Dreyers/Edy's Fruit Bars: Pineapple

Ice cold pineapple has got to be one of the most refreshing things on the planet. I love fresh, ripe slices, as cold as possible. One of my favorite places to snack at Disneyland is the long-standing Dole Pineapple Hut. It's at the entrance to Adventureland, and all they sell is pineapple spears, juice, and -- the thing that makes standing in the always outrageously long line worth it: the Dole Whip.



True, there are -- or at least were -- other pineapple Popsicles out there. But they were always aimed at kids, and tasted more like pineapple flavoring rather than actual pineapple juice.

I am not going to blather too much on this one one. These bars are so good it almost, almost, makes me forgive Dreyers/Edy's for making the despicable "Fun Flavors" line (almost).



The sunny yellow bars have the sweet taste of perfectly ripe pineapple, with just a little extra sugar added. And there are little bits of pineapple pulp. It's possible that I may have actually eaten two in a row...purely in the name of providing a good review, of course. I mean, what if they weren't as good as I'd thought they were the first time around? You can never be too sure, right? By the second bar, I think they may have actually been better than I'd first thought. Which means the second bar was entirely justified.

The perfect summer snack! (OK, so it's only spring, I am just thinking ahead. Because one should always be prepared.)



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.99

CALORIES:
80 calories per bar.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Fat free, gluten free, nut free, kosher.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
dreyers.com

O.N.E. Cashew Fruit Drink

Did you know that cashew nuts actually grow attached to a fruit? (Well, to be picky, a pseudo-fruit...but we'll get to that). Well, I didn't! As far as I knew, they were birthed by little blue cardboard containers...but apparently that is not the case. Oh well.

To break down a whole lot of information that I am sure Alton Brown would find fascinating (and could explain far better), the cashew nuts that we all know and love are actually the main fruit of the tree they grow on -- the Anacardium occidentale -- which we are going to be lazy and simply call "the tree." The cashew itself grows in a double shell, and once the cashew has gotten past its "rotten teenager" stage but is not quite a ripe "wise adult," the bottom of the stalk of the nut begins to swell and grows into a fruitlike tumor. ("It's not a toomah!" -- a cookie if you know the movie). OK, I am sure the cashew growers of the world didn't appreciate me calling their fruit a tumor, but if they thought I was missing a pop culture reference, they are clearly not reading the same blog and should head for classier pastures.

In any case, the fruitlike by-product of the cashew is commonly called a "cashew apple." By all accounts I can find, it is not only quite tasty but packed with all sort of vitamins and nutrients. It seems the fruit itself is on the delicate side and does not appear to be mass marketed, but is beloved in the countries the nuts are grown. I could be wrong -- for all I know, your local Whole Foods has a rack of them on sale right now -- but as far as web research went, that doesn't sound likely. If you really want to know more about cashew apples, there were 2,200,000 Google results on the topic, so you could have a few years of reading ahead of you.

So that brings us to this juice made by O.N.E. (which Whole Foods did in fact have a rack of), protected by the magic that is the Tetra Pak. The package makes some pretty impressive claims -- such as that the average cashew flower has more vitamin C than an orange. (Although it does not claim that the pack of O.N.E. juice has that much.) It is fat free, gluten free, and it may help ease sore throats, calm the tummy and promote healthy skin.

It might well do all of those things, and more -- but how does it taste?



The juice looks like really cloudy pineapple juice, and it smells sour. Sour as in a spoiled dairy sort of way. It's enough to give you pause and make you wonder if you should really be drinking this.

Honestly, the first few sips are just plain bad. I kept drinking it only because I could not really describe the flavor. But once you wrap your mind around the fact that the smell and the taste don't entirely match, it does grow on you. (Kinda like a tumor?)



The main flavor reminds me most of honey. Not plain honey, but a flavored honey -- though I couldn't put my finger on what that flavor was. Then it finally came to me that the extra flavor reminds me of peach pits. Have you ever been eating a peach, and as you get to the meat that's clinging to the pit, the flavor of the peach seems to become less sweet, more sour, and a tad citrusy? Well, think of that peach pit, combine it with honey, and that taste is what this drink reminded me of. I can see where some people wouldn't be able to get enough of this juice. Me? I did get enough, thank you. It's not that I thought it was bad, it was just not something I could see myself downing on a regular basis.

