How To Save Time and Money Bulk Buying Food To Preserve
Bulk buying food (especially meats & produce) is one of my favorite ways to save money on groceries while maximizing seasonal goodness & oftentimes higher quality too. It’s the best tip for keeping your kitchen stocked with fresh ingredients that you preserve in one of a million ways. So lemme spill the beans on how you can make this easier & more efficient for your household.
Benefits of Bulk Buying Food
Bulk buying food is a strategic way of filling my pantry. Point, blank, period.
And it could work for you too – especially if you haven’t grown to the stage of gardening yet. But maybe your mind instantly starts seeing panic shoppers. Or crazy couponers who have a mountain of Digorno’s in their basket at checkout.
Nah, this ain’t that, girl.
The type of buying in bulk I’m talking about not only cuts down on your per-unit costs but it saves you precious time & travel expenses. I mean, really. Who’s got time for all those frequent grocery trips or last minute “I’ma run out to the store right quick’s”? Not I.
When you buy in bulk, especially during peak harvest seasons, you get better prices for a (mostly) higher quality for your produce. I mean, time it right & farms/markets are just ladened with the goods, trying to come off it. And since you’re buying with a preservation plan in mind (💡), you’ll have ingredients on hand year-round for all those great comfort meals you like serving & enjoying with your family. Let’s cut out all that buying out-of-season & more expensive stuff, shall we?
Another perk? Buying in bulk allows you to comfortably & reasonably stock your pantry on a consistent basis. And with a stocked pantry, you’re less likely to throw away food – another way you’ll save you money in the long run.
Best Foods to Buy in Bulk for Preserving
You shouldn’t bulk buy every food you see. Like, overripe produce which is likely past it’s prime for preserving anyway…but here are a few that preserve really well:
- Fruits & Vegetables: Produce items like tomatoes, berries, apples & carrots can be canned, frozen, or dried to extend their shelf life. And with the right conditions, some produce items store well in their natural state by root cellaring. These foods are also easy to find at a lower price in-season. Not sure what’s in season where you are? Try this online Seasonal Food Guide.
- Grains & Legumes: Bulk buying food like grains & beans is a smart way to keep nutritious foods in your pantry. They’re filling, usually well-priced & can be stored for long periods, especially if you use vacuum-sealing or other airtight storage methods like Mylar bags. (which btw, I love doing for this particular food group.)
- Herbs & Spices: Fresh herbs can be pricey, but if you buy in bulk & dry, freeze (or even freeze dry) them, you can avoid the waste that often comes with buying small, pre-packaged portions. Dried spices and herbs can also be purchased in larger quantities & stored too although if you’re not going to use it within 3-6 months, stick with a smaller package. Dried spices can lose potency over time, especially in warm/hot spaces like that cabinet above/beside the stove that I’m pretty sure you’ve got your spices in.
- Meats & Dairy: If you’re vegetarian/vegan, skip this obv. But the best way to buy these specific foods in bulk is to connect with a local farmer/farm. You can find that here. If you can’t access one within a reasonable distance (& be open-minded about traveling for higher quality foods), search for a butcher. They often connect with farms (though not all the farming practices will suit you). You can also ask the reps at markets during market season (usually Apr-Oct/Nov/Dec-ish).
Just a word of caution…whenever you begin conversations with suppliers/farmers, make sure you’re entirely educated & comfortable with their practices. If you don’t fully understand, ask more questions. Know as much as possible before buying in. You won’t regret it, trust me.
How Much – Bulk Buying Food Quantity Recs
How much food should I actually buy in bulk?
It can be a personal question, but it’s fine with me to say. This is something you’ll capture as you work through your food preservation plan, but it’s an equation of sorts.
How much do you need + How much time/space do you have + How much $ can you afford to spend = How much you should be buying in bulk.
Let’s assume your goal is to preserve enough tomatoes to cover your family’s tomato needs until next summer. Start by tracking how much & how many tomato products you consume in a certain timeframe (like 3 months). Three months will level the playing field in case you consume more around certain times of year (like maybe in winter via chili vs spring with spaghetti 🤷🏽♀️).
