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Frozen veggies are a mixed bag
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published April 25, 2007
Frozen vegetables are probably best when they are mixed into sauces or baked in casseroles and pot pies. At least, that's what Taster's Choice judges decided after trying nine brands of the mixed blends. Most of the bags included green beans, carrots, peas, corn and lima beans. My childhood memories of mixed vegetable salads and my mother's dreaded tuna casserole made me wince at most of the packages. However, I'll always reach for a frozen bag of vegetables before I'll open a can. And, admittedly, some of the individual frozen options, such as broccoli or green beans, steam rather nicely in the microwave. That's how we warmed each mix for our tasting. The frozen mixed vegetables from the familiar Green Giant $1.69 for a 16-ounce bag at Publix were the favorite. Judges gave the Giant 62 of 100 possible points. All four said they would buy the brand. "These have a just-picked taste," said one judge. Another said they found the veggies firm, but not too crunchy. Judges liked the sweetness of the carrots and corn and the bright colors in the mix. One panelist said the mix reminded him of Chinese take-out food. Three of the four said they would buy the frozen mixed vegetables from Publix, their second selection in our survey. Judges gave the store brand (99 cents for 16 ounces) 61 points. Most judges used words like "pleasant" to describe the Publix veggies. One judge said the peas looked a little frostbitten, but their lack of taste was overshadowed by the other flavorful choices in the bag. Sweetbay's Hannaford brand (99 cents for 16 ounces) was their third choice, receiving 49 points. Two of the four panelists said they would buy them. Judges liked the fresh flavor of the Hannaford blend. They also enjoyed the abundance of corn. "These are nice and crisp - right from the garden," said one judge. Panelists said the Sweetbay store brand would have scored higher if the package contained more green beans. Also sampled were frozen mixed vegetables from: Great Value ($1.50 for 32 ounces from Wal-Mart); Pictsweet ($1.87 for 32 ounces from Wal-Mart); Gordon Food Service ($2.19 for a 2.5-pound bag at GFS Marketplace); Albertsons ($1.19 for 16 ounces from Albertsons); Birdseye ($1.19 for 16 ounces from Sweetbay); and Today's Harvest ($3.19 for a 2-pound bag at Sweetbay). Panelists were: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 Mary Jane Park, St. Petersburg Times staff writer and "On the Town" columnist; and Kim Thomson, fifth-grade teacher at Pasadena Fundamental School. All foods were tasted blind. Send suggestions for product tasting to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to www.sptimes.com/food.
Judges' Rankings Frozen mixed vegetables 1. Green Giant 2. Publix 3. Hannaford
[Last modified April 24, 2007, 19:59:11]
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