Trader Joe's Products (2015–2017)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I reviewed my experience with the Five Cheese Spiral a while ago, but the post was lost in the software upgrade, so I'm recreating it from memory here.

 

I like it, but now I see why they are able to offer 14 ozs. of tiropita for so cheap. It's not really tiropita, at least that I am used to. It's more of a delicious and flaky cheese bread. The protein content and the cheese content is not as high as what I consider tiropita, but it is still very good. I will get this again if available.

 

And for folks @rotuts wondering about if you could separate it into smaller portions and refreeze the rest for later, that is a yes. I took a thin, sharp knife and starting at the outer coil, separated about half of the product into separate coils for my husband and me to split and returned the rest to the freezer.

[Alex]

Any thoughts about this month's crop? In addition to various staples and items I already know are good, I was thinking about getting the Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burgers and the Organic Vodka Sauce.

[Shel_B]

15 minutes ago, Alex said:

Any thoughts about this month's crop? In addition to various staples and items I already know are good, I was thinking about getting the Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burgers and the Organic Vodka Sauce.

 

I bought two packages of the Thai Chili Burgers yesterday.  They looked very interesting and I plan on trying them tonight or tomorrow.  TJ's Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles look good, and I will get them specifically for one of my pot luck dishes.

[blue_dolphin]

From the Feb Fearless Flyer, here's what caught my eye:

Estate bottled Calif EVOO - not new.  I've been using the Greek Kalamata EVOO but will give the local product some love

Organic spicy spinach blend (baby spinach, pak-choi, mizuna and tatsoi)  sounds like a nice salad mix.  I don't think I've seen this one before

Spicy Pickled Vegetables - an escabeche sort of refrigerated product.  I really should just make this up myself but don't always have the right combination of veg on hand.  Maybe worth a try.

100% tart cherry juice - also not new, but the recent warm weather makes me want to make some popsicles and this might be worth a try.   Or maybe I should just use lime juice from my tree and put in some frozen cherries?

Organic Vodka sauce - this one, I don't need to buy, just do something with the jar that's been in my cupboard for months - I don't use jarred sauces that much and it's past it's "best by" date

Mini cinnamon sugar churros - maybe a nice little treat to bake up a couple in the CSO for a coffee break treat - says they bake in 6 min.

Butterscotch shortbread buttons - also sound like they would be nice with a cup of coffee.  Either these or the churros, not both!

Scandinavian Swimmers - I already bought these to bring to my cousin who loves Swedish Fish.  These guys are softer, less chewy, stick to your teeth more but the flavors are nice

Sriracha Potato chips - tried these, liked the lattice-cut texture but I guess I just prefer potato chips to taste of potato.

I might pick up some of the cara cara oranges if they look good

And I'll try a few of the less expensive red wines as I'm on the lookout for a new house red

 

I'll try to remember to post back on the items that I haven't already tried

 

 

Edited February 11, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@blue_dolphin

 

I have been buying the featured California Estate EVOO from TJ's ever since I read somewhere? about it. If It wasn't here, I was very probably led there from here. I also have read that many imported EVOO's were tested and found to be adulterated with cheaper oils.  I used to covet and revere imported oils, but after that report, this Cali-born lady is sticking with Cali EVOO.  I can't remember where I read it, and wasn't able to find it easily on a search, but I stand by my memory, and I stand by my endorsement of TJ's California Estate EVOO.

 

I'm also a fan of the tart cherry juice. I don't have any on hand currently, but if memory serves, it really is 100 percent cherry juice with no additives. It's well balanced, and not overly sweet. I think it would make divine popsicles. For what it is, it is worth the price.

 

I've tried the cara cara's too when I catch the season, and they've always been good from TJ's, as has most other produce I've purchased there. They are produce, though, and subject to mishandling, so YMMV.

 

I haven't tried any of the other stuff you mention, but it sounds interesting.

 

What aroused me from the flyer was the Montmorency dried cherries. I love tart cherries! They go on to state that because the cherries are tart they have added sugar. (They are already concentrating sugars in the cherries by drying them.) That does not please me at all. If anyone has experience with these dried cherries I would love to know what you think of the flavor profile. 

