Dried fruit & nuts in bulk?

[kestral11]

Hey - where does everyone like to get dried fruit and nuts in bulk in SF? Rainbow and the farmers market at the Ferry Building immediately come to mind, but I was hoping for a less expensive alternative. Any ideas? Thanks so much.

[kestral11]

thanks so much for all the suggestions. i went to the alemany farmers market last week and got the most amazing dates for very, very reasonable prices from a guy who was primarily selling dates - all different varieties that i didn't even know existed. i picked up a wider variety of other dried fruits from a stand that was not quite as cheap, but still reasonable. i got a bunch of walnuts in the shell from alemany as well, and roasted them up, mixed them with the dates and other fruits and had myself a fantastic trail mix.

thanks for the tips on the two places in berkeley, i'll have to check them out the next time i'm over there.

as for TJ's nuts, i too am wary as to how local they are. i like the concept of TJ's, but it seems like there has to be a little something shady going on there for them to maintain their prices.

thanks also for the tip on rainbow coupons - very nice to know.

[Sharuf]

Have you tried Monterrey Market in Berkeley? Their bulk prices seem cheaper than elsewhere.

[boxcar_sf]

Rainbow has 20% off coupons in the the phone book. They're valid Wed/Thurs. I try to stock up on bulk items every couple months using them...20% off Rainbow's prices might not be AS cheap Trader Joes (?) but probably fresher/more local.

[Chuckles the Clone]

I've had a ton of troubles trying to get any source information from TJs about their fruits and nuts. When I ask, they tell me the products are "made" or "packaged" in the US. They are very careful to use those two words. When I try to clarify where they are "grown", the store manager tells me he has no further information and the customer service email address stops replying.

I get the feeling they're trying to hide something. Maybe not, but indications are not good.

[Jumbo_Jack]

Nobody may know. That's the deal with private labeling... things can change quite quickly and often.

Oddly, I was actively investing some of my IRA in nuts (JBSS and others) for a while, and was reading all the company filings, conference calls, etc. Those guys talked about getting contracts, private label, frost, etc. The raw suppliers for a lot of products change rapidly and regionally, and there's a lot less profit in private label.

Question: When you say 'bulk' do you mean you want a large quantity of one or two types of products? Or do you want to get a small amount of a lot of types from bins?

[ZaneTheButcher]

Rainbow market is always where I get my nuts and tea, but it's always really expensive. They do have super inexpensive candied ginger though.

Melanie Wong is right. If it's a non exotic nut or dried fruit, Go to Trader Joe's. There's one just a 5 minute walk from Rainbow.

[Kim Cooper]

If you like dried apricots, TJ's has what they call "slab" apricots that are squishy and sweet and very flavorful. Lately they run out before the next season though.

[SunsetKid]

Alameny Farmer's Market - especially the second stand on your right as you enter the market. I especially recommend their suntan walnuts and their prunes.

[DCarbonaro]

I go to Parkside at 16th and Taraval. While not in bulk, they sell large bags of nuts and dried fruit for reasonable prices, with steady turnover, meaning always fresh and good.

[escargot3]

Once you've tried the nuts at the Berkeley Bowl, all else pales by comparison.
TJ's seems stale.
I'm especially addicted to the roasted almonds without salt.

[rockawayguy]

http://www.casadefruta.com/
Always a good choice for Dried Fruit and Nuts

[Robert Lauriston]

That's a long way from SF. East of Gilroy.

[rockawayguy]

Online sales reduce the need to visit in person

[Melanie Wong]

The one-pound packages at Trader Joe's are often the best prices in town.

[kestral11]

I was afraid that might be the case about Trader Joe's - which is great but not as local as I was hoping. I think I'll check out Alemany - thanks so much for the suggestions.

[caryjones]

There is quite a variety at several stalls in the Alemany farmers market on Saturday. Many dried fruit are in the $5-7 range. I don't go to the Ferry Bldg often, but I can only assume the prices at Alemany are cheaper.

[BernalKC]

Less expensive than the Alemany farmer's market? Or were you thinking of the Ferry Plaza market? Maybe Costco would have some cheap offerings...