Quick Tip!
While at MaineSource, stock up on freezer bags and containers. When you get home with your bulk purchases, break up food items into smaller quantities. Have a permanent marker on hand to label what each bag and container holds along with the purchase date.
Bulk food
Buy in Bulk and Save
It’s a fact: purchasing in bulk saves you money. Now, with rising food prices, you may be more motivated than ever to get started with large-quantity purchasing. Take advantage of economies of scale in which you get a lower unit price because of a larger quantity. It’s a smarter way to shop and save. And MaineSource makes it easy and affordable to get restaurant-quality meal on your family’s table!
Why go through the hassle of commuting, shopping, and waiting in line multiple times a month or week when you can skip the aggravation and shop every 2-4 weeks or less? The peace of mind and ability to roll with the punches that comes with being well-stocked is one of the greatest perks to stocking up.
By shopping smart at MaineSource, you can be prepared for life's cooking emergencies: Did your youngest child forget to tell you about tomorrow’s bake sale? No problem, you've got cookie dough stored in the freezer from MaineSource. Does your spouse have an unexpected case of the sniffles? You've got it covered because everything’s on hand for chicken soup thanks to bulk buying in advance!
Forty Complete Meals for Less than $80!
By buying in bulk at MaineSource you can make more than 40 complete meals for less than $80. With a case of chicken breasts you can make stir fry, pasta, kabobs and more (including the side dishes and veggies) for only $1.99 per serving. At MaineSource you can depend on high-quality products at a great value!
Bulk Buying Tips
- Plan your meals in advance. With a plan in mind, you can buy – and actually use – 10 lb. of ground beef. MaineSource offers tips and recipes to help you make the most of your food budget.
- Buy large quantities and break them into smaller ones. MaineSource carries bulk packages of farm-fresh meats and produce to help reduce your grocery expenses. It will save you money and the time it takes to stop at the store frequently. Here are some ways that you can re-package and save money.
- Meats. At all MaineSource locations a butcher can cut a large piece of meat into smaller cuts such as steaks, strips or cubes that you can package up and use at a later date for stews, kabobs or stir-frys.
- Chicken. Cases of frozen chicken breasts can be re-packaged into family size servings. A case that has 40 breasts can turn into 10 meals.
- Frozen Vegetables. Save money by buying bulk packages of frozen vegetables and putting them into zipper bags that are easy to pull out of the freezer.
- Butter and Cheese. Butter and cheeses both freeze very well. You’ll save big when buying bulk quantities of butter and shredded cheeses, then repackaging them into pint sized packages!
- Sauces. Buy sauces like teriyaki sauce, barbeque sauce, and steak sauce in larger gallon containers and then divide up into smaller containers.
- Canned Goods. MaineSource carries canned goods such as tomatoes and tomato sauce in #10 can. You will pay significantly less per ounce than “regular” sized cans at the grocery store. Tomato products can easily be divided into plastic containers and then frozen.
- Stock up on commonly used ingredients. If there are items on sale which you always use, stock up when you can. This also reduces extra trips to the store where you might make impulse buys.
- Clear out space in the pantry or basement. Take stock of shelf and cupboard space at home before you shop. You may need to get a few plastic containers or other storage items to organize your bulk buys.
Tips for Freezing Food from Bulk Buys
- Use quality containers or bags and label your food, including the date.
- Minimize air in the container to prevent freezer burn.
- Some foods such as berries or muffins should be frozen on baking sheets before they are sealed together in bags.
- A good technique for freezing soup or chili is to ladle it into freezer bags. Stack the bags flat to freeze them. They won’t take up much room in the freezer, and because the bags are thin, they defrost quickly.
How Long Can You Keep Food in the Freezer?
Frozen food remains safe indefinitely. The timing on the following chart only suggests ideal freezing times for optimal flavor and texture.
| Item | Months |
| Butter and Cheese | 6 to 9 |
| Bacon and Sausage | 1 to 2 |
| Casseroles | 2 to 3 |
| Egg Whites or Egg Substitutes | 12 |
| Frozen Dinners and Entrees | 3 to 4 |
| Gravy, Meat or Poultry | 2 to 3 |
| Ham, Hotdogs and Lunch Meats | 1 to 2 |
| Meat, Uncooked Roasts | 4 to 12 |
| Meat, Uncooked Steaks or Chops | 4 to 12 |
| Meat, Uncooked Ground | 3 to 4 |
| Meat, Cooked | 2 to 3 |
| Poultry, Uncooked Whole | 12 |
| Poultry, Uncooked Parts | 9 |
| Poultry, Uncooked Giblets | 3 to 4 |
| Poultry, Cooked | 4 |
| Soups and Stews | 2 to 3 |
| Wild Game, Uncooked | 8 to 12 |
Click here to view/ print our guide to Bulk Buys
Click here to view/ print our guide to Batch Cooking
Absolutely No Membership Fees!
We're open to the public! Forget membership fees; we're not like other warehouse stores. And at MaineSource, you’re getting restaurant quality food which isn’t the case at those other warehouse stores.