Friday, October 11, 2013

Good news cranberry fans!

Those little berries? They should be cheaper this year than most.

Now before you get too excited, realize that if you go to buy an eight-ounce bag at Market Basket or Whole Foods, they will probably be the same price as usual. When you don't buy in bulk, you don't buy as a commodity. They store and/or the producer and/or the middleman will probably just get more of a markup (probably the store and middleman, the producers will be screwed). But due to high supply, prices on the wholesale level will likely be lower.

Here's a Boston Globe article all about it.

Now, I'm sure you're thinking: Where can I get cranberries wholesale? My advice is to check farmers markets. If a cranberry producer shows up, they'll probably sell a bunch of little baskets or bags of berries to people who want a couple to add a bunch of sugar to and do god-knows-what with. Fine. More for the rest of us. They may have big boxes for dirt cheap, and if they do, jump all over it. I've seen 8 ounce bags go for $3 ($6 per pound) but 25 pound boxes go for $30 ($1.20 per pound). That's one fifth the price, per pound, as the small bags! Buy in bulk and save.

If you do this, rinse the berries and freeze them, if you have the space. Or, eat a ton right off the bat. That's my strategy.


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