Why I Always Buy Pine Nuts In Bulk At Costco

Costco is full of awesome things to buy in bulk (like steaks), but some of the bulk deals in the vast warehouse's aisles aren't as obvious as others — especially if you're a single shopper. For home cooks who love adding a bit of texture to their salads or hummus, who want to craft an interesting dessert, or who enjoy making a whole bunch of pesto during basil season, Kirkland Signature organic pine nuts are an absolute must-have. Kirkland Signature currently sells 1.5-pound bags of organic pine nuts for $27.49. Comparable bulk stores and grocers, such as Target and Walmart, sell one-pound bags of pine nuts for anywhere between $24 and $40, which means you're getting quite a bit more bang for your buck with the Costco bag. 

It's important to remember a couple of things when you're buying pine nuts. The smaller the bag, the more expensive the pine nuts are by far. A 4-ounce bag of pine nuts at Walmart costs $10. Granted, a 16-ounce bag of the same pine nuts only costs $24.97 there, but that's still 8 ounces less than what you're getting at Costco for less than $3 more. So with nut prices likely to go up due to tariffs, extreme weather events, demand, and supply chain issues around the world, buying pine nuts in bulk is definitely the move — especially since you can simply freeze them in the resealable Kirkland bag they come in and use them over time. 

If you're not going to finish up all of your pine nuts when making pesto for the year, you can use them in plenty of other delicious ways. Toast pine nuts in a pan and add them to a salad to boost the texture and enjoy a nice toasty flavor. You can chop or roast pine nuts and sprinkle them on top of hummus not only for a garnish but also for a bit of crunchiness. If you want to get really fancy and put in some effort that will raise eyebrows around the dinner table, you can even infuse olive oil with pine nuts for a delightful finishing oil. 

It's also worth roasting veggies, like cauliflower, with some salt, oil, and pine nuts. The pine nuts bring out this umami, nutty flavor that complements roasted veggies extremely well. You can even drizzle roasted or toasted pine nuts over pasta. 

So, while pine nuts look expensive and that big bulk bag at Costco might seem daunting to get through, the truth is that you can add them to a wide variety of dishes. As a plus, they are healthy for you, as they're full of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can help lower your bad cholesterol. It's reason enough to grab a couple bags since you're saving so much and throw one in the freezer to save for later because who knows? The next time you head down the nut aisle in Costco, they might be more expensive.