I am super pleased
with my two latest Costco hauls I did to help me stock up my long term food storage and top up the deep freezer in preparation for the
upcoming winter. I was able to get quite
a few things checked off of my list. One
of the things I did was go ahead and buy the Kirkland jarred peaches because
they are really good and although they are a tad expensive it saved me a trip to
the orchard and the hours of preserving.
With it just being me and the fact that I don’t eat a lot of peaches, plus
the fact that I had a lot of other items on my canning list, this just seemed
like a better way to efficiently put up some fruit in my LTFS.
My first Costco
haul included a rotisserie chicken which I pieced out and froze half of saving
the carcass in my bag of vegetable scraps for making stock. Frozen vegetables ended up divided and vacuum
sealed for the freezer as well. That day
I picked up a four jar package of the peaches and an eight count of canned
black olives which I added to the LTFS shelves.
I measured and weighed them out for 1 pound packages
Next I headed
back to Costco a few weeks later and picked up another package of the jarred
peaches, a two pack jar of dill pickles, a two jar pack of Pace picante sauce,
ten pounds of organic cane sugar and another rotisserie chicken. Check, check and check!
 |
| Shelf stable items ready for the shelves |
Once again I
pieced out the chicken and added the carcass to the stock bag. Once I collected some more veggie scraps I
emptied that bag into the slow cooker and made a nice large pot of bone broth
to can and freeze. The chicken allowed
me to put up at least eight meals, probably more like ten actually, not
including leftovers. Those rotisserie
chickens are not only delicious but quite a bargain at $4.99 each.
I also made my
first Costco fuel purchase and topped up the gas tank on my truck. It was sitting just below half so it wasn’t
too expensive to fill her back up. They
definitely did have the best prices on gasoline on that particular day.
Sugar repackaged and ready for long term storage
 |
| Looking good! |
How are you doing
with your winter preparations? Do you
shop at Costco too?
The winters are so mild here and I am so close to a store. So my food storage looks pretty sparse much of the time. I do have plans to re-do my pantry one day when the boys move out but for now, the three of us share that space. For YEARS I wanted a Costco membership and really needed it. I never did pull the trigger on it, tho!
ReplyDeleteI've been without one for ages and did just fine. It is definitely my splurge item.
DeleteI have started a list for things at Costco I need before winter. We are an hour away from one, and it’s very mountainous all the way there, so depending on road conditions, we don’t go every month. I stocked up on chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breasts last time we went. On my list so far for the next trip is paper towels, yeast, vegetable oil, and cooking spray. I will probably go ahead and buy more scallops if they still have them for $28 for 2 lbs. That’s $10 a lb cheaper than Safeway, and we really like them.
ReplyDeleteDiane
Not everything at Costco is a great deal, but a lot of things are and I feel they have good quality items.
DeleteYou are right. The chicken breasts and thighs are two items that are not cheaper, but we like the taste of them so much better, so they are worth the extra money. I know the cooking spray and yeast are cheaper, but will check the price of the oil before I buy it. I don’t buy much for canned goods because I can get most cheaper. Costco carries so many organic items, but I’m fine with nonorganic.
DeleteDiane
I'm actually planning to get those chicken breasts next time myself. I wholeheartedly agree that it is worth the extra money if it is a better product. Their price on yeast can't be beat. I thought their oil prices were pretty good last time I was in there. Have a great weekend Diane!
DeleteFor us, Costco is 100 miles away, but there's a Sam's Club about an hour away. I am going to copy your idea about re-packing frozen veggies. We go about once a month.
ReplyDeleteHere are the things I find worthwhile at Sam's:
bread flour
rotisserie chickens (I buy 2 or 3, debone them, make stock, and freeze the shredded chicken in vacuum-sealed bags.)
toilet paper
breakfast cereal
cucumbers/tomatoes/mangoes/coleslaw mix/romaine lettuce
leg of lamb
dishwasher/laundry detergent
bread/tortillas/rice/dried potatoes
eggs
snacks for road trips
We had a Sam's Club here very briefly. I'm sure why they pulled out.
DeleteAlso forgot: canned tomatoes/tomato paste/rotel
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I don't understand the comment. Are you asking me if I plan to buy these items?
DeleteThat is something else that's less expensive at Sam's than at the local grocery store.
DeleteGood to know!
DeleteI'm curious: are the peaches for use/storage until Spring 2025? Or do they have "best by" dates later than that?
ReplyDeleteI plan to eat them. :)
Delete(Little Penpen) that’s a great idea with the chicken. Their chicken is a bargain and already cooked, to boot! Win!!
ReplyDeleteAnd super tasty! I love them.
DeleteYour pantry is looking good
ReplyDeleteThank you Lee Ann
Delete