Costco Food Finds for August 2016

I would like to introduce you to a new series on the blog. Each month I am going to share some of the best things I have found shopping for food at Costco as well as sharing my tips to make your shopping experience better.

Stone Fruit
August is the last full month of the year to stock up on stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums, and the like). Of course you buy them in bulk at Costco. This does come with an advantage. You see the boxes list the variety of peach, nectarine, plum, etc. on the side. What I think a lot of people don't understand is that there are many, may different varieties of peaches just as there are many varieties of apples. Its the reason why a peach taste good when you get it one week and go back the next week and find the next peaches suck. Retailers don't normally advertise the variety. Here is what I suggest. Whenever you buy a box and find the name on the side, make a note of it on your phone or on a paper on your fridge. Make down the ones you like and the ones you didn't. In future seasons you will know ahead of time and have a great chance of bringing home good fruit. Here are some examples of what I found during my last Costco visit -

I case you were curious here are some of the prices I found that day -

[table]
Fruit, Price
Nectarines 5 pound box, $8.99 ($1.79/lb)
Pluots 2.5 pound bag, $5.99
[/table]

Blueberries
August is also the last month to stock up on blueberries before the prices go up as the domestic season ends. I am lucky that I live in a blueberry state, Michigan, so its easy to find large containers of blueberries for good prices. The container of blueberries you see above cost $5.99 for 2 lbs. Very shortly that price will be gong up. Now is the time to buy up and freeze some for the winter.

Gold Kiwifruit
This is something I am really excited to be seeing at Costco. This is a different type of kiwi that is gold colored on the inside instead of green. In my opinion the flavor is so much better. It has a more berry like flavor to it. My kids love it too! It's mainly the only type I buy now. I actually do not really even like kiwi, until I tasted one of these. Gold Kiwi was going for $6.79 ($3.39/lb) for 2 pound clamshell container.

Koru Apples
As stone fruit and blueberries are coming to an end, apples are about to start up. But until you are start seeing new crops show up from Washington and other states, your best off still with the New Zealand grown apples. Koru is one. It is crisp and sweet. It is a cross between a Fuji and a Braeburn. Koru apples were going for $12.99 for 5.5 lbs ($2.36/lb). Not the best deal in the world, still if you are going to buy apples look into this variety.

Gilbert's Chicken Sausage
Costco is a great place to buy sausage. They have different offerings from time to time. The latest comes from Gilbert's. They have a cheddar chicken sausage with sauteed onions and bourbon apple chicken sausage. I got a chance to sample them at the store and they are wroth bringing home.

Raw Gouda
Last on this month's list is a raw Gouda from Eldeweiss Creamery in Wisconsin. It goes for $9.69/lb. As per law, it has been aged for over 60 days which is required for all cheeses using raw milk. If you have never had a raw milk cheese you are in a for a treat. There is more depth of flavor that comes from using milk that hasn't undergo pasteurization - which may help destroy anything harmful, but it also destroys the flavor of the milk.

Let me know what you are finding at Costco. Leave a message in the comment section below.