Cinnamon

[urbpan]

I was going to buy some cinnamon sticks at Stop and Shop today (for seasoning cider) and found that a container of five sticks was almost seven dollars. Is the cinnamon tree endangered? Does it come from a war zone? What gives?

Comments

[morgi.livejournal.com]

Black pepper seems stupidly expensive lately, too.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Black pepper has always been ridiculously expensive.

[slamonella.livejournal.com]

Someone is trying to control the universe.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Geez, I just wanted some hot cider, not to travel faster than light. Stupid worms.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

I think it's just that store- I bought 3 pounds for 32.00. Food grade. From Schreiber's spices.
http://www.rlschreiber.com/shop/catalog_item.asp?loc=101&id=41

I buy most of my spices there, it's a great site.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

yeah, a 9oz jar is $6.62 on that site. seems about the same.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

9 ounces is over a half-pound; that's a heap 'o cinnamon sticks, I'm guessing maybe 30!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

it's a GIANT JAR.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

Well, good. Mulled cider is a good thing. So is a little cinnamon in coffee, once in a while. Ever try it?

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

sounds delicious. i love cinnamon.

[sharpchick.livejournal.com]

I think it has petroleum in it.

As a matter of fact, I think coffee does, too.

[cordelia-sue.livejournal.com]

You're paying for the container. That's probably $1.50-2.50 of cinnamon when purchased from the bulk spice bin at my co-op.

Incidentally, it's not even cinnamon, it's cassia.

[xiloxoch.livejournal.com]

Try any Indian market. I'm not in Boston anymore, but I know my dad buys all his spices cheaply at an Indian/Chinese market in Burlington. There has to be something in the city too. Here in Chicago, I buy massive bags of cassia for about $3.

[gardenfey.livejournal.com]

Spices seem to be very expensive in regular supermarkets lately.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

Penzey's uses the sticks for packing in their spice sets.

[wynnsfolly.livejournal.com]

try a mexican market, they will have real cinnamon or canela. or as mentioned, an indian market. look for cellophane bags not an aisle of jars. should find whole nutmeg & cloves nearby.

[mycologynerd.livejournal.com]

must be REAL cinnamon, not just labeled to fool the american people cinnamon that everyone usually buys

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Sometimes Shaws and Stop & Shop have ethnic food aisles. Often you can find the same spices there, just packaged differently, for significantly less money.
Or try an Ethnic grocer, they often sell in bulk.

Think cinnamon is expensive, take a look at the price of real vanilla (not the artifical stuff they call vanilla) and vanilla beans. Ouch!

[theysuredo.livejournal.com]

There is a wonderful place for spices in the North End called Polcari's Coffee ... 105 Salem Street, on the corner of Salem St. and Parmenter. Not the greatest prices for bulk, but if you're just looking for a little bit of something, it's fabulous. Whole vanilla bean for $1. Pretty sure I bought 3 cinnamon sticks there for about the same.