Every time I think I am inured to supermarket sticker shock, I am wrong. A recent foray into the spice aisle made my jaw drop; vanilla beans were priced higher, ounce for ounce, than saffron, always called the most expensive spice on earth.
The unit pricing stickers on the shelves showed the vanilla beans worked out to about $830 per pound, while saffron — used in everything from risottos and paella to festive breads — cost about $720 per pound. By comparison, wasabi was a modest $120 per pound. Every spice and flavoring seemed higher-priced than a few months ago.
Of course no home cook buys herbs and spices by the pound, but when those prices translate into $15 or so for two small beans or a smidgen of saffron, it’s time for those of us on a budget to think ahead to get the most for our money in the upcoming prime months for cooking and baking.
The easiest, most obvious money-saver is to be aware of these higher prices and buy what you’ll need before you need it, when it goes on sale. Sales are often predictable:
Vanilla extract – Goes on sale several times a year and almost always in November before Thanksgiving. Buy one then for cookies in December. Its shelf life is almost indefinite. If you’re in the Northeast, try the house brand of pure vanilla extract from Shaw’s markets; Cook’s Illustrated rated it number one and it, too, goes on sale frequentlly.
Herbs and spices – Keep a list, in your head or on paper, of those you use frequently and check the spice aisle when you shop. Nearly every week a couple of the McCormick premium spices are on sale and many weeks at least one is on clearance, depending on the store. One in my area has cream of tartar on clearance and its shelf life is indefinite. Aside from its uses in baking, it’s the best thing for cleaning the inside oven glass I’ve ever used.
A way to save a lot of money, but possibly not convenient for everyone, is to buy from bulk bins. I can still get two vanilla beans for about $8 that way and Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract for one-fourth the price of buying it already bottled. Take your own bottle and save. Bulk is almost the only way I buy common dried herbs and spices, not just for the savings — I have to drive miles out of my way to get them — but also because they do lose their strength in only a few months and I’m able to buy small quantities that will stay fresh. If your supermarkets don’t sell them that way, try a health food store or coop.
Finally, ordering online is an alternative. Penzey’s (link is on the Useful Links page) is known for top quality, good prices and great service. Their shipping rates are based on the amount spent, not the weight of the order. They offer a UPS option and do ship internationally, but only with express shipping, which is probably prohibitively expensive.
So think ahead, do a little planning and pocket some savings in the long run. Just because vanilla beans are the new saffron doesn’t mean we’re stuck.
Related: Clean Oven Glass Without Chemicals
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