merryb wrote:
> On Oct 8, 1:42 pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
>> On 08/10/2012 1:31 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> snip
>>
>>> You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>>>> than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear
>>>> when you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is
>>>> usually used dried, rarely fresh.
>>
>>> Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
>>> there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
>>> staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
>>> other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
>>> what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
>>
>> I don't think the stuff in bulk stores is stale. That has been
>> suggested here before.... left out in sunlight for long periods yada
>> yada. I don't usually get bulk stuff at the grocery store. I go to
>> the Bulk Barn, which sells almost everything bulk... in two ways....
>> You
>> can get just about anything in bulk; cereals, grains, flours, sugars,
>> dried fruits, snack foods, coffee, tea, spices herbs, cake sprinkles,
>> peanut butter, dog biscuits...... They also carry some packaged
>> products.
>>
>> They are constantly refilling the bins.
>>
>> Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great
>> deals on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage of
>> the customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just buying
>> candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.
>
> Wish there was a place like that around here, but our local Fred Meyer
> has quite a bit of bulk stuff.

They do but I don't find their prices to be all that great. Years ago I
used to buy some tricolored pasta from their bulk bins and I also bought
chammomile when I used it as a hair rinse. In those days the health food
section was separate and I think they carried a lot more bulk stuff than
they do now.

Manna Mills out in Moutlake Terrace has a lot of bulk stuff but I have found
it not to be so fresh.

Winco does have a really large selection though.