Nuts are the most well-known and loved foods available on the market. Nut growers dot the US, offering an array of wholesale nuts, gourmet nuts, mixed nuts, organic nuts and other assorted nuts. Nuts are a perfect alone, as partner for chocolate, cookie bases, and other sweet treats, and in savory applications as crunchy coatings for fish or healthy additions to a salad.

Choose from raw, organic, bulk, or wholesale nuts in multiple states of processing including shelled, roasted, salted or just raw. To find the best nut producers and purchase the nuts most popular with your customers, you should:

1. Survey your customers about the types of nut candies or other food containing nuts that they prefer to help you determine which ones to offer in your food business.

2. Purchase nuts from reputable nut distributors that offer quick service and quality guarantees.

3. Ask for wholesale nuts, shipping discounts and other deals to save money and in turn pass the savings on to your customers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide on the types of nuts you need for your recipes or treats for gourmet gifts

Before looking for a nut grower, you should narrow down the varieties of nuts you need. If you want to leave your options open, find a nut producer with many offerings and a quick shipping policy to get your custom orders to you quickly. If you have the room or a greenhouse, consider growing nuts yourself.

I recommend: Attend the Peanut & Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA) Conference to meet nut growers and find out the latest in nut processing and growing. Check out the Internet Candy Society's listing of the most popular nut candies of all time to help you write a candy recipe to reflect those flavors.

Purchase nuts from a reputable nut grower

When looking for a nut supplier, find one with a large variety of nuts that are fresh picked. You want a grower who has been in the business awhile and can offer solid references. If you are looking for custom nuts, find organic nut growers offering a large variety of nut breeds and processing applications such as roasting.

I recommend: High Mesa, Inc. sells nuts in a variety of bulk sizes fresh from the farm to you. They offer a variety of processes, including shelled and raw in. The American Peanut Growers Group, LLC is a group of peanut growers that work together to offer the highest quality peanuts.

Ask for wholesale nuts, shipping discounts and other deals to save money

Don't be afraid to ask for discounts or purchase through a wholesale nut grower. You should be entitled to discounts if the nuts are not fresh, if it's the end of the season, if you are purchasing a large quantity or if you offer to pick up the nuts instead of have them delivered.

I recommend: Highland Hills Farms, LTD are nut wholesalers selling to roasters and confectioners. They do also offer wholesale bulk prices on salted, roasted, and cinnamon roasted (their specialty). Bulk Foods offers a large variety of nuts available in bulk quantities that can be ordered online and shipped directly to your shop.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To save even more money, invest in roasting or shelling machines and prep your own nuts to each recipe's specification.