4 Costco Produce Items That Are Worth Every Penny And 4 You Should Skip

Buying groceries in bulk from Costco can save you money and several trips to the grocery store. While it's tempting to grab everything you need in one fell swoop, not every product is worth buying in bulk if half of it ends up in the trash, and this is particularly true for produce. Unfortunately, produce makes up about 40% of food waste in America, and this is largely because of the shorter shelf lives of many of these products. Understanding which last the longest without spoiling and which are more prone to becoming moldy and mushy is critical to identify the produce items you should pick up from Costco and the ones that you're better off purchasing elsewhere in smaller quantities.

In determining which products to include in this article, I used a combination of my own personal experience shopping for produce at Costco, consumer sentiment on quality for price, and general information on the shelf life of produce to determine which are and aren't worth purchasing. Please note that produce availability, prices, and quality may vary based on location and seasonality. My insights are based on my experience shopping at my local San Diego warehouse.

Citrus fruit, like oranges, lemons, and limes, have some of the longest shelf lives compared to other fruits, which makes them an excellent product to buy in bulk. For instance, oranges can last up to 21 days if stored in the refrigerator. Citrus fruits are one of the healthiest hydrating foods, and Costco rotates different citrus fruits seasonally, and it tends to have a good reputation with customers for being sweet and ripe. As a Costco member myself and an avid fruit-eater, I've had really great luck with the mini mandarins at my location in San Diego.

Some other citrus fruits that Costco carries include cara cara oranges (which customers are particularly fond of), lemons, limes, and grapefruits. The citrus from Costco also tends to be affordable compared to other grocery stores. For instance, you can get a 3-pound bag of limes for just $5.99, while a two-pound bag from Ralphs costs $4.99, so it's well worth buying in bulk at the warehouse.

There are a few things you need to know before buying avocados at Costco. I've made the mistake of buying them one too many times, because of the alluringly low price tag, especially since avocados can be on the expensive side. However, because the avocado bags hold large quantities, I've run into the issue where they all ripen at once. Then I needed to throw some away, because I couldn't use them before they go bad. 

Customers find inconsistencies with quality, likely because the suppliers get rotated. Costco's avocados are sourced from the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Chile, and New Zealand, but the highest quality avocados tend to be grown in Mexico and the U.S. (especially in California). One customer on Reddit mentioned that they're done buying from Costco, because they're tired of "avocados that don't ripen at all despite sitting out at room temperature," complaining that they're flavorless. These avocados are still hard when the store sells them, but "4 days later are way too squishy and all brown inside." In addition to the fact that Costco avocados keep getting more expensive, you're better off buying these in smaller quantities, so you can feel them for ripeness and not let any go to waste.

Like most produce, the shelf life of an uncooked potato depends on how it's stored, and the light, air, and moisture in its environment play a large role in how long a potato can survive before it spoils. But potatoes tend to have a much longer shelf life than other produce, like berries, for instance. In fact, stored properly, potatoes can last for a long time — after all, in the wild, they're adapted to survive winters and droughts.

When properly stored, this root veggie can last up to three months in your pantry. Because potatoes are so versatile, this is one thing I always pick up in bulk from Costco. A 10-pound bag of russet baking potatoes costs less than $4 and lasts me a really long time. I've never had an issue with potatoes from Costco spoiling rapidly, and have found the product to be consistently high quality. While I typically go for the baking potatoes, Costco also carries tons of other varieties, including gold, red, and a medley.

Most of us who spend time in the kitchen like to have an onion on hand at all times, because they can be used to elevate the flavor in so many recipes. Despite the tempting price at Costco, onions are a produce item that you do not want to buy in bulk. There are a few mistakes to avoid when storing onions, and one is to be careful not to keep them near any fruit. Interestingly, onions can actually make the fruit around them ripen and spoil more rapidly. If you've ever noticed your fruit bowl looking rather sad, an onion might actually be to blame.

Onions emit a gas called ethylene, which can cause other produce nearby to sprout, become mushy, or grow mold faster than expected. Some produce items typically impacted by ethylene gas include potatoes, apples, leafy greens, and berries. Since the Costco onions come in an enormous 10-pound bag, you might be better off purchasing your onions in smaller quantities from another grocery store instead, and avoid keeping too many onions together with your other fresh produce. Plus, it's a bad idea to store any excess onions in the fridge or freezer, which will make them lose their crunch and flavor.

