Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Trader Joe's offers a wide variety of condiments from sweet to savory. But quality can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From the seasonal Sugar Plum Jam to the Chile Lime Seasoning to the popular Enchilada Sauce find dozens of reviews of Trader Joe's condiments and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
It’s been a while since Trader Joe’s added anything to the dips and hummus options. They’ve taken away items, but not too much has been added back. Well, consider this a vegetarian (at least based on the ingredients) spin on the familiar 7 layer dip. Trader Joe’s 5 Layer Dip is new, delicious, and just needs something to dip it in or scoop it on.
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Trader Joe’s Green Sauce 2.0. However, this green sauce is different from the current green dragon hot sauce available on shelves. Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Sauce is overall pretty good and a completely different beast from the other green sauce, it’s a solid Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce.
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It’s back! On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s I noticed this little jar has made its annual return to store shelves. It’s packaged the exact same way as it has been for years which means the product is basically unchanged. For those who think it’s new, here are my thoughts on this from 2018.
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So, here is a product that looks like mango, but tastes pretty much nothing like mango. Think about how different sauerkraut tastes from cabbage. Or perhaps how different Kim Chi tastes from cabbage as well. They taste pretty darn different. All thanks to a process called fermentation.
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It’s not often that I don’t like something here. I’m not trying to be overly kind. I try to be objective on things. However, there are some items that hit my pantry and I need to call them what they are: basic. And Trader Joe’s Organic Rose Vinaigrette is just that.
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Does anyone else celebrate Taco Tuesday? I think we celebrate it on a lot of days during the week. I have a soft spot for nachos in particular. Who doesn’t love cheesy chips? I adore them. Just not Trader Joe’s Queso Dip. One of the cardinal rules of a dip is that it should never be watery or thin. This vegan dip does a better job of being cheesy than queso.
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Trader Joe’s sells Umami take two. Yes, this isn’t Trader Joe’s first dive into selling us something that is simply just umami. A couple years ago they sold Umami paste. That paste was all sorts of umami from tomatoes, to mushrooms, parmesan cheese, olives, balsamic and other forms of umami. This product is clearly different.
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Let’s be honest for a second, whenever you get a “gift set” it would seem that there is at minimum at least one item you don’t truly care for. This might be true for anything sold as a set. Usually you get one item you really, really like and then you muddle through the other items. But here is a rare case where that did not ring true.
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Behold, a two for one review. While most of this will center around the new and seasonal Black Truffle, I made it with the new seasonal pasta, Garganelli. Which by the way, looks a lot like a candy cane color. But for right now, truffle seems to be the flavor of the winter time. And there is no shortage of it.
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If there is one good thing about going to a Trader Joe’s before the holiday, it’s that the people in there seem just a big more kind and jolly than most grocery stores. The other grocery stores near me, the customers are miserable. Worse, the employees are even more miserable. So I hope you’ve done your shopping or are only running out for an item or two. As for me, here is a rare double review in honor of Thanksgiving.
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Every now and again, I pick up a product that I’m not totally into trying. But for the sake of public information, I put it out there. And every now and again, I get something I love and something I absolutely hate. Now, even though I have over 900 Trader Joe’s reviews, I can’t say that I’ve done too much of a deep dive into the salsas. Some people can say they’ve tried them all….
Every now and again, there is a product that I’m almost positive that I haven’t seen available anywhere else. This is one of those products. I’ve never seen maple butter before. But when I saw it, I knew it was going into my cart.
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So it seems like maple syrup might become the new pumpkin. I’ve seen so many new additions this year to this simple condiment. Just last week I tried the Ghosted Maple Syrup. And I hope to get my hands on the other new maple syrup hitting shelves: organic Vermont Bourbon Barrel aged Maple syrup. If you are looking at the title, and thinking “didn’t they have that in the past?” Yes, but it wasn’t organic and this has a very different label than the bourbon barrel aged maple syrup I tried in the past. So, I guess I’ll have to report back on to that how they compare.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Vermont Ghosted Maple Syrup is new and is a very hot combo of maple syrup and ghost pepper.
The cons: This is not for everyone. Anyone sensitive to heat, be warned, this is hot. Also, this was listed as “HOL” on my receipt which usually means it is seasonal. So if you love it, stock up.
The verdict: …
When a reader, H M, mentioned that this was new to shelves I got excited. And then H M tried it. And gave it a big thumbs down. Intrigued, I hunted for this product….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce is one of two new refrigerated sauces hitting shelves: this and mushroom medley alfredo sauce. The ingredient list is pretty simple and straight forward.
The cons: It isn’t going to be my first choice in sauce options. This would have been better if they had used San Marzano tomatoes. Keep some EVOO and some basil on hand if you are planning on using this. For the price, there are some equally good options in the jarred section.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Soyaki is the best of two worlds: soy sauce and teriyaki. Yes, this is the viscocity of soy sauce with many of the flavors of a teriyaki.
The cons: The sodium is quite high in this. In fact, 1 tablespoon is 21% of what you have in a day. When I’m marinating something, I never use a tablespoon.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Enchilada Sauce is a staple item in my household and makes for a quick and flavorful meal.
The cons: The directions add extra steps which can be skipped with minimum consequence.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend is a solid blend found in the spice aisle.
The cons: The name here should be reversed. It should be called lime chile as that is the order of dominant flavors.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Sriracha Ranch Dressing is nice and spicy.
The cons: I wasn’t wild about this on a salad, but as a dip I was all in.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki is different from other teriyaki sauces on the market and slightly different than the similar sounding Trader Joe’s Soyaki.
The cons: If you don’t like pineapple, then you should skip this item. This also tastes very salty, so you might be better off using this sparingly if you are going to marinade something.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Butter Spread is one of two new butter options.
The cons: With some room temperature butter you can easily make this at home for a fraction of the cost.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee and Garlic makes cooking just a bit easier. It’s slightly bitter, sweet, and savory.
The cons: My husband and I both wished that there was a bit more smokey flavor in this. This is seasonal, so if you are curious about this then it is time to pick it up.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peach Salsa might not be as spicy or smoky as the label might suggest, but still makes for a good and refreshing salsa.
The cons: For purists, this might hit you as being a touch sweeter than some palates might like.
The verdict: …
