Not All Foods Are Meant To Be Bought In Bulk
Buying bulk foods can be either a great way to save money or a wasteful mistake. It all depends on which foods you purchase in those larger warehouse club quantities….
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesBuying bulk foods can be either a great way to save money or a wasteful mistake. It all depends on which foods you purchase in those larger warehouse club quantities. Unless you run a restaurant or catering company, not all foods are meant to be bought in bulk.
Chef James Briscione, director of culinary research at the Institute of Culinary Education, and Matt Ginn, chef and owner of EVO in Portland, Maine, told NBC's Today which foods are best bets for bulk buying and which ones are big busts. Shop accordingly.
Good Bulk Buys
- Butter – Butter can last up to six months in the fridge, and longer if you put it in a Ziploc bag to keep it from absorbing odors. It also can last up to a year in the freezer.
- Condiments – Bottled condiments, especially ones high in sugar or salt (ketchup, vinegar, molasses, vanilla extract), can last a long time.
- Mixed Nuts – Nuts can last six to eight months in the pantry, and up to two years in your freezer.
- Rice and Dried Pasta – Both rice and pasta can last up to two years in the pantry.
Bad Bulk Buys
- Baking Ingredients – Baking powder, flour, and yeast will likely go bad before they're completely used.
- Fresh Fruit – Most go bad too quickly to be worth buying in large amounts.
- Fresh Seafood – Two days in the fridge, tops. Unless you're preparing fish for a party or freezing a lot of seafood, it's not a good bulk buy.
- Leafy Greens – Lettuce, spinach, and kale wilt quickly. Unless you eat huge salads for every meal, you’ll end up tossing a lot of it away.
- Spices – Dry spices last about two years, but unless you use a spice all the time there’s a better chance of it going stale.
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Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.
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