 

 

[Fernwood]

3 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

What aroused me from the flyer was the Montmorency dried cherries. I love tart cherries! They go on to state that because the cherries are tart they have added sugar. (They are already concentrating sugars in the cherries by drying them.) That does not please me at all. If anyone has experience with these dried cherries I would love to know what you think of the flavor profile. 

 

Those cherries are one of my favorite items from TJ's.  I use them in a variety of baked goods and I think they are delicious by themselves.  To me the flavor is balanced; the acids are also concentrated in the drying, I would think. 

[Smithy]

6 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

I have been buying the featured California Estate EVOO from TJ's ever since I read somewhere? about it. If It wasn't here, I was very probably led there from here. I also have read that many imported EVOO's were tested and found to be adulterated with cheaper oils.  I used to covet and revere imported oils, but after that report, this Cali-born lady is sticking with Cali EVOO.  I can't remember where I read it, and wasn't able to find it easily on a search, but I stand by my memory, and I stand by my endorsement of TJ's California Estate EVOO.

 

 

Here's the topic I think you meant.  It was an eye-opener for me as well.  Adulterated Olive Oil Fraud

[Shel_B]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

 

Here's the topic I think you meant.  It was an eye-opener for me as well.  Adulterated Olive Oil Fraud

 

This is a subject in which I'm very interested.  I participated in the linked discussion and just had to jump in here as well.

 

In January, 60 Minutes did a story about olive oil fraud in Italy.  The problem may be more widespread and more serious than some people thought.

 

In the above-linked discussion at least one person said that s/he could tell good oil from bad, but that doesn't seem to be the case for most people, and I doubt that this person could always discern real oil from counterfeit or adulterated oil.  For example, Cook's Illustrated does tasting tests, and some time ago they tested extra virgin olive oil.  At least one of their highly rated and recommended oils has been shown to be counterfeit, or at least not up to the standards of real extra virgin oil.  CI holds themselves out to do rigorous testing, yet they were unable to detect crap from the good stuff.

 

Once again, I strongly suggest that most people buy and use well-regarded California extra virgin olive oil.  Some have complained that they don't live in California and therefore cannot get these oils.  In fact, many of these oils are available nationwide, or at least in most parts of the US.

 

I sometimes buy the TJ's California Estate EVOO and have found it to be quite acceptable.  In fact, I may pick up a bottle today ... it's definitely a good, every day oil.

 

If you care about quality olive oil, here's a site you might want to visit:  http://www.bestoliveoils.com/

Edited February 12, 2016 by Shel_B (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I managed to make it to TJ's today, and mostly got old tried and true favorites:

 

Pizza Parlanno, frozen, which has Italian sausage, uncured pepperoni, and roasted peppers and onions. I usually add at least mushrooms and sometimes other stuff too, 18.25 oz.. Very good for an inexpensive ($4.99) pizza.

Pizza Margherita, frozen, imported from Italy, and either a blank canvas for your added toppings, or very good on its own if you are in a minimalist mood, 14. 8 oz. ($3.99)

Cheese Enchiladas, 9.85 oz.. ($1.99)

Spanakopita Triangles, 12 oz.. ($3.99)

Mushroom Turnovers, 6 oz.. ($3.69)

Dry Roasted Salted Pistachios 16 oz. ($8.49) I am always disappointed if I resort to buying pistachios elsewhere.

Egg, 1 dozen large white. ($1.69) cheapest price I've seen in a while

Butter quarters, salted, 16 oz. ($2.99) cheaper than the grocery stores around here

TJ's domestic double cream Brie. ($5.99/lb.)

Ciabatta made locally, 12 oz. ($2.49)

TJ's Multigrain Bread, 24 oz. ($2.79)

Capellini Pasta 16 oz. ($.99)

Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies, 11.4 oz. ($3.29)

TJ's Classic Potato Chips, 10 oz. ($1.99) 

Spring Mix 5 oz. ($1.99)

Roma Tomatoes. ($.29 ea)

Mini Heirloom Tomato Mix with red, yellow, orange, green, brown, and one tie-dye (which has been designated as cook's treat ) 16 oz. ($3.49)

Zucchini 18 oz. ($1.99)

McIntosh Apples 4 lb. ($3.49)

Bananas. ($.19 ea)

Red Bell Pepper. ($.99)