Different, but ultimately boring and entirely forgettable.



PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

PRICE:
$1.99

CALORIES:
100 per container (11.2 fluid oz)

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Fat free, gluten free, contains a ton of vitamins, and purports to be non-allergenic

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
onenaturalexsperience.com

First Blush: Cabernet Juice

I have tried First Blush juice before (somewhere in the archives is a review of the Chardonnay juice) and I liked it. But sadly, they are only sold at one store in my area -- and wouldn't you know, it is not a store I go to very often. And unless First Blush is on sale, I'd rather get a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's that's actually wine, instead of spending $2.99 for an 11.5-ounce bottle of grape juice.

But every now and then, they do go on sale...and I snapped a couple up.



First Blush juices are made from the juice of wine varietal grapes. Hence the juice contains some of the same qualities that the wine of the same name would have -- but with no alcohol. They also are caffeine and gluten free. They have no added sugar, no artificial colors or flavors. And there's a ton of antioxidants as well.

But how does it taste?

Well, the juice smells more like regular old grape juice than it does a glass of Cabernet wine. The color is dead-on identical to the wine -- but it forms that little foam around the rim of the glass that juice does and wine doesn't.

It doesn't taste like your kid's grape juice. It's very smooth and sweet. But it's a natural sweetness, rather than that slap-you-in-the-face HFCS sweet that many commercial grape juices have.



The best way I can describe the flavor is to say that it tastes like raisin juice. Yes, I fully realize that raisins are grape mummies -- but still, raisins taste different than grapes do. Just imagine that someone somehow juiced some raisins and made a drink out of it. I know that doesn't sound too appealing, but it actually does taste good. It's like a super concentrated grape flavor. It's very smooth and there's no acid burn. The aftertaste is kinda like black cherry and molasses.

Honestly, if I didn't know that this juice was made from wine grapes, I wouldn't have put the two together. But it is seriously good juice in any case.


PURCHASED FROM:

Vons Supermarket

V8 V-Fusion Pomegranate Blueberry Juice

Thanksgiving has come and gone, it's less than 3 weeks to Christmas, and there is a lot of decking the halls still to do. I also work a lot this time of the year, and it gets harder to have time to have "real" meals. Yeah, sadly, many of my December meals start with Mc-something. But it's still important for me to keep getting all my veggies -- even if I don't have to cook or eat them.

That's right. Thanks to the folks at V8, I can drink them instead. One 8-ounce glass of V-Fusion is like eating a full portion of veggies -- and there's extra vitamins and antioxidants!

Alright, let's be fair. Nutrition is cool and all, but my main motivation here is...does it taste good? Let's find out...



The juice itself looks like a darker version of cranberry juice. It smells kind of like cranberry juice, too. If you didn't know it, you would never guess that there are vegetables hiding in there.



Both the blueberry and the pomegranate play nicely together -- but if you are hoping for a strong, assertive "grown-up" juice experience, you aren't going to find it here. This version is quite mild. The berries taste sweet, the pom adds some tartness. According to the V8 website, the product also contains the juices of carrots, sweet potatoes, purple carrots, tomatoes, apples and white grapes in addition to the main two flavors. I can pick up the carrot (which is fine, as I really love carrot juice), but the other flavors are pretty well hidden.

Personally I prefer my pom juice bolder than this, but that did not stop the bottle from going mysteriously empty quickly. (Of course, I do have juice gnomes in my fridge...). I think that this could also be a good flavor to use to get kids (or other people who dislike change) to try different flavors.

Overall, very nice.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Kern's Nectar: Pear

You know what? There just aren't enough pear items!

Pear has a light and crisp flavor that I think gets overlooked far too often in favor of, say, apple juice or white grape. And often when you do find something pear flavored, it's been "helped" by the addition of said apple or white grape juices. What I found appealing about this Kern's Nectar is that the only juice used was pear. (We will -- momentarily -- ignore the fact that it also has HFCS.)



