Trader Joe's Products (2017–)

[Smithy]

@rotuts I applaud your protesting the clamshells, and @blue_dolphin it's nice to see more environmentally friendly packaging at your store! 

 

As for the question of cutting the wraps, I suspect there are two reasons: first, you can actually see how much of what is inside (because the ends usually tell nothing; second, some customers -- me, for instance -- might want half for now and half later, or might want to split a wrap with someone else.

[ElsieD]

@rotuts we have that type of clamshell here too.  I hate them.  They are a P.I.T.A.

[rotuts]

@Smithy 

 

your reasoning makes a great deal of sense.

 

however :

 

try wrap .

 

don't buy it again ifnyoundont care for it

 

and in the Days of Od

 

take the 1/2 left over, or just the wrap.

 

I have a reasonable idea about this

 

Just

 

well

 

just what Alt. Species 

 

is responsible ?

 

[ Ed.:  rotuts has been trying  to watch the Mandalorian }

 

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, Smithy said:

@rotuts I applaud your protesting the clamshells, and @blue_dolphin it's nice to see more environmentally friendly packaging at your store! 

 

As for the question of cutting the wraps, I suspect there are two reasons: first, you can actually see how much of what is inside (because the ends usually tell nothing; second, some customers -- me, for instance -- might want half for now and half later, or might want to split a wrap with someone else.

I agree with you and @heidih that people like seeing what's inside the wraps.  And I'm not a wrap lover (gimme some good bread 😋) but who eats a wrap starting from the end? I figure these things are marketed largely to people grabbing a quick lunch, maybe no cutting utensils around, so having them pre-cut seems like a convenience for that crowd. 

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin 

 

'''  people like seeing what's inside the wraps  "

 

I had always hoped 

 

that that group 

 

were busy @WholeFoods .

 

guess not busy enough .

 

rats

 

 

[rotuts]

ive been working w TJ's Fz battered fish.

 

in my area there are Fish Sticks ( a historical, favorite when done crispy )

 

 

and a Halibut , a blocky item.

 

there might now be a cod , but Ive not tried that .

 

Tj's also has , a fully cooked Pork Belly , that's vac/sealed and refrigerated.

 

 

I used the PB , and its has serious potential 

 

I had a box , refrigerated , and it got close to the EatNow or Else date

 

so I froze it 

 

the Fish Sticks  are remarkably good  cooked very crisp

 

the CSO helped , as it a sealed oven,, and small .

 

thus a 3/4 amount of the FS , on the CSO pan ( doubled )

 

w brown parchment paper ( its significantly more slippery than the white , for me )

 

are CSO's , regular oven  ( not steam )

 

for more than they suggest :  15 min each side ?

 

they get very crispy , and not dried out (  re small oven , steam from fish stays in oven )

 

so this happened yesterday :

 

 

those are 1/4 or so ' cuts ' of the Fz PB , from frozen .

 

be careful here , its very slippery even Fz.  I sued my Chinese Ss cleaver , w a mallet 

 

keeping my finders always above the blade .

 

I added the slices you see of PB and the rest of the FS I had

 

15 - 16 425 f  flipped,

 

the pork fat melted and mingles w the FS

 

the PB was a crisp , but very tender .  some fat puffed out

 

and some fat became tender and perfect .

 

and the FS in the pork fat , were delicious .

 

this PB is not smoky , and not that saltiy

 

a stunning result , 

 

completely unexpected  

 

this will be a regular for me

 

something easy worked with

 

from two freezer items !

[heidih]

@rotuts Nice results on the 2 items. Did you read Kenji's recent piece in NYT on expiration dates?  https://www.nytimes.com/article/expiration-dates.html

[Katie Meadow]

We needed TJ's flour tortillas, which we buy regularly, and we also needed hot dogs. Never before tried their dogs, but my husband googled hot dog reviews and these came up high on the list. They were very good: juicy, not horrendously salty, puffed up nicely on the grill. Also a first, TJ's sweet and hot pickled jalapeños. We were out of pickled at home, so my husband came back with a jar. They are surprisingly hot, hotter than the ones I've made myself. That's good or bad, depending on what you want them for. 