White Button Mushrooms 10 oz. ($1.79)

Iceburg Lettuce. ($1.29) cheaper than grocery stores 

Lemon. ($.49) "

Blueberries, Chiliean 24 oz. ($5.99)

Brussels Sprouts, frozen, 16 oz. ($.99)

Chopped Spinach, frozen, 16 oz. ($1.49)

Asparagus Spears, frozen, 12 oz. ($2.99)

 

I also bought some new to me stuff:

 

Family Meat Lasagne, 32 oz. ($5.99)

TJ's Macaroni and Cheese, 14 oz. ($2.99)

Beef Steak Burritos, 16 oz. ($2.99)

Tiramisu Torte, frozen, 19 oz. ($6.99)

Breaded Mozzarella Sticks, frozen, 16 oz. ($3.99)

Red Plums, Chilean, 26 oz. ($3.49)

 

All of the old favorites have always been great, and we only tried a few of the new items, but I'll update when we try the rest. 

 

I'll start with the good. We had some mozzarella sticks baked in the oven to start. When I opened the bag, the aroma of herbs drifted up even frozen. This was promising! They cooked up very well, and we enjoyed them with marinara. These are better than FarmRich brand which I have bought at the grocery store before. They are probably the best mozz sticks I've ever had, and that includes restaurants.

 

The red plums are not a hit so far. I selected the softest, and I hoped ripest one to add to the salad with spring mix. It was not quite inedible, but it was so far toward the verge of it, that after tasting several small pieces to decide if it would improve or detract from the salad, the coons got a nice treat. I hope the rest of the batch is better.

 

The beef steak burritos that my husband selected for his dinner, bombed out too. Way, way too much tortilla to filling ratio. I didn't taste them, but they smelled good from the filling, what there was of it. He showed me a cross section after he sliced throught it, and it was just sad.  He scraped out the filling and said it tasted as good as it smelled, and there were beef strips among the beans. The coons got another treat from the excess tortilla. Not recommended.

 

We also got a beautiful white flowering cyclamen plant in a 4-1/2" pot that I selected for Valentines for $3.49. My husband encouraged me to get the breathtaking orchid for $17.99 at the flower display near the door instead. It was gorgeous, and a great value for such a large, rare and healthy specimen. I've never seen one like it with white petals with piebald sort of deep purple patches. I said, "I'm getting ready to spend a lot of money on food. Let's just wait until we're ready to check out, and pick it up on the way out." I knew I wasn't getting it when he muttered on the way to the checkout, "I hope I have enough money."  At least I have my priorities straight.

 

 

 

 

[lindag]

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 7:36 PM, joiei said:

The very first TJ's in Oklahoma doesn't open until Feb.  So I have no idea what you all are talking about on this thread.  

Congratulations on your new (hopefully somewhat close) TJ's.

The nearest TJ from where I live is more than three hours.  We have none in the whole state either.

And it's not likely there'll be any here any time.  But I miss their products from when I lived in Oregon and they were nearby.  I have to make do with occasional orders from Schwan's (of course, it's not the same or even close, but you take what you can get)!

Edited February 13, 2016 by lindag (log)

[rotuts]

""   The nearest TJ from where I live is more than three hours.  ""  

 

Day Trip !  Cheeep Gas !

 

 

in my area, NE  I see cars from the Northern States   " Loading Up "

 

from time to time.

 

whether thats worth it too you is another matter.

 

Its lille a Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Cool.

 

if not, there still some good stuff there

 

not everything.  Don't Like It ?  saved the wrapper and take it back the next time you go.

 

cooler with those icey-icey things are required !

 

[Smithy]

@Thanks for the Crepes wrote:

Quote

The red plums are not a hit so far. I selected the softest, and I hoped ripest one to add to the salad with spring mix. It was not quite inedible, but it was so far toward the verge of it, that after tasting several small pieces to decide if it would improve or detract from the salad, the coons got a nice treat. I hope the rest of the batch is better.

 

It may be my California provincialism showing, but I have yet to find an off-season stone fruit worth eating.  Yes, I know it's the right season in Chile, but getting one of those delicate beauties, if it's truly ripe, up to our hemisphere just doesn't seem possible.  Even for Trader Joe's. Sorry you had to give that one to the raccoons.