I had actually never tried any of the Kern's nectars before, so I was not sure what to expect. It is a thick drink. Think of the thickest apple cider you have ever had, and it is probably thicker still than that. It's a cloudy golden color and has a sweet, juicy aroma.

The pear flavor has that great crisp, clean, almost flowery taste of a perfectly ripe pear. And because the nectar is so thick, you almost get a sense of the texture of a pear. Grainy, yet slick. Kind of crunchy.

Sweet is also a perfect word to describe the flavor. In fact, this is where I have to point the cold dead finger of judgment at the added High Fructose Corn Syrup. Pears are quite sweet enough on their own. They certainly don't need any sweetener added. And this stuff is just way too sweet. You know that heavy syrup that canned fruit sits in? It's like drinking that. As good as the base flavor is, and as interesting as the texture is, the sledgehammer sweetness overwhelms after the first few sips. I couldn't finish even a quarter of the can.

And that fatal sweetness is a damn shame. This would be an addictingly good drink if I could have gotten past the sugar (or the not-exactly-sugar, in this case).



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Pom Wonderful: Pomegranate Kiwi Juice

It's nice to know that the good people at Pom like me enough to give me the inside track on the newest Pom flavors! Woohoo!

The first of the two flavors up is Pomegranate/Kiwi.

I love kiwi. But sadly, you next to never see things flavored or made with kiwi. I actually tried to make kiwi ice cream a few months ago...because doesn't that sound good? Yeah, that's just it. It sounded good, but in reality it was a really dumb thing to do. The kiwi actually curdled the cream and...well, the less said, the better. It was quite a traumatic experience.



Kiwi, of course, has a great taste that is best described as a strawberry/banana hybrid. And happily, that combo paired perfectly with the strong tartness of the pomegranate juice.

When you first sip the drink, what you notice the most is the sweetness. It's strong on the banana side...but at the same time, it's definitely not banana. It never gets so sweet that you think you're drinking something that was purposely made super-sweet -- like, say, Hawaiian Punch. (Actually, that's an unfair comparison, because Hawaiian Punch -- while delicious in its own right -- is not 100% juice, and is intended to be super sweet, but you get the idea.)

The pom flavor comes in at the end of the sip. Probably because of the sweetness of the kiwi, the pom doesn't seem as tart as it does on its own; nor as in some of the other flavors available (such as the Pom Blueberry or Pom Cherry). Normally, I would have been disappointed by that fact, because I happen to really like the strong flavor of pom -- but it just tastes so good along with the kiwi that I don't care.

Because this flavor is so mild, I think this would be a great flavor for first-time Pom drinkers or for kids.

Really, really good!




PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Naked Juice Bare Breeze Watermelon Chill

Here in cheerful Southern California we are truly in the dog days of summer. It's nasty hot, in the high 90s and low 100s, it's humid, and the air is dense and foul with smoke from all the brush fires. If there was ever a time when something cold and refreshing sounds not merely good, but great...it's right now.

Watermelon juice is something that, when done right -- not too sweet, not too thick -- is a thing of beauty. But if done badly, it's sour, thick, grainy, undrinkable. Props to Naked for being able to find that perfect middle ground.



Watermelon Chill is a blend of watermelon and lime flavors. Naked uses 100% juice with no artificial adjuncts. The Watermelon Chill does use other juices such as white grape juice, apple juice, and strawberry puree. But even with those added ingredients, the flavor is unquestionably watermelon and lime to a lesser extent. The juice is also perfectly smooth, with a texture most similar to grape juice.

The drink starts off with the sweet melon. It's as if you bit into the most juicy, ripe slice of watermelon ever! You almost expect the grainy, slushy mouthfeel that you would get from the bite. Then, as the sweetness wears away, the tartness of the lime kicks in. It's not sour enough to cause a case of Cat Butt Face, but it is enough to keep the watermelon from tasting more like a Jolly Rancher than the real thing.

This is one of those drinks that I can think of a million uses for. I bet it would make great popsicles. It could be a good mixer with alcohol. Ice cubes made from it could be added to tea, limeades, etc...oh, the mind wanders so happily...

