Trail Mix

[SPuck]

So I discovered a love for nuts that I never knew I had after buying some trail mix. I decided this week to try making my own (just cashews, almonds, raisins, and a bag of dried fruit) the problem with the trail mix I bought verses the pre-made stuff was staggering. All the salt on the nuts almost made my eyes cross, and the raisins and dried fruit mix were just to sweet. Anyone have any suggestions for buying raw nuts and raisins on the cheap in the metrowest ma area?

[Zilla]

Do you have trader's joe, earth faire, natural market or whole foods nearby?  They all sell the unroasted, unsalted nuts of all kinds and pretty cheaply too.  Often cheaper than the salted roasted kind!

[SPuck]

I do have trader joe's but its still like five dollars for a bag thats not even a pound. I am considering going to  Whole foods because they sell in bulk (and I don't have to order online) but I don't know the price and its not listed online either. :/

[Zilla]

If you compare it to the roasted kind, it is usually cheaper.  For an example unroasted cashews at the regular store with lightly salted costs like $7 on sale as in TJboth unroasted and unsalted it is 4.99.  So that to me is a deal!

But nuts on the whole are expensive.  What I do is get the bulk granola mixes and add nuts to it to make my own and helps with the costs of buying it all individually.  

[SPuck]

It looks like online is the cheapest place to buy. *ponders* I just don't want to order some nuts and not like the taste like the ones I bought at the store.

[Zilla]

I had a thought, not sure what the prices are on it, but I have seen in the produce department of grocery stores prepacked shelled nuts of all kinds and shelled ones too.  Might be enough of a savings.

[SPuck]

I'll check around and see what I can find.

[blarg314]

I'm not sure about your area, but I get raw, unsalted nuts at a good price at a local baking supply shop, and they also sell unsweetened dried raisins and cranberries.

But yeah, nuts do tend to be expensive. Over salted nuts are easy to fix, though - you can just rinse them and dry them out in a low oven.