 

I've had pretty good luck with roasting or, weather permitting, grilling stone fruits to intensify their flavor when they weren't up to par.  Maybe you could try that?  A quick broil or sear, possibly augmented with balsamic vinegar, for another of those plums?

 

Sorry to read that the burritos were a disappointment, too. Still, I'll be you have a LOT of winners in that haul you brought home.  We're nowhere near a TJ's but it's a shopping treat when we are.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@SmithyThank you for the tips on enhancing subpar plums. I only tried the softest one so far, so I'm hoping the rest are better.

 

Most of the items I bought are old favorites, so I know they will be delightful. I TJ's. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I love hearing other peoples' honest experiences about products I may consider buying, especially on eG. So I offer mine up too, good or bad, hoping to give others information for deciding what to spend their hard-earned money on.

 

I know you're right about off-season fruit. I've never bought stone fruit off-season before in my life.  TJ's had Chilean nectarines too.

 

We're having a cold snap. It's 14F tonight, and I know many of you who live in the North don't think that's cold, but it's very cold to us thin-blooded Southerners. In the past few days I've splurged on strawberries (not from TJ's), blueberries, and the plums. Blueberries are amazing, but strawberries, which are what I used in the salad instead of the plum, were satisfactory in the salad with balsamic/ginger/soy dressing. They are a ghost of the in-season fruits, but a mid-winter treat, despite that. They managed to placate me so maybe I can last out winter a little longer.

 

I did pass on the fresh corn on the cob at TJ's, although I picked it up and examined it, while imagining it with hot melted butter. It was $1.00 per ear, you had to buy four, and they did not look like they'd live up to the promise of my butter-drenched fantasy. *Sigh*

 

I just cannot wait for Spring!

[lindag]

23 hours ago, rotuts said:

""   The nearest TJ from where I live is more than three hours.  ""  

 

Day Trip !  Cheeep Gas !

 

Yes, but this time of year there're those pesky mountain passes to get through; I'll just make do with Swhwan's.

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Part of the reason I like Trader Joe's is that it's so convenient for me.  I think there are 5 or 6 stores in a 10 mile radius from my house.  I can't imagine driving hours to partake of the TJ Kool-Aid.  Though I confess there was that one time I took the ferry across the lake from northern NY to shop at the one in Burlington VT 

 

Today's addition to the thread is my second breakfast.  Three of those little mini churros with the paper on the patio:

 

They come in a zip-top bag so you can remove however many you want.  It says there are about 40 in a bag and 240 calories for a serving of 10 so those 3 on my plate would be less than 75 calories.  $3.99 for the bag. Nice little treat.  

Since I didn't preheat the Cuisi oven, I left them in for a couple of extra minutes so they may be a bit too brown.  I'll watch them more closely next time.

The packet of cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on after baking looked like mostly sugar so I used my own.  Would be great with some toast dope and some Mexican hot chocolate!

 

[ElsieD]

I have my little wish list going and the mini churros are on it.  The closest TJs to us is in Syracuse,  a 2.5 to 3 hour drive away.  But, if it is a nice cold day like today they will stay nice and frozen in the trunk, no ice packs required.  It is a rather numbing -21 celcius today, or -6 F.  With the wind chill it is -31C or -24 F.  We were out earlier today and very bracing, it was.  Glad to be back inside.

[cakewalk]

Hell with the churros. What I'm looking at is the sunshine, and sitting at a table on the patio. It was -1 F this morning! (But the churros look nice, too.)

[rotuts]

the TJ's valentine Cake, cut :

 

 

I love this cake.  It a bit lighter than the one frozen from France, which is stunning.  I asked to see if they have this cake year round in a different form

 

TJ's staff was unsure.

 

this cake goes very well with vanilla ice cream, which I did not have.   the piece I ate was still more refrigerator temp and room temp.  

 

that's what happens when you've for Ants in your Pants.

 

I did have a glass of ice cold milk with it.

 

next piece I home to have more Patiences.  You might loose some money if you but on the patience.

[Toliver]

On 2/13/2016 at 2:41 AM, Thanks for the Crepes said:

...The beef steak burritos that my husband selected for his dinner, bombed out too...