If you love watermelon, this is definitely worth a try!



PURCHASED FROM:
Starbucks

Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

I have been a big fan of Pom Wonderful since they started
One of the houses I lived in growing up actually had Pomegranate tree's in the back yard. It was always a nice treat to crack a big pom open. My Grandmother used to like to put the seeds in the freezer for a little bit and eat them ice cold.

I love Pom Wonderful Juice! I have tried all of the flavors but the one I like best is still the oringinal 100%. What's great about it is it's so many things at once. It's tart, not quite as bitter as a blueberry but not as sweet as a raspberry. It's sweet, not as sweet as apple juice but but more complex then grape juice. I just find it really refreshing. AND do I even have to tell you guys how good Poms are for you? It's antioxidentlious! (because everything sounds better with 'lious' added to the end!)

There really need to be more pomergranate flavored foods.

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Purity Organic Apple Juice

OMG I didn't know apple juice could be this good!
Imagine biting into a perfectly ripe, juicy apple. I am talking about the kind of apple that was used to tempt Snow White (or maybe that made the pie in "American Pie"). Now imagine that some really smart person made a juice with that apple.

It's the perfect apple juice. It's sweet, but it's not like a syrup type of sweet or a honey type of sweet. It has tartness to it. It's the kind of tart that comes from eating the peel of the apple. It has a velvety thick mouth feel- without being chunky (I cannot deal with chunky)

AND if all of that weren't good enough the company does something that I thought was pretty interesting. They do limited pressings of the juice. Be sure to visit Purity Organic website for far more information then I can give.

Track this down!!

First Blush Chardonnay Juice

Juice made with wine grapes!

Genius.
Way, way, back about a million years ago when Gigi was but a wee loud, obnoxious kid (shocking that she grew up to be a loud, obnoxious adult isn't it?!) we had a family friend that made his own wine. And he often had grapes around that he would let us kids snack on. I couldn't begin to even guess what kind of wine grapes they were- about all I remember is that they were both red and white, as he made red and white wines. But, I can tell you that I loved to eat the grapes.
They were sweet and yet a little bigger. They had seeds in them (which I did not like) and the red grapes tended to stain. I remember that during the summer they would freeze some and use them as ice for the wine (what is it with Italians and red wine with ice?!- I swear at least half my family does it)

First Blush Juices are made with wine grapes, yet they are free of alcohol, added sugars and preservatives and they are caffeine free (but I won't hold that against them) and they are also high in antioxidants. All this reminiscing and blurbing is great but how does it taste?

I started with the Chardonnay because it has been hotter then hell here this past week (it's been in the 90's!) and I wanted something light and crisp.

Smelling the juice it smells more like classic white grape juice then chardonnay.
The first taste... It lacks the sweetness of white grape juice. I can tell that there are some apple and peach notes. But that doesn't change the fact that the main thing it reminded me of was honey cough drops and morning breath. Oddly enough not the best combo ever. A saving grace maybe that I did notice as the juice came to room temp it tasted less nasty and more like regular grape juice.

I loved the idea of this juice and I am going to try the reds- the chardonnay just did nothing for me.

Fuze Refresh- Peach Mango

Think of this as sort of a ready made Mango Lassi
If you have never had a Lassi before you are missing out and if you don't know what it is, it is basically an Indian smoothe (click the link for more info)

The Fuze version is skim milk rather then yogurt and the texture is not quite as thick as a smoothee (or a lassi) but the flavor is similar. The mango eliments reminds me or of the mango that you find in frozen bar drinks or sorbets rather then fresh mango. What I mean by that is that it is very sweet. Sweeter then you would get from eating a piece of the actual fruit.
The same thing can be said about the peach. The peach actually reminded me of cling peaches stright from the can.

Put together the two fruits and the milk make for a smooth drink. Sweet and creamy but not heavy. Personally, I am not a huge fan of milk based bottled drinks but this is one of the best options I have tried.


PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

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Simply Orange Juice

My taste buds are back!
More or less. I won't be tackling anything too complex for a few more days but I have a few things in the works.

