468061 Mon Dec 10 07:09:42 -0800 2007 16 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3194599 During this frugal shopping season of 2007, I have found that I can purchase dried spices ie; oregano, basil, garlic powder for as little as 99 cents and somtimes 2 for a $1 when on sale at the local chain drugstore-branded under such names as Encore Gourmet. This is verses $3-$5 for a similiar sized container from one of the national brands McCormick, Spice Islands, etc.... at the grocery store They have seemed to work as well with some of the dishes I have prepared- How have any of your experiences been with these budget spices? Is there much difference in the quality to justify spending more for the national brands?? Mon Dec 10 07:09:42 -0800 2007 104118 paulispumonti 1 3194688 I have wondered the same thing and look forward to hearing some of the answers. Mon Dec 10 07:37:57 -0800 2007 3194599 22559 smartie 1 3194947 Things like that can vary so much it's not a simple yes/no question. I have picked up super cheap spices at Pic-n-Save, and they were great! Recently I bought a jar of "premium" cinnamon at a supermarket and it sucks. The bottom line is that it all depends on what is happening with crops globally, not to mention how old the spices and herbs may be that they're trying to unload. The best thing to do is give them a try. If they turn out to be great, stock up and put the sealed extras in the freezer until you need them. Oh, and it's a very bad year for cassia type cinnamon because of the typhoons, etc. It's the kind of "cinnamon" most commonly sold in the U.S., and it's the kind I bought cheap and poured down the drain. For excellent cinnamon you can order Ceylon (canela, or "true") cinnamon on the web, but depending on where you live, it can be difficult to find in most grocery stores. Unless you live near a Sam's Club (and who doesn't?). They carry "Tones" bramd canela molida. which is true Ceylon cinnamon grown Mexico. I'ts really good for the price, but like all spices and herbs, it can vary from bottle to bottle. Just thought I'd mention it since this is the cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg season...! Mon Dec 10 08:58:32 -0800 2007 3194599 112096 Caroline1 2 3195018 I am definately no longer buying the pricy spices anymore. If I'm going to sink $$ in a spice, it would be a place that specializes in spices like Penzy's ... and I rarely do that. However, as Caroline1 mentioned it is not a yes or no answer and a big thing is the spice age and turnover. IF the discount store/drugstore has a large turnover in the spices and IF what they buy originally was fresh ... good deal. There are tips on Chowhound that are so outstanding that it is one of the reasons I find this site so useful. This tip came from Ruth Lafler and has saved me tons ... TONS ... of money on spices ... though it is so obvious. The same spices you are paying $$ at major markets are under $1 if you go to the Mexican aisle of that same market ... and they are fresher. Cinnamon that goes for ... what is it these days .... $3 ... sells for 69 cents and is fresher because in my area there is a large Latino community so the turnover is fast. Never thought of it before even though I'd go to the Mexican aisle for spices like chile. There are a whole range of spices like oregano, etc. Also good is to buy at local stores specializing in spices where you can buy just what you need. Usually these are less expensive. Indian markets are a good source of bulk spices. Recently I bought some AMAZING ... amazing spices at an African store that were so fresh and fragrant ... a big bag of cardomom was $2 ... that I had to put it in a glass jar because the aroma took over the house it was so fresh and perfect. Turnover, IMO, is key. I bought some cinnamon for $1 at Target that tasted like nothing. It was way in the back and I'm sure people don't think to buy cinnamon at Target so it probably was sitting there a while ... or it could be, as mentioned, a bad year for cinnamon. Mon Dec 10 09:16:02 -0800 2007 3194947 10264 rworange 3 3195166 The Mexican and Latin American markets really are a good source of reasonably priced spices, esp for ones you use rarely or buy for one particular recipe. Another place that has deals is Costco but as usual it's huge quanities. I bought a huge (12 oz) jar of black peppercorns for like $3 bucks. Mon Dec 10 09:58:35 -0800 2007 3195018 27275 ML8000 4 3195453 I've found all the ethnic markets to be great sources. Because I do a lot of Mediterranean cooking, I frequent the Arab-owned and