I concur with this assessment. I used to enjoy them, then came a time when I couldn't find them in the freezer section and asked an employee where they were. He said the recipe was being "retooled" by the company and when they reappeared in stock in the store, they just weren't the same as they had been before...not the same flavor.

I switched to the TJ Chicken Chile Verde burritos and enjoy them. 

[joiei]

On 2/13/2016 at 8:29 AM, lindag said:

Congratulations on your new (hopefully somewhat close) TJ's.

The nearest TJ from where I live is more than three hours.  We have none in the whole state either.

And it's not likely there'll be any here any time.  But I miss their products from when I lived in Oregon and they were nearby.  I have to make do with occasional orders from Schwan's (of course, it's not the same or even close, but you take what you can get)!

The new store is about 5 miles from my house.  That part of town is where I go to pick up anything I need from Whole Foods (doesn't happen often plus the winter farmers market is there.  It pays to live in lower Mid-town Tulsa.  OKC should be getting one soon.  

[cyalexa]

1 hour ago, joiei said:

The new store is about 5 miles from my house.  That part of town is where I go to pick up anything I need from Whole Foods (doesn't happen often plus the winter farmers market is there.  It pays to live in lower Mid-town Tulsa.  OKC should be getting one soon.  

Is it open? I have to go to Claremore tomorrow. My husband will be with me but may indulge me with a detour, especially as he loves those coconut cashews> 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I ate another Chilean plum out of hand yesterday, and while it wasn't as floral and fragrant as in season perfect fruit, it went a long way toward soothing my winter-weary psyche.

 

We tried the Tiramisu Torte, and it was certainly respectable. I added a bit more cocoa to the top before slicing because they hadn't completely covered the top. I also stuck slices of strawberries into the sides and laid a couple on top after plating slices. Then I perched a few blueberries on top and sprinkled some around the plates. It made for a very pretty, and deceptively decadent dessert. There's only 268 calories in 1/6 of the torte. It comes across as more sinful, so much so, that I rechecked my reading of the nutrition label. My husband adored it, and it's certainly worth the calories and its $1.17 cost per slice price.

 

It has a reasonably short list of ingredients with nothing too bad in there.

 

I liked it well enough for something from the freezer case that you slice and plate. It's not as good as the tiramisu I used to get from the Fresh Market, or what I used to make when I could find ready-made lady fingers. It's fine, but it did inspire me to read up on making my own in Joy of Cooking. I doubt I'll get up to piping lady fingers anytime soon, but I think I can handle making a European Sponge Cake, slicing it into fingers and toasting them.

 

My biggest problem with the TJ's tiramisu is it contains no booze  and that the mascarpone is freeze-dried and not very forward. Also the packaging is awkward. The box says not to refreeze after thawing, but I did so any way, because after only 3 hours thawing in the fridge the product was very soft and already beginning to weep. Not at all like the firm cheesecake-like texture in their picture. There were even still some slightly frozen areas at the center of the slices we ate. I think this would be better for a large family or dinner party where you'd use the whole thing at once. You might also want to go with the minimum recommended fridge thaw time of 2 hours. We shall see what my rebellious refreezing does to the texture. Either way this probably won't become one of my TJ's regulars. Not when it sits right next to good old New York cheesecake and the Chocolate Dilemma Cheesecake.

[joiei]

22 hours ago, cyalexa said:

Is it open? I have to go to Claremore tomorrow. My husband will be with me but may indulge me with a detour, especially as he loves those coconut cashews> 

Not until Friday the 26th.  Maybe we should include a stop off there during the Tulsa BBQ tour on the 12th of March.  

[cyalexa]

1 minute ago, joiei said:

Not until Friday the 26th.  Maybe we should include a stop off there during the Tulsa BBQ tour on the 12th of March.  

Let's see what the others want to do. I'm good either way.

[Alex]

Bought a bunch of stuff today. The tart cherry juice was delicious. It would work well in a spritzer. The organic raisins are, well, organic raisins. Same thought about the dried Montmorency cherries -- no better or worse than others I've had. The wild-catch nova lox (8 oz package) was very tasty but a royal pain to separate into usable thin slices. It'll be back to the 4-oz non-nova next time. More news as it happens. I did buy the frozen Thai veggie burgers.