

Ginger: $1.25/oz bulk vs. $2.63/oz packaged.
Packaged costs twice as much. Bulk saves $1.38 per ounce.

Oregano: $1.18/oz bulk vs. $8.54/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 7 times as much. Bulk saves $7.36 per ounce.

Paprika: $0.94/oz bulk vs. $2.39/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 3 times more. Bulk saves $1.45 per ounce.

Peppercorns: $1.12/oz bulk vs. $7.35/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 7 times as much. Bulk saves $6.23 per ounce.

Poppy Seeds: $0.69/oz bulk vs. $2.43/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 4 times as much. Bulk saves $1.74 per ounce.

Rosemary: $0.75/oz bulk vs. $7.13/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 10 times more. Bulk saves $6.38 per ounce.

Sage: $1.25/oz bulk vs. $3.24/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 3 times as much. Bulk saves $1.99 per ounce.

Tarragon: $4.46/oz bulk vs. $11.88/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 3 times more. Bulk saves $7.32 per ounce.

Thyme: $1.19/oz bulk vs. $5.96/oz packaged.
Packaged costs 5 times as much. Bulk saves $4.77 per ounce.

You can see, by this example at least, that buying in bulk can bring you significant savings as packaged spices can cost as much as 21 times more! So reuse your empty spice jars and fill them with the amount of bulk spices that you are going to use in the near future. Or, you can buy a set of empty spice jars with labels and fill them up. 

DecoBros 12 Spice Bottles with Labels