Find great deals at salvage grocer near Southtown

The vast majority of the time — whether I’m cooking for my household or developing recipes for the Express-News Taste section — I can meet all of my grocery store needs with a quick trip to the closest H-E-B. But when it’s a culinary treasure hunt I desire, the pristine aisles of a supermarket seldom satisfy.

AAA Freight Salvage Groceries near Southtown is one of a halfdozen or so stores I try to visit a few times a year. Unlike your conventional, consistently stocked supermarket, the inventory at salvage grocers can vary wildly from day to day, and AAA Freight is no exception.

This type of store can offer significant savings on a wide range of products that may have gently damaged packaging, a close expiration date, labeling the manufacturer has since changed or other imperfections that prevent normal grocers from putting the product on their shelves.

Many of the products are in perfect condition and are simply overstock or discontinued items.

At AAA Freight you’ll find a significant number of goods packaged in the bulk sizes used in restaurants. Think mayonnaise

by the gallon, No. 10 cans of vegetables, whole slabs of frozen beef waiting to be sliced into steaks.

On my latest trip there, I picked up a 3-pound jar of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard for $5 —

these normally retail for $18 or more — and a 10-pound bag of King Arthur flour for $5 that typically costs $8 to $10. You’ll find plenty of everyday buys that would be part of your usual grocery run as well, but at a better price. I’m a sucker for Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce, which runs 50 cents a bottle at AAA Freight.

And then there are the oddball scores. Some surprisingly highend products can wind up on the shelves at a salvage grocery. In this case, I found a 500-milliliter bottle of Texas-made extra-virgin olive oil from the brand 1836.

This stuff goes for $37 on the company’s website. I paid $5.95 at AAA. A 1-pound tub of PB2 powdered peanut butter spiked with chocolate (this stuff is a terrific protein punch in morning smoothies) cost less than half of retail at $4.50.

You’ll find a lot of restaurantstyle takeout packaging, cleaning supplies and other items as well. Because I’m chopping chilies every day since moving to San Antonio, AAA Freight has become my go-to spot for food handling gloves. I can find packages of 100 gloves for $6.50 instead of the $20 or more I’d otherwise spend.

AAA Freight Salvage Groceries is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1111 S. Presa

St. More at 210-533-8611 or Facebook: AAA Freight Discount Groceries.

Paul Stephen / Staff Paul scored a host of bulk and unusual items at AAA Freight Salvage Groceries, 1111 S. Presa St.