Aldi Jalapeno Stuffed Olives Review

A hand holding a jar of Specially Selected Jalapeno Stuffed Olives from Aldi imported from Greece.

Author’s Note: Not a paid review. These are my own spicy opinions. I have no affiliation with Aldi. Mmmkay.

Say “no” to sad mush.

I previously reviewed the Aldi Kalamata Olives from the same “Specially Selected” store brand. Those were OK, but these Jalapeno Stuffed Olives are better! So much better.

An open jar of Aldi Jalapeno Stuffed Greek Olives, showing the brine.

Texture

I’m a fan of firm olives. And these dudes are firm. Nearly crisp. They’re tangy from the combination of wine vinegar, citric acid, and ascorbic acid. Although I prefer the taste of olives preserved in a natural lactic acid solution (such as Mario Camacho Snack Olives or Goya olives), I enjoy this tartness, too.

Fingers holding a Jalapeno-stuffed Greek olive from Aldi.

Stuffed Jalapeno

The jalapeno piece stuffed inside each olive is also fairly crisp and good quality. No sad mush. I didn’t encounter any squashy or old-tasting peppers in my entire jar. There are no added colors here, so the green is the natural color of the pepper.

And there weren’t any “empty” olives. Not a single one. This impressed me. No existential dread here.

Fingers holding half a bitten jalapeno-stuffed olive from Aldi, showing the pepper inside.

Yes, but, how spicy are they???

The flavor is not weak. There’s enough of the jalapeno flavor in the brine to saturate the olives and make them taste spicy-hot all the way through. Not just in the pepper centers. I enjoyed this. It’s a palpable burn on the tongue and throat, but not enough to make my eyes water. Great jalapeno aroma, too.

Saltiness

I have encountered some olive brands that were so salty, I could not eat them plain. And I have had others that were so bland, I didn’t want to eat them at all. Aldi has managed to avoid these two extremes with a crowd-pleasing balance of moderate salty flavor. These are just right.

Olive flavor

These are Greek olives, and I would describe the “olive” flavor as mild. They don’t have a particularly deep “earthy” olive flavor, but they aren’t tasteless. I prefer stronger olives for cooking in recipes, but for finger food, these are perfect. These little nuggets were made to be eaten and enjoyed on their own.

Fingers holding a large Jalapeno Stuffed Greek Olive from Aldi.

Size

These are big boys. Almost pecan-size. The jumbo quality makes them a great choice for a charcuterie board or finger-food party spread. They don’t need a toothpick to easily grab and pop in your mouth. In fact, these attractive olives look much more fancy-pants than they are.

There are 20 olives in each jar. Mine were surprisingly consistent in size and shape. And all in good condition, with neat pitting holes.

What did I do with my Jalapeno Stuffed Olives?

Well, I made a charcuterie board with mine. This is a great way to add a “spicy” element (and pop of green) to the sweet/savory flavors of your spread. I like to stand my olives upright, like tiny green barrels. Why miss an opportunity to play with your food?

A charcuterie grazing board with finger foods, including cheese, fruit, nuts, peppers, olives, jam, and cookies.

Ingredients in Aldi Jalapeno Stuffed Olives (Specially Selected)

Here are the ingredients, from the label:

Olives
Water
Jalapeno Peppers (Green Peppers, Water, Salt, Wine Vinegar, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride)
Salt
Citric Acid
Ascorbic Acid (Antioxidant)

These olives are imported from Greece.

Nutrition Facts

A serving is one olive. Ha ha ha! Aldi got jokes. I ate many more than that per noshing session. Anyway. If you eat just one olive, it has 15 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 0 grams protein. There’s also 0 grams carbs, fiber, or sugars. You will be getting 7% your daily value of sodium per olive.

Price and Servings

A 12 ounce jar cost $2.79 at my local Aldi. The drained weight is only 7 ounces, however. Since there are 20 servings per jar, each olive will cost 14 cents. That’s more than certain Aldi cookies cost, per each! Just saying.

Aldi also sells other stuffed olive flavors in the Specially Selected brand, including:

Blue Cheese
Garlic
Feta Cheese
Jalapeno Jack Cheese
Pimento

Shelf Life

The “best by” date on my jar allowed about 1.5 years to consume (unopened). Once opened, the label says to consume within 2 weeks. Tick tock!

Dramatic Conclusion

For eating right out of jar, these olives have the perfect texture and flavor. They’re best for people who enjoy a spicy kick in the gullet. The large size makes them show-stopping additions to a grazing board or appetizer tray.

The End.

More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)

Check out these other reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. Free will!