Garlic is another cooking staple I always pick up at Costco, where it's usually sold in 2-pound bags, although I sometimes find 3-pound bags at my local warehouse. Buying conveniently pre-peeled and pre-diced garlic is tempting, but the bulbs are the best bang for your buck in terms of quantity and shelf life. Unpeeled, a garlic bulb can last up to six months in the pantry, keeping best in cool, dry, and dark environments. I typically wait to peel and mince my garlic until the day I'm using it because I find that when I pre-dice and store it in the fridge, it loses some of its potency. 

Some customers have even used the Christopher Ranch garlic bulbs they purchased at Costco to grow their very own garlic in their gardens. One customer on Facebook performed an experiment in which they tried to grow garlic from Costco's Christopher Ranch bulbs as well as from garlic they purchased from their local grocer. The garlic they bought locally did not grow at all, while several of the Costco bulbs sprouted.

Fresh produce, like berries, tends to be among the food items that Costco members return the most. For me, personally, berries are the most difficult kind of produce to keep fresh, and unfortunately, they're the item that ends up getting thrown out most often in my house. While I love to have fresh berries stored for my smoothies and yogurt bowls, buying them in bulk at Costco is just not practical, as they tend to go bad before I can enjoy them. Some other Costco members on Reddit agree, with one explaining, "I'd rather pay more for something that I know will last rather than gamble on throwing it out."

Another customer on Reddit shared a picture of the moldy blackberries they purchased from Costco with the comment, "I love you Costco, but your fruit sucks... Bought less than 24 hrs ago. Not left in heat. And yes, I know the vinegar rinse trick." Others have shared a similar issue with the strawberries they bought from the warehouse chain, to which customers recommended staying away from the fresh fruit and only buying the frozen in bulk. In fact, the frozen bag of triple berry blend tends to be very popular, ranking among the best Costco food bargains.

Bell peppers are a "must-buy" item, according to Costco customers online. The store sells organic mixed bell peppers for $9.99, which include two red, orange, and yellow peppers. One enthusiastic Reddit user wrote, "The bell peppers are AMAZING! Not only are they fresh and vibrant but they are so sweet! I'm making a double batch of stuffed peppers." Another commenter appreciated the mixed variety, explaining, "You can get cheap green ones anywhere, but only at Costco can you get $1 per red yellow and orange pepper, and in great condition. I eat them raw, they don't even need other ingredients or anything. A sweet healthy treat!"

Despite being priced slightly higher than the Sam's Club variety pack, customers say that the vibrant, colorful, and flavorful variety from Costco is well worth splurging a little extra. Of course, as with any produce, the season will play a role in the quality of the veggie. While they're typically available year-round, the best season for bell peppers is late summer to early fall, so be sure to add these to your Costco cart during that time of year!

Costco has several bagged salads and salad kits, covering everything from plain romaine and spinach to Mediterranean chopped, sweet kale, and, of course, Caesar. And while these large salads might seem alluring due to the minimal effort they take to prepare, if you don't eat them within the first few days of purchase, you will likely end up throwing them away, or picking out the leafy greens that have wilted or spoiled. Plus, customers find the quality to be fairly inconsistent with the bagged salads, with one Costco member on Reddit claiming that the salad kits have "doubled in price in the last few years and the quality is worse."

I had to return a salad kit to Costco myself recently, because while the greens looked healthy from the outside, I found that most of the lettuce on the inside of the bag had gone bad just one day after purchasing it. Fragile greens like butter lettuce and spinach tend to go bad quickly, so be sure to avoid salad kits that use these as a base, as a general rule of thumb. I have found that the best way to keep lettuce healthy for longer is to buy greens that don't come in a bag, then immediately rinse, dry, and store them in a container in the fridge. The couple of extra minutes you spend prepping and storing them is well worth it, when you can actually enjoy them instead of throwing them out midweek.

To provide the most helpful and accurate information, I based my product analysis on my personal experience as well as support from other Costco members online. Consumer sentiment online can help speak to the general quality of a product and whether it's worth the purchase. Additionally, I included information on the shelf lives of the products listed in this article, to determine which products are good candidates to be bought in bulk and which are not.

I have purchased most of the produce items in this list on several occasions, and can speak to my experience with them while supporting those experiences with evidence from other members. It's worth noting that produce quality is heavily dependent on sourcing, seasonality, and location, but I tried to only include products that have a general consensus (either positive or negative) from customers online and that fall in line with my own experiences as a Costco member.