Where do you buy bulk fruit from?

[Sylverfly]

I want to make jams and jellies this fall and I was wondering where people who don't grow there own fruit buy bulk fruit? I grew my own strawberries this year and have a ton of bags put in the freezer with some of the less ideal berries marked for jam making this fall. My cherries and pears got frosted in the spring so nothing there to work with. We have a little farmers market thing here but its really just a place for the tourists and they want way to much for what they sell. I plan to hit the few orchards we have in the area so I should be able to get apples, blueberries, and black berries/raspberries. I wan't to make peach, grape, and a few other jams/jellies but I can't get the fruits in bulk here. What am I missing, where else should I check? It seems like you should be able to order fruit online, but I haven't found anywhere that you can yet. Anyone know of a website I can check out? Thanks.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you want organic you can look at Azure Standard's webpage. I haven't ever ordered from them but there were some old threads on them.

I had to make an account before viewing prices but that was awhile ago. They have a $500 min. order unless you form a group of people who order $500.

On Craigslist sometimes the farmers will advertise that they are selling their produce in bulk...like strawberries, oats, wheat, etc.

 

[Sylverfly]

Thanks, but $500 min wow, thats either a lot more fruit then I need or a lot more than I want to pay for fruit, lol. Thanks I'll have to check my local craigslist over the next month or so.

 

[wyoDreamer]

You can make grape jelly from bottled grape juice in the store. Just make sure you get the 100% pure juice, not the juice DRINK.
That's what we did in Home Ec way back in high school and it was really delicious.

As for the others, maybe your county extention office may have some connections.

Or maybe your local grocery store will be willing to get an extra case of fruit for you (if you have a small, non-chain one). The store I worked at in high school (28+ years ago) would take occational orders for cases of fruit if people asked nicely.

 

[WorkingWith]

When you are at your farmers market talk to the sellers. A lot of them are willing to barter/haggle a different price.

Check the listings for other markets or stockyards on the area. I get all my bulk fruit and veggies for canning from a massive stockyards sale that happens a couple times a year here.

Cheers
Matt

 

[mandelyn]

Also look into wholesale, maybe there is a Michigan farmers co-op they drop their harvest at. Restaurant supply as well, start getting into the phone book or google.

Here we're in a river town, there's at least 3 places I can go without being a licensed business to get fruits and veggies by the case. Ever see a 50 pound case of carrots? LOL My mom did it when I was growing up for juicing. We cleared a case of carrots in like 3 weeks, so we made a monthly trip to "the docks" to get apples, oranges, grapefruits, celery, and carrots by the case.

A lot of farmer's markets have sellers that don't grow anything, check the sticker out and it'll let you know where it came from. They buy wholesale from co-ops or importers. Some of these wholesalers will sell to the public. Or the market seller, may charge a bit less for a whole case. We did that for awhile until a seller was kind enough to tell us where we could go ourselves and get it.


Something to be said for the cost of food items you have to move with a dolly.