Greek-owned ethnic markets and find great deals. You can get like a TUB of black pepercorns for like $1. Mon Dec 10 11:08:01 -0800 2007 3195166 19518 rockandroller1 1 3195852 I've been using those cheap drug store spices for years now, and I can't tell the difference, although I usually use them for things like chile powder and seasoning blends, not for leaf spices, where I think there's a bigger difference in quality. It's ridiculous how expensive those little bottles of spices are -- you can buy the same spices for under a dollar if you buy them bulk, so you're paying about $3 for the little glass jar. If you like the jar, next time it's empty, refill it with bulk spices or spices that come in plastic bags in the ethnic section/market (thanks for the props, rworange!). Most people let their spices sit for years, so the turnover at a regular supermarket is low (which is probably one reason why they're expensive -- it's the "rent" on the shelf space). So you're paying high prices for a product that's probably not very fresh and has been sitting under bright lights in a glass jar, deteriorating by the day. Mon Dec 10 12:56:50 -0800 2007 3194599 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 3196049 I bought cinnamon 2/$1 at a local mega mart a few weeks back and made cinnamon ornaments with it. The whole house smells cinnamony and fragrant! I dont know if its because of the mass quantity or the quality, but it would have cost me 15 bucks to make had I used Spice Islands or Penzeys. Mon Dec 10 13:45:48 -0800 2007 3194599 70200 chelleyd01 1 3196251 You've got several things working here. First is the quality of the "spice" the company starts with. (Using quotes because oregano and basil are actually herbs, not spices.) Then there's freshness, processing, packaging, and convenience. For top-quality spices, you need to deal with a (probably specialized) merchant that knows the difference between telicherry and lampong peppercorns, or cinnamon and cassia bark. The Spice Islands rack at your neighborhood grocery is not the place to find the pick of the crop, but they may use slightly better quality stuff than the generic packagers. Even if the grocery-store brands start with higher quality spices, it doesn't matter much by the time it gets to the consumer because freshness is not a priority. This isn't so much of a big deal when you're talking about true spices (seeds, roots, or bark, not leaves) that are left intact. But ground spices and dried herbs lose their flavor over time, so a cheap envelope of dried oregano or ground cumin that was packaged last week will be far better than an expensive bottle that dates from the Carter administration. Processing can add cost to the seller, which results in higher prices to the consumer. The cheap glassine envelopes that you can buy in ethnic markets are generally not as carefully processed as the bottles of stuff from major national companies. Dried herbs will include more stems, whole spices more leaves and such. It doesn't matter if you're going to grind them, but some folks take exception to big chunks of oregano stem in their pasta sauce. Finally, packaging and convenience are the bulk of your cost if you're buying in the spice aisle at the grocery. As others have noted, you can get fresher oregano a lot cheaper on the Mexican food aisle, but only if your grocery has a Mexican food aisle. But EVERY grocery store is going to have Spice Islands or McCormick oregano in the spice section. And because they have to carry a large number of spices in individual packages, some of which have a turnover rate that's glacial at best, the price of each bottle is ridiculously high. I have no idea whether a $1, one-ounce bottle of spices at the drugstore is as good as the same size bottle for $4 at the grocery, but that's because I refuse to buy either. If you have local ethnic markets, they're great sources for spices. If not, there's always the internet. Of course, if you need a quarter teaspoon of fenugreek for tonight's dinner, the grocery store may be your only option, but consider it a last resort. Mon Dec 10 14:46:29 -0800 2007 3194599 58743 alanbarnes 2 3196300 Nicely done -- I agree with all of it. I buy from all sources, depending upon how much time I have on my hands and whether I have actually allowed something to run out in my pantry. I use Tone's from Sam's for things like Montreal Steak Seasoning, Lemon and Pepper and Garlic Powder because I am heavy handed with those spices, and really use the bigger containers in a relatively short period of time. I