The Good: Fairly nutritious.
The Bad: A little pricey when not found on clearance, Awful flavor (from one of two extremes).
The Basics: The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios from Planters left me completely disappointed from both the imagination and execution of Planters.
For one who absolutely loves pistachios, I have reviewed remarkably few of my favorite nuts. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, the only pistachios I have reviewed up until today are the Wonderful (brand) Pistachios (here!). That changes today, though, with my review of Planters Flavor Grove Jalapeno Pistachios. Alas, though, these nuts did not grab me. At all.
The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios were a mix of exceptionally spicy hot and utterly flavorless. Ironically, there is no point at which these nuts actually tasted flavorful or intriguing. Instead, they were unpleasant or boring. I was not surprised that I found these on clearance for $1.74 a bag, but having tried them now, I would not even pay that. These are a pretty unpleasant snack and not one that I foresee Planters sticking with very long.
Basics
Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios are a ready-to-eat snack that attempts to zest up pistachio nuts with something other than the traditional salt flavor. While I applaud the initiative, the execution leaves something to be desired. Packaged in a 4.75 oz. stiff plastic resealable bag, the Flavor Grove Pistachios are kept fresh until opened. After removing the safety seal, consumers have access to the Pistachios that are still in their shells. The shells and any exposed portion of the nut beneath are coated with a glaze that gives them their Jalapeno flavor.
Outside their glazed shells, the Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios look just like ordinary Pistachios. Each 4.75 oz. container has approximately two and a half servings after they have been shelled. These nuts are easily dispensed through the wide top of the bag.
Ease Of Preparation
These are flavored nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the bag they come in, cracking the shell open, and consuming them. There is no trick or work beyond that needed to eat Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios.
Taste
The Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios smell like peppers. These pistachios have an aroma like peppers, moist and fruit-like, without any hint of either the nut or spice in their scent. This does, however, prepare the consumer for the idea that these will taste flavorful, if not spicy.
Cracking the shell open, the Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios are predictably spicy hot. These nuts are like a fire on the tongue and those who are not big on spicy hot things are likely to find their eyes watering. The flavor, though, is limited by two things. First, most of the flavoring appears to be from the glaze, which is mostly on the outer shells. The nuts that are in shells that are barely open are not at all flavored like Jalapeno and thus are pretty much a letdown for those who are fans of spicy hot foods. But the ones that are appropriately glazed are cut pretty fast by the nut themselves. Chewing on the Planters Jalapeno Pistachios quickly transforms the flavor from searing white blindness to a surprisingly bland pistachio flavor. I write “surprisingly bland” because these pistachios are not even salted. So, they oscillate between being utterly unpleasant and entirely boring.
Nutrition
I purchased a bunch of Planters nuts all at the same time and I’m not, honestly, surprised that the Planters Jalapeno Flavor Grove Pistachios are the least healthy of the bunch. A serving is considered 28 grams (shelled) which is about an ounce (an estimated forty-six shelled nuts). With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have 12 grams of fat! That's 18% of the RDA of fat, with 8% of the RDA coming from the one and a half grams of saturated fat! There is 2% of the RDA of calcium and five grams of protein, which is almost enough to make one look the other way on the fat content! In addition to potassium (280mg) and an average amount of salt (125 mg sodium!), these nuts have iron and Vitamin C, but not much else at all.
The ingredients list for these Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios is fairly short, which is nice because most of the ingredients are natural. Planters are made primarily of Pistachios, dried Jalapeno peppers, and sea salt. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts and the ingredients are generally healthy. Obviously, these nuts are manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and other tree nuts.
Storage/Clean-up
Just as with the preparation, Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios candies are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their bag at room temperature or cooler. Kept sealed in their bag, these nuts would not expire until May 18, 2012, which is why I suppose they were on clearance.
Planters Flavor Grove Pistachios are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating to get any of the glaze dust off. There should be no other residue, but if there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.
Overall
Planters Jalapeno flavor Flavor Grove Pistachios are a pretty harsh experience for the mouth and while some who like spicy hot foods might be initially intrigued by that, they are more likely than not to feel somewhat underwhelmed by the overall package, which mixes the bland and the bold.
For other Planters nut reviews, please visit my takes on:
Planters Flavor Grove Vanilla and Caramel Almonds
Planters Flavor Grove Cocoa and Cinnamon Almonds
Planters Creme Brule Almonds
2/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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