Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries

This is the most successful of the Trader Joe's freeze-dried fruits I've tried so far. (The others were raspberries and Fuji apples.) The strawberry flavor is preserved vividly, perfectly. And the slices are not shriveled and ugly; they look like actual strawberry slices, with the natural, vibrant color. It's only when you touch them that their dryness gives them away as not fresh.

In spite of that success, I don't think I'll be back for more. I couldn't get past the strangeness of having the appearance and taste of real strawberries, but a texture like a brittle cracker that disintegrates into powder when chewed. For when fresh strawberries are out of season, I would much rather keep on hand a bag of TJ's excellent frozen strawberries. The only trouble with those is the need to wait an hour or so for a bowlful of them to thaw before eating, but that's a minor inconvenience. The frozen berries not only result in something much closer to fresh in texture, but you get a lot more of them for less money.


Will I buy it again? 

Probably not. But I recommend trying them once just to experience how right these are in terms of flavor and appearance, juxtaposed with how wrong they are in texture. It's kind of trippy.