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Bulk Food
Buying in bulk is the epitome of "having it your way". Whether living alone
or planning for the family reunion, it's a perfect way to purchase just
the right amount.
Cronig's carries hundreds of bulk items with a wide selection of grains,
flours, cereals, seeds, dried fruits, nuts, herbs and spices. In the down
Island store, bulk items are found in large clear dispensers with forest
green trim and are located next to corresponding, prepackaged items. For
example, beans and rice are in aisle 9, next to bags and boxes of similar
offerings. Cereals and granolas are located at the end of aisle 11, adding
more choices to the wide selection of breakfast foods. Spices, which are
kept in a rack of small Lucite boxes, are at the end of aisle 10. In the
Up-Island store, bulk bins are all clustered together at the end of the
Produce lane along the back wall. Each dispenser is marked with an information
label listing ingredients, nutritional facts, processor, whether it was
grown organically or conventionally, price, and product code for the PLU
system.
Knowing how to operate bulk dispensers can be a little daunting at first,
however, everything you need is with the canisters. Once you determine what
product you want to buy, look for the paper bags on the shelf between the
upper and lower racks of bins. There will also be a pen or marker there.
Look at the canister's information label to find the product code, called
the PLU number, which is not the price per pound, and copy those numbers
onto the lower portion of the bag. Then open it up, and fit it under the
mouth of the dispenser, making sure the back edge of the bag fits up behind
the opening so everything ends up in the bag. With one hand, hold the bag
from the bottom to support the weight of what is being poured in, and with
the other, pull down the green lever to dispense the amount required. Paper
covered twist ties are also provided to tie off the bag, and the product
code can be written on one end or the other of the tie instead of the bag.
At the register, the clerk will weigh the bag, and punch in the product
code you wrote down, so the register tape will record the product, price
per pound, weight, and cost of purchase. At home, the bulk products can
be transferred to canisters or jars with tightly fitted lids to safeguard
freshness for long term storage.
Bulk buying is especially efficient for visitors who might be buying for
one or two meals because it ensures there aren't lots of leftovers to be
carted home or thrown out when leaving the Island.
In most cases, this style of buying is not only less expensive, it avoids
the unnecessary waste of excess packaging - just one less thing being produced
and then discarded into our waste stream.
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Green Martha
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