Mini mail order spice business?

[the gorgon]

Saw how the operation works and I'll bring in some equipment on my next trip, one of those vacuum sealers a digital scale and maybe an impulse sealer.

I'll have her break down the bulk spices into smaller units of 4oz - 16oz, then vacuum pack them in another bag. Her big goal is to be able to buy a whole 50Kg sack of the spices she buys then she'd save half of her costs. Her bags now are really simple five peso bags. I was asking why she didn't upgrade and she says it's all about speed. She can do 1000-1500 bags a day with a profit of just over a peso per bag.

One of the big spices here is Pink Salt. You add it to pork marinade.

i won?t tell you what that pink salt and the Hawaiian black salt costs in La Sirena.

 

[the gorgon]

Peter, you might want to look into this on your end, but i am sure that you can find places in states like Georgia where you can but bulk roasted peanuts, both salted and unsalted, and do the same 4 oz and up individual bags. it amazes me how difficult it is to get peanuts here at a decent price. the only things you find on supermarket shelves are established brands like Planters, and they are just priced out of reasonable reach. you can buy stuff produced locally in the colmados, but i would not feed chickens with that crud.

 

[the gorgon]

PriceSmart usually has peanuts in the shell.

thanks for the heads up, JD. i want some to make caribbean peanut punch...

 

[PeterInBrat]

Lot's of possibilities.. I also wonder about exporting the pink salt by the pound to the US. Over a million Dominicans in NYC alone, and I wonder if they can get pink salt there for under a buck a pound.

 

[AlterEgo]

Am I the only one reading this thread who has no clue what pink salt is???

 

[PeterInBrat]

Am I the only one reading this thread who has no clue what pink salt is???

http://www.amazon.com/Sherpa-Pink-H...UTF8&qid=1440742478&sr=8-1&keywords=pink+salt

There's also a "pink salt" used for curing meats. I tasted the Dominican pink salt and I think it's just color.

As for nuts, I'm going to get some candied peanuts in bulkfrom Nuts.com. Great company and fast service.

https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/japanese.html

I'll add Season All to my shopping list. Getting an impulse sealer..

 

[AlterEgo]

http://www.amazon.com/Sherpa-Pink-H...UTF8&qid=1440742478&sr=8-1&keywords=pink+salt

There's also a "pink salt" used for curing meats. I tasted the Dominican pink salt and I think it's just color.

As for nuts, I'm going to get some candied peanuts in bulkfrom Nuts.com. Great company and fast service.

https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/japanese.html

I'll add Season All to my shopping list. Getting an impulse sealer..

I saw the Sherpa salt - I'm wondering what pink salt is in DR. I highly doubt they're importing that expensive stuff when we can't get some good and common spices from the US. Exactly what do they use it for?? So you think they take plain old white salt and dye it??? Ugh.

 

[PeterInBrat]

Apparently so, looks and tastes like reg salt dyed to add color for BBQ. VERY popular from what I hear. Powdered beet juice is a common food dye.