[MaryIsobel]

A trip to TJ's is a rare treat for us as it involves crossing the Canada/US border and then about a 35 minute drive. One of my daughters gave me some TJ's spice blends in my Christmas stocking. I am crazy about the Ajika Georgian seasoning blend. There is a "curryish" hint, a bit of heat and a bit of tang (from the marigolds I presume?) It's a great seasomimg to liven up eggs or salad or a quesadilla...

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by MaryIsobel (log)

[heidih]

19 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

A trip to TJ's is a rare treat for us as it involves crossing the Canada/US border and then about a 35 minute drive. One of my daughters gave me some TJ's spice blends in my Christmas stocking. I am crazy about the Ajika Georgian seasoning blend. There is a "curryish" hint, a bit of heat and a bit of tang (from the marigolds I presume?) It's a great seasomimg to liven up eggs or salad or a quesadilla...

 

Interesting. Sometimes the marigold is dissed as a cheap saffron fake but the flavor is special. The leaves of tagetes lemmonii are my magical add to a poy of lentil soup. Accidental discovery whn I picked some in the dark  at a beach rental thinking it was a different herb. Should I get to TJ will check out the blend.

[MaryIsobel]

6 hours ago, heidih said:

Interesting. Sometimes the marigold is dissed as a cheap saffron fake but the flavor is special. The leaves of tagetes lemmonii are my magical add to a poy of lentil soup. Accidental discovery whn I picked some in the dark  at a beach rental thinking it was a different herb. Should I get to TJ will check out the blend.

Pardon my ignorence, is  tagetes lemmonii marigold? My only experience with marigolds is that they are a great plant to discourage bugs and they withstand our crazy pacific northwest weather. Ttuth be told, I hate the smell of them and the are ubiquitous as borders in this clime.

[heidih]

42 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

Pardon my ignorence, is  tagetes lemmonii marigold? My only experience with marigolds is that they are a great plant to discourage bugs and they withstand our crazy pacific northwest weather. Ttuth be told, I hate the smell of them and the are ubiquitous as borders in this clime.

It is in the same botanic family = tagetes. I don't care for the standard low growing border ones - bit much. so beloved in Latin and South Asian culture. Ex https://libguides.ollusa.edu/diadelosmuertos/marigolds#:~:text=Flowers%2C which symbolize the brevity,for the festival%3A the marigold.   https://rachelchoflowers.com/flower-stories/the-significance-of-flowers-in-indian-weddings/#:~:text=Marigolds are very popular in,ideal couple in Hindu mythology.  The one I mentioned is "milder". More tall rangy and wild looking than the orange pouff things.  

Edited March 17, 2023 by heidih (log)

[Midlife]

On 3/13/2023 at 9:31 AM, Katie Meadow said:

We needed TJ's flour tortillas, which we buy regularly, and we also needed hot dogs. Never before tried their dogs, but my husband googled hot dog reviews and these came up high on the list. They were very good: juicy, not horrendously salty, puffed up nicely on the grill. Also a first, TJ's sweet and hot pickled jalapeños. We were out of pickled at home, so my husband came back with a jar. They are surprisingly hot, hotter than the ones I've made myself. That's good or bad, depending on what you want them for. 

Bought TJ’s flour tortillas for the first time last week because they looked really ‘home made’, almost like pitas. The first one I used I stuck in the microwave for maybe 10 seconds just to freshen it up……. big mistake. It was so homemade that the thickness was uneven and the thin part basically disintegrated from just that 10 seconds. Otherwise I thought they were really good and will stick them in a fry pan to warm next time. You live and you learn. 