Anyway, since Ye Olde Publix was out of my normal OJ (I like the single serving bottles) but they did have the new single serving Simply Orange I gave it a try.

Simply Orange has been around for a few years now but I am really picky about my OJ and tend not to go out side of my stand by. Don't get me wrong I LOOOOVE freshly squeezed juice. Tat is just a taste you tend not to find in ready made products. Concentrate is ok (I am partial to Tropicana Pure Premium) but it can't hold a candle to fresh.

Simply Orange hook is that it is fresh squeezed not concentrated juice. It also comes in varying levels of pulp. I for one can't hang with the pulp and I went pulp free.
The first thing that I noticed is the smell. It has that same fresh smell of cutting into a juicy orange.

I have got to give Simply Orange major points. It is the closest to fresh squeezed I have ever had from a bottle. It's not overly sweet but at the same time not sour enough that your lips get puckered into the always attractive CBF. It has a smooth texture that avoids the thick syrupy quality you sometimes get (think Sunny D).

This is hands down my new official juice.
There are other Simply juices and I look forward to trying the Apple because I love apple juice.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Snapple- Goji Punch

Goji wasn't that the name of that dinosaur thing in Super Mario Brothers?
OK, so I know that it wasn't (it's name was Yoshi) I just felt like being a nerd (and knowing the real answer makes me an even bigger nerd)

This is another one of Snapples juices that are supposed to be really good for you. I will take they're word for it.

I loved the taste! It's like Hawaiian Punch for grown ups. It's not as sweet or as thick as HP but that is still the best way to describe it.

This one is addicting!

PURCHASED FROM:
Bodega (Convenience store) NYC

Snapple- Peach Mangosteen Juice

What the hecks a Mangosteen?
It seems like it is everywhere all of a sudden but beyond knowing that it's a fruit I really had no idea what to expect. Lucky for me there is actually a Mangosteen.com
After wading through more mangosteen related info then I ever really wanted to know the readers digest version is that it is a tropical fruit and has a sweet and sour taste.

Snapple has paired the "Queen of Fruits" with peach. I have to say I liked the combo. I will be honest it reminded me a lot of Haagen Daaz peach sorbet- but that's a good thing. It's not overly sweet (I would guess from the Mangosteen and the use of carrot juice that the drink also contains) It's refreshing. And maybe I say this too much but once again I think this juice would make a great cocktail mixer.

PURCHASED FROM:
Bodega (Convenience store) NYC

Snapple- Kiwi Pear

This is supposed to boost metabolism!

Although I have no idea how or why- the label was pretty vague about that.
It's also a weird color- sort of like what happens after eating too much asparagus (was that TMI?)

It does smell good though! the Kiwi portion is by far the most dominate aspect over all. That's not a bad thing. The combo of the kiwi and pear works well because the dryness of the pear helps to keep the kiwi from being too sweet.

The flavor is not bad but it is forgettable. What I do think this juice would be good as would be a mixer.

PURCHASED FROM:
Bodega (Convenience store) NYC

Snapple- Noni Berry Juice

Hey is this supposed to be good for me?

In vogue a few years ago because they were supposed to be good for you. According to the Snapple bottle Noni is supposed to increase your energy. I did a Google search for more information but all I found were ad's or pages for miracle drinks and well I got exhusted trying to wade through them! (hm... maybe the energy part of the drink is overrated!)

Let's cut to the part we all care about. How did it taste?
Having never had Noni Berries before I unfortunately cannot tell you how the Snapple Noni taste compared to say the Tahitian Noni juice, but I can tell you what it tastes like to me. It reminded me of a really mellow strawberry. Since there are strawberries pictured on the juices label I assume it is supposed to.
It's a clean and simple strawberry, not overly sweet with the tiniest bit of a bitter edge. I would love to make a granita or even just a regular old Popsicle out of this juice because it would be delicious frozen. Even as is, straight from the cold bottle the best word to describe the juice is refreshing.

I can already tell this will be one of my summer staples!


PURCHASED FROM:
Bodega (Convenience store) NYC