Find a recipe you reasonably think you’ll love. Trust your gut. If it calls for an off-the-wall ingredient, you’re better off testing the recipe first or choosing a different one altogether. Multiply the amount of tomatoes by 4 to get a rough estimate for a year’s worth.
Now checkpoint #1 – based on how you’d ideally like to preserve those tomatoes (canned maybe?), consider your space. Do you have space to store 50 jars of tomato products? Yes, move on.
Checkpoint #2 – do you have the skills, equipment & time to can enough tomatoes to fill 50 jars? Yes, keep going.
Checkpoint #3 – if you aren’t growing them, can you afford to buy all tomatoes at once or will you need to preserve in batches over the course of the summer?
That’s how you determine how much food to buy in bulk when preserving it. And in case you’re wondering “Is it worth it to preserve my own food?” Here’s a comparison on food preservation costs.
Preservation Techniques for Bulk Foods
To get the most out of this fabulous bulk buying food strategy, here are a few preservation techniques you might cash in on:
Canning &/or Freezing:
No duh. These are two of the most practical ways to preserve bulk fruits & vegetables. You can make homemade jams, sauces, or frozen veggie mixes that are perfect for quick meals throughout the year. If you don’t know by now, I’m obsessed with freezing using my Food Saver vacuum sealer. It even works with glass jars (regular & wide-mouth) if you have the attachment accessories! 😍
Dehydrating &/or Freezing Herbs:
Dehydrating is an easy way to preserve herbs like basil, thyme & oregano. And it’s more convenient compared to freeze-drying herbs because you skip needing expensive equipment. (We have a Harvest Right freeze dryer which we love. Bought for preserving my breastmilk three years ago, it’s been used for that & SO, SO much more.) This method allows you to store them in small jars for quick use. Freezing fresh herbs in oil, butter or water in ice cube trays is another great method for preserving flavor. You could also use a small Souper Cube tray for this if you then intend to vacuum seal them away for a much later date.
Vacuum-Sealing Grains & Legumes:
Keeping grains & legumes fresh is simple with vacuum-sealing or storing them in airtight containers. This method ensures that your pantry essentials stay fresh longer, without losing flavor or nutrition. Just know that you get more nutrition storing grains in their whole form (with the hulls) as opposed to pre-ground. However, I have stored pre-ground wheats for years with success using Mylar bags & Oxygen absorbers (I highly recommend Wallaby Goods for durability; use code CLAIRE5 for $5 any order!).
Related Blog Post: 8 Simple Pantry Staples You Need
Practical Tips to Maximize Time & Money
To make bulk buying food & then preserving it as efficient as possible here’s the Spark Notes version of what you need to do:
- Prep in Batches: Set aside a few hours one day to work on preserving these bulk items. Yes, you could spread it over several days, but the sooner the better – especially if you’re buying from a conventional store or market. The closer you preserve your bounty to when it was harvested, the absolute-bestest hands down. Batch cooking & preserving makes the process easier because you’re more likely to get through preserving it all before it spoils. (Ask me how I know that 🙄)
- Organize & Label: Keep preserved foods neatly organized in specific places. Label them with dates at least, but contents is helpful too.
I also recommend you get in the habit of denoting the batch it is because maybe you end up freezing green beans 3 different times in a month. FIFO (first in, first out is what I live by when it comes to food). And then, log it in your kitchen logbook. Clearly defined label strategy will help make sure you don’t waste food unknowingly.
- Use a Preservation Plan: You can preserve food year round. But keep seasonal availability in mind & decide which items you want to preserve based on the seasons & your family’s needs, of course. A preservation plan will keep you from overbuying & keep you focused on only putting up foods you’ll actually use. The more forethought & forecasting you do, the better prepared you’ll be to execute on your plan too.
Related Blog Post: How to Keep a Kitchen Logbook
Key Take-Aways
No more need to wonder “How can I save time and money by buying in bulk and preserving food?” Bulk buying food with specific preservation techniques in mind will keep seasonal flavors on your gathering table year round. Shop in season for the high-quality good stuff at its best price. And preserve it then to cut down on food waste. Focus on how you organized your finished goods so that you don’t incur more waste by leaving things on the shelf for longer than intended.
🌱 Start Small. Start Now. Start where you are with what you have. The rest will follow. 🌱
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