There are a few essential food items that we keep stocked in the freezer at all times, like peas, corn, and chicken stock. Say hello to a newcomer. We tried these frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s a few weeks back, and now we keep at least one bag in our freezer at at times!
These artichokes are seriously good and about as close to fresh artichoke hearts as we’ve ever come. They taste sweet and green, in that particular way artichokes have. The texture is nicely firm and yet incredibly tender. You know how with both fresh and jarred artichoke hearts, you often get a few tough outer leaves that you end up having to surreptitiously pick out of your teeth? None of that here!
Another point in Trader Joe’s favor is that these artichokes are loose in the bag. Most other brands come packed in a block of ice, which takes a long time to melt and leaves a lot of excess moisture on the artichokes. With Trader Joe’s artichokes, you can pick out just a few and you don’t even have to wait for them to thaw. The hearts warm through in just a few minutes on the stove and seem to let off very little moisture.
We’ve been using these artichokes for all sorts of quick weeknight meals. Frittatas are a standby - one whole bag is just the right amount. We can use them in recipes like Chicken with Artichokes and Meat Pie with Artichokes, or we’ll just toss them into pasta, casseroles, and gratins.
How do you use frozen artichoke hearts?
Related: Prickly, Green, and Fabulous! Tips and Recipes for Artichokes
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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Yum! I use them in a recipe from Gourmet (Fettuccine with Artichokes - April 2007, can't find it online) that's not much more than fettuccine, minced onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest, plus s & p. Oh, and a topping of parsley and parmesan cheese.
These actually sound great -- I use Trader Joe's frozen spinach all the time too, which is also frozen loose, not in an inconvenient block.
Thanks DanielleM, sounds yummy.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fettuccine-with-Artichokes-238096
Just one of the many reasons I *heart* TJs!
a staple for us, too. we use them to make homemade bacon, artichoke, and onion pizzas. and pastas, breads, etc.
try the ones in a can, in water, too--they are so good i often eat them right out! (and they're better for raw or only slightly cooked applications, such as in stir fry, pasta toss, or salad dishes.)
Wow, I have never tried these. I have used the ones in the jars but they are packed in acidic water (understandably) which takes a lot of rinsing to get back to a neutral flavor. Just remember that when you are adding it to a sauce or something. You will get an unexpected acidic jolt.
They dry out in the bag they are packaged in if you keep them more than about 2 weeks, so keep that in mind for having them on hand. I've been using TJ's frozen chokes for a long time, but I've definitely be sure to repackage them to keep them longer. I find this is just one of those TJ kind of quirks, no really a huge deal, but when I go to Joe's, I stock up, so I plan to repackage to get more life out of my TJ items.
I like posts like this - TJ is often hit and miss so it's great to weed out the hits.
For the last week, I've been meaning to look online to see how people liked these. I've been very tempted to get them, but since I've been eating on a budget lately, I didn't want to spend the money unless I knew other folks gave them a thumbs up. This post seals the deal. Thank you so much, you mind-reading food blogger, you! :)
I'm curious what TJ items are misses? I'm in a bit of a rut right now with my shopping there. Anything I should avoid?
Individually frozen artichokes are also available at Kroger! I love being able to use just a few at a time in pastas, dips, on pizzas, etc.
My favorite is a warm Quinoa salad. Just toss the cooked (or veg-broth soaked) quinoa, thawed articoke hearts, some black olives, a bit of roasted red pepper, chopped parsley and some italian dressing. Some very finely diced red onion and/or feta is nice too.
Misses: The TJ noodle lunch dishes that come in Chinese take-out like boxes. I think there's a Kung Pao, a Pad Thai, and a few others. Every single one I've had as been absolutely terrible. Also, the Trader Giotto lunch package of lasagna.
Hits: TJ frozen lunches have always been delicious, from the Indian options to the enchiladas and burritos.
I use them for a Baked Artichoke dish and they are fab!
http://www.shutterbean.com/roses-baked-artichoke-hearts/
I agree that TJ's is a hit or miss and glad for the tip that these are good -- perfect for my favorite artichoke recipe: baked white fish with artichokes, fava beans, white fish, tomatoes and harissa sauce!
oops - you know what I meant.
Do these have Citric Acid on them? Or are they plain? Hoping they are plain as I can't tolerate CA with my heart meds.