I remember going to the Hall of Science as a kid. And most childhood museum trips, the highlight was hitting the gift shop for some reason. The Hall of Science is no exception. They sold something that had all of our imagination going: Astronaut Food. Which reminds me a whole lot of Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries.
Taste and review
Freeze-dried just didn't seem as cool, even though that is exactly what they were selling us: a way overinflated price that museums seem to be able to charge.
For the most part, a lot of us ponied up for some Astronaut Ice Cream. It looked like ice cream. But had the texture of styrofoam. It was cool and bizarre in the same way.
Fast forward to adulthood, now I buy freeze-dried fruit regularly.
For $3.29, you'll love this or hate this. They have taken 12 ounces of fresh strawberries and turned them into 1.2 ounces. More importantly, you need to know what you can do with this. If you like freeze-dried fruit in your cereal, this can definitely be added in.
In rice crispy treats, chopped up they are tasty as well. Added to a muffin mix (again chopped up) these would add a fruity kick although the moisture levels might need to be adjusted a bit.
But whether you are snacking on this out of the bag it has no moisture. It's got the exact same texture as this.
But it is concentrated and delicious. Perfect to add to your overnight oats or blend to add some intense strawberry flavor. Perhaps blend this up to make a naturally flavored and colored Strawberry icing. Yes, this is as a natural flavoring as you can possibly get without adding any extra water to a recipe.
Interestingly enough one bag is one serving. Under normal circumstances, one would probably never sit and eat 12 ounces of fresh strawberries. Removing the moisture makes this a tenth of that. Would I eat the whole bag? No. Do I pop a few when I'm craving something crunchy? Yes.
Recipe ideas
For recipe inspiration with this check out my Strawberry Scone recipe here. But they can be rehydrated for many recipes using just ¼ cup of liquid or they can be blended into a powder which will provide natural color and flavor. A win, win in my book.
Overall
Would I buy this again? Â Yes. Trader Joe's Freeze-Dried Strawberries doesn't make the weekly list, but it's on the pantry list. When I run out, I pick up another bag. It's fewer calories than potato chips, but you'll also have to be willing to not have the salty snack. A good choice if you can adjust to the texture.
You can pick this item up at Trader Joe's or through third-party sellers on Amazon.
Product photos
The package in the nuts and dried fruit aisle:
Calories and ingredient
How to Trader Joe's describes this product:
Out of the package you get:
As seen in my Strawberry Scone recipe:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries
Product Name: Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries
Product Description: Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries are just simply freeze dried strawberries. The flavor is more concentrated because the moisture has been removed.
Price: $3.29
Summary
Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries are strawberries minus the moisture.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Opening the bag of Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries you'll get the smell of strawberries.
- If you aren't used to the texture of freeze dried fruit, it tastes like astronaut food.
- It's crispy and devoid of any hydration.
- Eaten alone there is a nice strawberry taste with a nice acidity.
- As long as there is no moisture in the bag, these have a very long shelf life.
Cons
- Not a texture everyone will appreciate.
steveo says
Have you tried rehydrating a couple of these? That would be an interesting science experiment.
becomebetty says
Only in cereal or oatmeal. They lose the texture if you are wondering.
steveo says
Yes. Thanks.
RaeLikesFroot says
Man I bet these are Lovely in overnight oats!! <3 It's so hard to find freeze dried fruit over here in the UK, It's something I would have to buy online! You have a new follower <3
Stefanie says
Homade strawberry buttercream !
becomebetty says
Hey Stefanie! Great suggestion on how to use this product. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alek says
It's great for making macarons or desserts. Just grind into fine powder and you got natural flavoring, colors, and nutrition all at once. Also good for chocolate desserts too. Hall of Science is one of nostalgic places that I used to go. It becomes tiresome and they need to up their exhibition game. The old days was so much better. The lab on the lower level was fun to make homemade cheese and sniffing different spices. Also the great hall with robotic and surgery exhibition. Now it all meh.
Marla says
We give them to our pet hamster as a treat.
becomebetty says
Hey Marla! Thanks for sharing. I've never had a hamster so this is news to me. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to share.
Dagmar says
Good to add to greek yogurt....especially the bits and powder at the bottom of the bag.i have done a combo of blueberries, bananas and strawberries.
Robin Zeffiro says
I second the suggestion to use them as a yogurt topping.
I also love them on a salad with goat cheese.