[Katie Meadow]

3 hours ago, Midlife said:

Bought TJ’s flour tortillas for the first time last week because they looked really ‘home made’, almost like pitas. The first one I used I stuck in the microwave for maybe 10 seconds just to freshen it up……. big mistake. It was so homemade that the thickness was uneven and the thin part basically disintegrated from just that 10 seconds. Otherwise I thought they were really good and will stick them in a fry pan to warm next time. You live and you learn. 

We heat them  medium-high on a cast iron comal with no oil.

[blue_dolphin]

@Midlife & @Katie Meadow, which TJ's flour tortillas are you buying?  My TJ's has a few different packages. 

I get these, which reheat nicely in a cast iron skillet, no oil. 

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

@blue_dolphinthe ones I buy are also TJ brand and have the same type of envelope but the graphics are different. They don't say "de Comal" or "flame cooked." None are in my fridge currently or I would be able to tell you what the do say. I don't recall ever seeing any options, but since you are in SoCal maybe the market for them is bigger. Anyway, after living in New Mexico for several years and taking fresh hand-made ones for granted, it took me a while to find local flour tortillas I could accept.  

[Kim Shook]

I got the pork belly that you recommended @rotuts.  I did it exactly the same way you suggested - sliced thin:

cooked at 425F in the CSO:

Getting it to this point took 15 minutes, a flip, and then another 5 minutes.  It is incredibly porky and delicious. Unlike some I’ve seen, this had a good 50/50 balance of fat and lean.  If it were done this crisp I think I’d be ok with a fattier belly (it would probably be similar to fried fatback), but I’m pretty sure Mr. Kim would balk.  Now, I just have to figure out what to do with it! Thanks so much for posting about this, @rotuts!!!

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook 

 

nice !

 

I had 3 -4 or these 

 

and the fat content does indeed vary , sometimes on

 

the ' upper side '

 

I had several slices , nice and crispy 

 

right out of the oven

 

they were all fat , but  crispy and crunchy 

 

I inhaled them.

 

so the fat content can vary 

 

I had some just like the ones you cut .

 

I save the fat , in the pan , for later .

 

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook 

 

im very happy you tried this.

 

I recall you've done 'sausage and biscuits ?'

 

white gravy ?

 

 try the same w this 

 

cooked as above first.

Edited April 5, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@Kim Shook 

 

im very happy you tried this.

 

I recall you've done 'sausage and biscuits ?'

 

white gravy ?

 

 try the same w this 

 

cooked as above first.

That is a great idea.  I miscalculated when buying eggs during the last week and we now have 5 DOZEN (😑)!  We'll dye a dozen and use another dozen for deviled eggs for Easter, but that still leaves a LOT of eggs, so I was planning on massive cheese omelets for dinner tomorrow.  I have biscuits in the freezer and a batch of cream gravy in the fridge and I'll pair that with the slices of pork belly for dinner tomorrow!  Thank you!!!

[Midlife]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:08 PM, blue_dolphin said:

@Midlife & @Katie Meadow, which TJ's flour tortillas are you buying?  My TJ's has a few different packages. 

I get these, which reheat nicely in a cast iron skillet, no oil. 

 

 

These are the ones I bought. 
 

 

[Katie Meadow]

2 hours ago, Midlife said:

These are the ones I bought. 
 

 

Yes, the second one.

[FauxPas]

Trader Joe's has a banana recipe contest. Valid entries must use at least one banana-based TJ's product. How many banana products does TJ's have?  🙂

 

Top 3 winners get $100 or $200 TJ's gift cards. 

 

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/discover/stories/banana-recipe-contest

Edited April 24, 2023 by FauxPas (log)

[Kim Shook]

Someone brought an almond Kringle from TJ's for coffee hour after church Sunday.  She had bought it at Chrstmas time and frozen it.  It was delicious.  Our German friend practically swooned! 

[rotuts]

5 TJ's ingredients ?

 

that's fine 

 

100 USD  for your time

 

and their publicity ?