Grocery Hunt: Revisiting the spice rack

Hello and welcome to the Grocery Hunt, Manchester Ink Link’s look at prices of grocery items at Manchester supermarket chains. This week takes a look spices requested by our readers last year and how the prices have changed.

All items are requested by the readers of Manchester Ink Link, either recently or in past columns with comparisons on how the prices have changed.

All prices in this week’s column were obtained on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m to 11 a.m. When direct comparisons are not available, comparisons per comparable units of measurement will be used. Prices and availability may change without notice.

The comparisons also are adjusted for costs per pound or costs per quart, which was not the case last year.

This column only obtains prices from supermarkets as items requested by readers are either unlikely to be available or unlikely to be available in a form that can make comparisons feasible at specialty shops, wholesalers, price clubs or other food stores.

However, readers are welcome to submit prices of items from other stores as well as questions or comments regarding the column to andy@manchesterinklink.com.

Morton’s salt (cost per lb.)

Walmart – $0.47 (last year – $1.35)

Market Basket – $0.49 (n/a)

Hannaford – $0.83 (last year – $1.38)

Ginger (cost per lb.)

Walmart – $39.70 (last year – $40.86)

Hannaford – $50.11 (last year – $54.48)

Market Basket – $59.02 (last year – $59.02)

Peppermint (cost per quart)

Hannaford – $35.04 (last year – $76.48)

Walmart – $77.44 (last year – $62.88)

Market Basket – $80.00 (last year – $80.00)

Thyme (cost per lb.)

Hannaford – $48.93 (last year – $109.96)

Market Basket – $86.26 (last year – $77.18)

Walmart – $127.52 (last year – $40.86)

Paprika (cost per lb.)

Walmart – $6.40 (last year – $32.18)

Market Basket – $12.06 (last year – $22.43)

Hannaford – $35.09 (last year – $14.55)

A list of previous Grocery Hunt 2.0 columns from 2022 can be found below

• Sept. 22, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Pumpkin spice edition
• Sept. 4, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Time for snacks
• Aug. 24, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Battle of the Liquids Part 3
• Aug. 17, 2022: Grocery Hunt: I scream, you scream, we all scream for price comparisons
• Aug. 10, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Inflation hits Manchester hot sauce customers
• Aug. 5, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Grocery Hunt: Eggs, Tomatoes, Lobsters and more…
• July 28, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Producing Produce Prices
• July 20, 2022: Grocery Hunt: BYOBBQ
• July 15, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Why do you build me up, K Cup?
• July 8, 2022: Grocery Hunt: The best part of waking up now costs up to $1.23 per pound more than last year at Manchester supermarkets
• July 1, 2022: Grocery Hunt: More fruits (and charcoal deflation?)
• June 23, 2022: Grocery Hunt: When life doesn’t give you lemons, what Manchester area supermarket has the best lemon prices?
• June 15, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Buttah and corn edition
• June 10, 2022: Grocery Hunt: Beer and bread edition
• June 3, 2022: Welcome to Grocery Hunt 2.0

A list of the first phase of 2022’s Grocery Hunts can be found here.

For 2021’s Grocery Hunts, click here.