Aldi Artichoke Hearts Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. Not sponsored. I have no affiliation with Aldi.
Life is tough. But your artichokes shouldn’t be.
I was stoked to find these jarred “Tuscan Garden” artichoke hearts in my local Aldi. They had simple ingredients, and I was hopeful. But. These are a big “nope” for me. Alas.
I will say that the artichokes are packed very neatly in the jar, and it’s filled to the brim without any wasted space. No over-zealous squashery that would mash their tender bodies too much. Beware the squashery.
The big issue is that Aldi’s artichokes are not adequately trimmed/peeled. The two or three outermost petals are waaay too fibrous to eat. This meant I was constantly pulling pieces out of my mouth while eating, and stashing them on a nearby napkin. How uncouth. I was thankful I didn’t try to serve this to guests. Although, that could be a memorable ice-breaking activity. Hmm.
Otherwise, the texture of the artichokes is “very soft.” They are soft nearly to the point of being “too soft.” The ends are particularly mushy. I wasn’t able to grab them without something falling off.
The quarters are a decent size, especially for being “hearts.” Here is one making my itty-bitty hobbit hand seem even smaller.
Because these are preserved with citric acid, they have a tart taste. It’s a bit stronger than I like, but not obnoxious. Once added to flavorful recipes, it’s only moderately discernable. They aren’t very salty, however. And not oily, since they aren’t marinated.
The artichokes are a grayish-green color, which doesn’t upset me too much. The quarters are fairly consistent in size and shape, with just a few smallish ones in the jar.
What did I do with my artichokes?
I am a big fan of artichokes with pasta, so I added mine to a plate of Aldi’s Tri-Color Rotini topped with Simply Nature Organic Marinara Sauce (also from Aldi).
FYI, I wasn’t totally thrilled by this sauce — it has a nice, fresh tomato taste, but just lacks overall depth of flavor. Sorry, y’all. I really wanted to love it! I’ve seen people on the internet saying it tastes like Rao’s. That wasn’t my experience at all.
The artichokes lent some extra tangy brightness to the meal, and some wholesome veggie goodness. But, dang, are they hard to eat!
(Wanna know which products I find worthwhile at Aldi? Check out my guide to What I buy at Aldi as a single person on a budget.)
Ingredient in Aldi Tuscan Garden Artichokes
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Artichokes
- Water
- Salt
- Citric Acid
Clean and simple. These are imported from Peru.
Nutrition Facts
Inexplicably, the label says a serving is the ENTIRE JAR, drained. That’s … a lot. But, ok! Hopefully not a typo. Anyway, IF you eat the entire jar, it will only be 60 calories. You’ll get 0 grams of fat, and 3 grams of protein. There’s 12 grams of carbohydrates, of which 4 grams are fiber, and 3 grams are sugar (0 grams “added sugars”). There’s a fair amount of sodium, with 28% your daily value.
Price and Servings
The 12 ounce jar cost $2.19 at my local Aldi. The drained weight is 7.05 ounces. I’m guessing most people are going to get more than ONE serving from this jar. For me, it was closer to 3 or 4 servings. I counted at least 15 artichoke pieces in my jar, if that helps.
Shelf Life
The “best-by” date on my jar allowed more than 2 years to consume. After opening, the artichokes should be kept refrigerated and used within 5 days. Or else. Or else, the artichoke police will getcha!
Dramatic Conclusion
Although these artichokes were a good price and have great ingredients, they were poorer quality than I expected — too difficult to eat, due to the untrimmed areas. This is simply non-negotiable, for me. In this case, it’s worth it to pay more for a better product.
On my highly scientific “Awesome-o-Meter,” these score a soul-crushing “Never Again.”
The End.
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