With the cold approaching, and some of my favorite summer fruits tasting dull in the winter, I wanted to see if I could find an innovative solution to my typical, fruit deprived winter. I did quite a lot of research about frozen fruit and found some pretty satisfying results.
Nutritionally speaking, frozen fruit is actually just as good, if not better for you as fresh fruit. Because frozen fruit is processed and packaged at the peak of its freshness, all of those vitamins are preserved and maintained until you open that bag of (questionable) frozen figs in your freezer.
Pretty stoked with these credentials, I bought five bags of some highly-acclaimed frozen fruit from Trader Joe’s, thawed the fruit in cups and tried them out. The result? A lot of mixed feelings.
Here’s what you need to know before stocking up on TJ’s frozen fruit this winter.
Organic Mango Chunks: Not even close.
Mangos are one of my all time favorites. There’s nothing not to love about this tropical, sweet, and juicy fruit. That is, until you get the frozen form.
The truth: If I were blindfolded and ate one of these mango chunks, I would have no idea what I was consuming. These mangos are unfair substitutes to the real thing.
Semi-Dried Green Figs: Frozen impostors.
The package literally says that these figs “taste amazingly similar to fresh fruit.” I don’t know what fruit Trader Joe’s is eating, but as a fig-fanatic, this is almost as big of a lie as Kylie Jenner’s “natural” lips.
The truth: 10/10 would recommend not getting your hopes up about these figs. If you’re craving a fig—and I mean the real thing—you’re out of luck with these babies.
Strawberries: Getting closer.
OK, Trader Joe’s, you’re getting there. These strawberries are not half bad. Although they definitely don’t taste like real strawberries, they taste a lot like strawberry jam. And strawberry jam is never a bad thing.
The truth: These strawberries are pretty good compared to the previous frozen fruit I sampled.
Warning: The quality of these strawberries vary. Some of the strawberries tasted like dirt.
Semi-Dried Apricots: Satisfactory.
Trader Joe’s is stepping up its game. These semi-dried apricots are pretty dang delicious.
The truth: The apricots are pretty dry and taste more like dried apricots than real fruit. However, if you’re craving an apricot, this frozen fruit will definitely get the job done.
Organic Tropical Fruit Blend: Nailed it.
Yes. Trader Joe’s, you nailed it. Every single fruit in this Organic Tropical Fruit Blend—including pineapple, bananas, strawberries and mango (yes, mango)—was freaking delicious.
The truth: Disregard any other frozen disappointments in the frozen fruit section and buy this ~dank~ fruit blend. It won’t let you down. Faith has been restored.
Overall
All right. So clearly I’m not a huge fan of frozen fruit. However, if your freezer already looks somewhat like mine—the frozen fruit section of Trader Joe’s—then don’t worry. You’ll just be drinking smoothies for a month.
However, if you’re simply craving some fruit that’s either not in season or looks gross, do yourself a favor and steer clear of the frozen fruit section. Instead, stock up on fruit like pomegranates, pears and persimmons, all of which make their debut in the winter.