Olde Thompson Whole Red Chiles

The scoop

Spotted something interesting in the spice aisle: Olde Thompson Whole Red Chiles (item #1954636) are hitting clearance status. If you’ve been meaning to step up your spice game or you go through dried chiles regularly, this 6.7-ounce jar might be worth grabbing.

Olde Thompson is a solid mid-range brand known for their spice grinders and quality dried seasonings. This jar contains whole dried red chiles—the kind you can crush yourself for custom heat levels, toss into soups and stews, or use to infuse oils. At 6.7 ounces, you’re getting a decent amount of spice that should last the average home cook quite a while.

Here’s the thing: whole dried chiles aren’t exactly a fast-moving item for most households, which probably explains why these landed in clearance territory. Unless you’re cooking a lot of Mexican, Asian, or other cuisines that regularly call for dried chiles, this might be more spice than you’ll use before it loses potency. That said, if you do use them regularly, clearance pricing on a quality spice product is always welcome—these things aren’t cheap at full retail.

This could be a seasonal clearance after the holiday cooking season, or Costco might be making room for a different Olde Thompson product. Either way, clearance spices don’t tend to stick around long. If you see this at your warehouse and it fits your cooking style, don’t expect it to be there next week.

If you’re the type who actually uses dried chiles in your cooking, this clearance find could save you some money on a pantry staple. Not a chile person, or does your spice cabinet already look like a museum of forgotten purchases? Are you grabbing these or passing?