By Cathy Hay, Albert Lea Tribune

A customer opens a jar of gourmet peppers and the aroma bursts out, pungent and tangy. At Wintergreen Natural Foods Co-op, the shelves are lined with seasonings from all-spice to turmeric root. The hearty vegetable blend boosts the flavor of stews and soups. Whole nutmegs are available for grating or grounding at home to spice up cakes, cooked greens, pumpkin bread and other savory dishes. The Spanish paprika, requested by a customer, adds a zing of color and flavor to many foods.

“I buy all my spices here because they’re the freshest and a lot of them are organic,” said Judy Hargrave of rural Albert Lea, a long-term member of the Wintergreen board. She fills a baggie with peppercorns from a bulk jar, weighs it on the scale and buys it for $2.39, noting it’s cheaper than traditional stores.

“Don’t forget about the co-op because there are things here that you can’t get anywhere at a price lower than anywhere else,” she said.

The Wintergreen co-op, the oldest store in Albert Lea, almost closed in 2014 due to financial troubles. With support of existing members and an infusion of 65 new members at a meeting in October, the co-op voted to keep the cupboard doors open.

The co-op pioneered the natural and organic food movement in Albert Lea, and continues that focus today. It started in the home of Sara Aeikens on North Ermina Avenue in the 1970s. After a stint in a basement space on the corner of Broadway and Clark Street, it’s been at 1442 W. Main St. since 1976.

Lifetime memberships cost $10, but no membership is needed to shop at the co-op.

Maren Ring has managed the co-op for 39 years. Located next to the Albert Lea Seed House off West Main Street, she notes that the co-op is easy to find with ample parking. She likes that shoppers of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens, stop in for fresh and healthy foods.

“We can get many things that we don’t have in stock. We do special orders. So even if it’s not in the store, it’s still available,” she said.

The co-op’s ultimate goal is to expand, whether in its current location or elsewhere. The immediate goal is to increase inventory. The board is also considering taking credit and debit cards. Right now, customers need to pay with cash or checks.

Joyce O’Rourke of Wells stops once a month faithfully. She likes the barley in bulk, fresh spices and natural peanut butter. The store offers affordable and healthy foods, she said. O-Rourke especially likes the gourmet peppercorn because it’s tasty and pretty.

To the left of the spices are bins of grains: Cracked wheat, white quinoa, steel cut oats, wild rice, textured vegetarian protein, organic rolled oats, rolled barley, Lundberg pilaf, long grain brown rice and stoneground whole wheat flour, to name a few. On the top shelf are teas, including chai black tea.

Across the aisle are bins of beans: baby limas, great northern beans, navy beans, split pea soup and garbanzo beans, among others.

Other wares include whole wheat, wheat germ, buckwheat flour and corn meal — all organic — along with black strap molasses, light Louisiana molasses and sorghum.

The store sells baking supplies, including chocolate chips, non-GMO corn starch, unsulfured unsweetened coconut, real salt, sea salt and turbinado sugar (raw sugar).

Its snacks include yogurt raisins, toffee-covered peanuts and hokey-pokey, a delightful mix of popcorn, cashews, almonds and pecans coated with caramel.

In the coolers customers will find Cascadian Farms frozen berries, convenience foods like pocket sandwiches and enchiladas, Alden’s ice cream, Schultz organic whole chickens, raw mild cheese, Organic Valley butter and eggs fresh from the farm.

Next to the cash register is a dispenser of raw pure honey from Sorenson Honey Farm in Owatonna. Nearby are garlic cloves, organic Garnet yams and organic ginger.

In addition to foods, the co-op stocks supplements, including multiple vitamins, menthol cough syrups, Echinacea and ginseng.

The store also sells Ecover nontoxic cleaning products, including all-purpose cleaner, dishwasher soap, toilet bowl cleaner, fabric softener, laundry soap and non-chlorine bleach.

The Wintergreen co-op is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Look for “Wintergreen Natural Foods Co-op” on Facebook.