will buy from the supermarket if I need them right away, and won't be at Sam's, or can't wait for the Penzey's order to ship. One thing I have noticed about Penzey's is that they carry different varieties of things like paprika, cinnamon, curry powders, etc. -- and that is when I tend to order from them. Bigger sizes are a good deal only if you can use the stuff in a reasonable period of time. I also think they offer lots of blends, which I generally don't use except for Lemon & Pepper and Montreal Steak Seasoning. They look tempting and I will probably try one or two new ones in due course. Mon Dec 10 15:01:25 -0800 2007 3196251 87837 RGC1982 2 3196323 Good post but just a note on this ... Dried herbs will include more stems, whole spices more leaves and such. It doesn't matter if you're going to grind them, but some folks take exception to big chunks of oregano stem in their pasta sauce So far I haven't found that problem. Didn't want people to be scared off from trying the small packets of Mexican herbs/spices if available. Mon Dec 10 15:10:28 -0800 2007 3196251 10264 rworange 3 3196559 Not a problem, just an observation. The mass-marketed stuff--especially the herbs--tends to be more homogeneous. The Mexican oregano I bought in the carniceria last week has clusters of leaves still attached to one another, some stem, etc. All of it is edible, and an argument can be made that less handling results in less loss of flavor. Definitely agree that people shouldn't be scared off from the stuff in the ethnic market or the Mexican food aisle at the grocery. Mon Dec 10 16:28:21 -0800 2007 3196323 58743 alanbarnes 1 3196471 Also, except for things you use a lot of in a few months (especially herbs and, to a somewhat lesser extent, ground spices), the best rule of thumb is to get the smallest size possible - it may seem frugal to get a larger size, but it usually isn't in reality. Mon Dec 10 15:57:10 -0800 2007 3194599 13819 Karl S 2 3196548 Better yet, buy the cheapest coffee mill you can find and grind your own spices. In an airtight container, whole spices will last pretty much indefinitely. Mon Dec 10 16:25:10 -0800 2007 3196471 58743 alanbarnes 1 3196576 I've been going to this place, not far from my house, where they grind their own spices. And, I've enjoyed them. http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/index.html But, like someone else has posted here, I've been buying some really great spices at a local Mexican Grocery store, but they are somewhat limited to Mexican cuisine, like great cumin, and Mexican Oregano, etc.......... Mon Dec 10 16:33:27 -0800 2007 3194599 58961 dhedges53 1 3196626 When we lived in the States, I'd buy my spices by the ounce from bulk self-service jars at natural foods stores. I always felt as though I was getting a better deal and higher quality. I would never buy spices at a drugstore. That's where I buy nmy licorice twizzlers. Some spices I'd buy in te large pack at Costco or Sam's Club. Peppercorns last a long time. Now, spices such as bay leaves, lemon grass, cinnamon sticks, oregano I buy in the mercado of Pátzcurao. The prices are really low, and I can get just the amount I need. Mon Dec 10 16:54:54 -0800 2007 3194599 49726 Anonimo 2 3196724 I too purchase many spices/herbs from my local herb shop, or the health foods store. At both places, I can buy just the amount I need, and there's no waste. It is also VERY cheap compared to the national brands sold in the super markets. One of my local markets has a large selection of Mexican foods. They haven't been open very long, and it seems they took one whole corner in the produce area to devote to the Mecican community here. In that same area, they have racks of those cellophane packaged spices. I purchase many of them, and not all are strictly "Mexican" spices. I just checked one of my recent purchases.....Anise Seed/.81oz.....less than a dollar, and that's probably more than I'll use before it needs to be tossed. When I open it, I'll put the "leftovers" in an old spice jar and freeze til next needed. "Mirabella" is the brand....from Mirabella Foods, El Monte, Ca. I have use many of these spices and have found them all quite acceptable. Not a bad deal if you can find it. Though there is a comparatively sizable Mexican community here....that is compared to the town/county, this is still "Smalltown, USA".....the beautiful mountains of far Western N.C.......so I'd assume these spices are pretty readily available elsewhere. They are definitely worth a try. Mon Dec 10 17:32:05 -0800 2007 3196626 146359 Deepster