New Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Bottoms: Freezer Staple or Snooze?

Trader Joe’s releases new items every month (make sure to check Sporked regularly to get the highlights). Often the most viral foods are totally new and innovative—caesar salad dip, blue cheese chips, French onion popcorn, etc. But once in a while a new pantry or fridge or freezer staple breaks out. Such is the case with Trader Joe’s new frozen artichoke bottoms—not hearts, bottoms. 

I feel like every food-adjacent account I follow on Insta has been posting about these dang things and raving about them. So, I grabbed a bag to find out if they were right. And, as if my expectations weren’t high enough, the TJ’s checkout guy went on and on about how much he loved them. 

I am a huge artichoke fan. I went to high school not too far from Castroville, the artichoke capital of the world, so I like to think I come by that fandom honestly. I love whole steamed artichokes. I love whole roasted artichokes. I even love canned or jarred artichokes. My favorite salad in the world is thinly sliced whole baby artichokes with parmesan and olive oil. I would happily eat artichokes every day, but they can be a real b*tch to prepare. Enter: Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Bottoms. They’re the full bottom of the artichoke, scooped clean and ready to heat and eat. 

The checkout guy suggested stuffing the bottoms with risotto (Trader Joe’s frozen risotto) and baking them at 375 or 400. But I wanted to taste the pure artichoke. So I simply thawed the bottoms, drizzled with olive oil (just so they didn’t stick to the pan), and roasted them for about 20 minutes at 400. And how did they taste? Read on for the full review.

New Trader Joe’s Item!

Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Bottoms

Pros: It really can’t get any easier than this. You just thaw and cook—or not, they’re pre-cooked so they’re ready to eat once thawed. No scooping. No getting sharp, needle-like leaves in your fingers. It’s a breeze. And they are the perfect size for stuffing—somewhere between a button mushroom and a portobello mushroom. The flavor is good, too. It’s not too bitter and it doesn’t taste frozen. The artichoke flesh is firm and the bottoms are totally cleaned out. (Hehe.) 

Cons: They’re not as good as fresh artichokes. There’s just no way around it. If you’re used to freshly shucked artichoke hearts, you’re not going to be wowed by these frozen artichoke bottoms. I also have to wonder what happened to all the tasty leaves from the tops of these artichokes. Hopefully they went into some artichoke bruschetta spread or something, otherwise I don’t love the waste. But, in general, these artichoke bottoms are a new Trader Joe’s frozen item that I’ll be buying again. I think you’ll be impressed, too, as long as you’re not a Castroville native. 

Rating:

8/10

Sporks