Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter With Roasted Flaxseeds
Monday, June 29th, 2009
Low Carb Foods
We really wanted to like Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter With Roasted Flaxseeds. Unfortunately, this review was a lesson in not always getting what you want. We wanted to like this peanut butter because it’s a low carb food with lots of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Unfortunately its taste got in the way. We were willing to overlook the remaining oil after minutes of intense stirring. We were willing to overlook having to store this peanut butter in the refrigerator. We just couldn’t get over the taste. Bitter, oily, and grainy is the best way to describe it. The roasted flaxseeds would probably have tasted better raw. Unfortunately, we can’t really recommend this peanut butter. For our money, we’ve not seen anything that can beat Smart Balance Omega Peanut Butter.
That’s a shame too, as each 32 gram serving is really nutrient filled. With each serving you would get 200 calories, 16 grams of fat, no cholesterol, and 55mg of sodium. You would also get a low 2 grams of digestible carbohydrate, including 3 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of protein.
July 7th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Wow, I love this peanut butter. I didn’t have any trouble with the oil separating after my initial stirring with first use (and keeping it in the fridge since).
Some Omega 3 fortified products taste mildly of salmon to me, but this was all nuttiness.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
This is the BEST stuff going! Sure, you have to stir it up the first time you use it, but that’s par for the course for any natural peanut butter (meaning those made with actual peanuts, rather than peanuts and hydrogenated oils, sugars, and junk). Likewise for keeping it in the fridge once opened. I’d much prefer to give it a small spot in my fridge than choke down the chemicals, preservatives, and transfats needed to make a food product last indefinitely at room temperature after opening. And keeping natural peanut butter refrigerated means that once you stir it up the first time, you’re done stirring ’til the jar is empty.
That said, the reason this is such a hot commodity in my house is plain old great taste. It’s crunchy peanut butter with the addition of toasted flaxseeds, adding just a hint of toasted crunchiness to the already yummy pb flavor. I love it in PB&Js along with TJ’s new Organic Superfruit Spread (fruit juice sweetened, with four kinds of fruit). I buy this peanut butter two or three jars at a time, because it’s that good. No graininess, just creamy/crunchy PB goodness. Since the omega 3s are supplied by the flaxseeds, it is vegetarian (vegan), with no hint of fishiness whatsoever. Yum!!
January 7th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
WOW i totally disagree! I absolutely think this is the best tasting peanut butter around. I did not have any of the issues you describe. Im down to my last teaspoon, running out to get more!
January 26th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Where can I find this???
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I have to agree with all of the comments below. Whoever said this needs to try it again. It is absolutely the most incredible peanut butter I have ever had, and I can’t even keep it in the house between my roommates and I… I’m sorry, but live on Trader Joe’s peanut butter!
March 27th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
i don’t know what the problem is. this stuff is like candy without the calories of candy. just put it in the ‘fridge.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:44 am
Agree with the other commenters, and I don’t even keep it in the fridge after opening. It’s always fine with the initial good stirring and I’ve kept a jar as long as 2 months and it didn’t go rancid or anything. It was only around that long because I was on vacation half the time, I usually go through a jar single handedly in a month. Best PB ever. Make sure to chew well since the flax seeds are whole and you don’t get as much benefit unless the shell breaks…and you might find them reappearing later if the shell doesn’t digest…
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:49 am
I love it. I just tasted it for the first time and I’m actually going to have a friend ship some to me because there is no Trader Joe in my area. Great stuff.
July 3rd, 2010 at 8:08 pm
I agree with the other posters that this is the best peanut butter ever. Maybe you had a bad batch. It’s my very picky 5 year old daughter’s absolute favorite peanut butter. That is saying a lot!