The Trader Joe's Product Discussion Thread (S/D)

Same I loved those! Never to be seen again!

My TJ *finally* got the knock-off Tim Tams in stock, they were great!

I saved the jar of pickle juice and spices and soaked boring pickles in there to spice 'em up

The frozen fried rice & bulgogi w/kimchi is a good meal base (add extra veggies, an egg)

haven't seen that, will try it. recently had the roasted garlic and pesto deep fried crust pizza, it is very good

my kids continue to devour mini mint mouthfuls at an unsustainable pace

Xps I bought the key lime popcorn based on your recommendation - it’s not something I would’ve normally picked up - and it’s surprisingly delicious. It’s like gourmet candy corn*.

*I don’t know what you call it in the US, since here candy corn is an actual candy, but in NZ candy corn is that multi colored sweet popcorn like you get at fairs

possibly kettle corn?

I've had caramel corn, but key lime popcorn?

candy corn is a candy

Covert junk food itt

TJ's has a lot of good junk food

covert my ass, that's why I go there

Covert junk food itt

― calstars, Friday, July 16, 2021 12:35 AM (fifty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

incredible observation

Silby otm. TJs is exclusively where I go for junk (except chips. Their chip selection is shitty)

I googled kettle corn and that sounds close enough

i ride hard for

Organic Stone Ground Blue Corn Tortilla Chips with Sprouted Amaranth, Quinoa & Chia Seeds

+

Salsa Autentica (refrigerated)

it sounds healthy but it's actually junk food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! zomg can't believe no one has noticed this

i am drinking their evenus port desert wine right now. it's pretty good.

multiple xp
Think Cracker Jacks with no nuts and dye in the syrupy coating.

The Carolina bbq chips are really really good. They’re sort of a cross between vinegar and paprika flavored chips

Frozen chicken chow menu sucks

Frozen chicken fried rice isn’t as good as the bulgogi fried rice but it’s a decent meal base if you dress it up

Its possible to get pretty good chips and salsa at TJs. I like the organic yellow-corn rounds. Not quite as good as organic Tostitos, but better than most other organic tortilla chips I've tried. They nearly nail the perfect thickness. Organic tortilla chips tend to be either so thick and hard that you worry about cracking a tooth, or else thin and flavorless, but these have good flavor and are crispy without requiring jaws of steel. The Salsa Autentica is not quite as good as Pace Picante but a very acceptable substitute.

We live in a place where we can get local, fresh tortillas and tortilla chips almost anywhere we shop, so the TJs tortilla chips don't do much for us. We do like their salsas, though, and, oddly enough, their actual tortillas, particularly the homemade flour, wheat-and-corn, and habenero lime.

I didn't mind them, but for some reason my family didn't like the handmade flour tortillas from TJs. I'm curious about the wheat and corn ones, if I can overcome the family skepticism maybe will try them sometime.

The wheat and corn ones are thicker than regular tortillas, so in that regard they do a great job staying together no matter what you wrap in them. Plus I presume they're healthier than standard corn or flour tortillas, but that's pretty relative.

the refrigerated salsas are decent at TJ’s with the ghost pepper one being my fave

nearly all of their chips suck, though

Tortilla chips. Their potato chips rule.

the flaxseed tortilla chips are good imho

Really enjoying the everything and the elote yogurt dip

Parody product, surely?

Frozen Focaccia entree was a significant disappointment -- both too salty and underseasoned.

xp

It may be, but still tastes good with chips

kettle cooked chicken soup + lemon squeeze + ricotta lemon zest ravioli = good quick weekday dinner.

a gem of a meal where my incredible laziness, my desire to eat something at least a little tasty, and my sw0le diet are all reasonably addressed

The Peri-Peri sauce that's pretty new is quite good, especially as a marinade for chicken. I mix two or three tablespoons of it with two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of greek yogurt, mix it well, then let the chicken soak in that for a few hours. really tasty grilled or baked!

I'm enjoying the frozen rainbow trout filets, defrosted and baked in tinfoil with a sprinkle of salt and some lemon slices

all of those sound good.

think i'm on my 6th or 7th hazelnut milk chocolate bar in 2 months

Trader Joe's Atlantic Salmon filets in the frozen food section are also really good. Today I made a risotto with preserved lemons and salmon that I liked a lot.

I made extra risotto so I could refrigerate it overnight to try making arancini (which should be and maybe is a NYTs spelling bee word) tomorrow. The recipe sounds difficult, so I only expect half a success. I've already made some meat sauce and bought mozzarella for the stuffing

Horseradish chips are back - the taste even better mixed with honey roasted peanuts

Bruschetta spread: fine as a last minute type of thing (if buoyed by mozz and pesto etc) but nothing great

The jollof rice mix is punishingly bad — I don’t normally buy rice mixes but I figured I’d try it for a weeknight dinner bc I’ve been working nights. Inedible with only 1/4 tsp salt, only marginally better after more salt, hot sauce, gandules, corn, peas. Do not buy it.

Trader Joe's Large Brown Pasture Raised eggs now look exactly like Vital Farms', and they are $1-2 cheaper per dozen.

Most eggs look pretty similar though, don't they? A recent discovery is the Chili Onion Crunch. Compares to the Momofuku Chili Crunch. Great on eggs, stir fry, or anything that could use a bit of spicing up.

One of the vital farms selling points has been the darker yolks. They were supposedly from a better pasture diet, indicating more nutritional value in the egg -- vitamins, etc. TJ's pasture raised eggs have had paler yolks in the past. Good tip on the chili onion crunch. I will look for it on the next trip.

I saw a lot of packages of eggs today at Trader Joe's, but didn't see those in particular

I saw a lot of packages of eggs today at Trader Joe's, but didn't see those in particular

They have a bluish carton. The graphic design definitely steals from the vital farms stuff, which also feels like a recent change. I am generally overwhelmed by the variety of eggs at TJs.

Banana bread biscotti recommended

It doesn't just taste like stale banana bread?

yes!

My local TJ's has abruptly dropped all forms of sherry - fino, amontillado, and cream (oloroso). I may be the only person in town that ever buys it but I'm not gonna drink goddamn four dollar marsala, bring back the sherry

my local TJ’s only has beer and wine

😔