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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Trader Joe's Organic Purple Carrot Juice

I'm aware purple carrots are a thing. I've seen them, heard about them, and have even eaten them cooked on one occasion. But somehow, my fleeting experience with them didn't quite prepare me for the taste of this beverage.

If you're someone who's a huge health nut, eats organic, and is quite familiar with purple carrots and their flavor, I'm sure this juice will be far less disappointing for you than it was for me. For a foodie-hack reviewing his way through Trader Joe's offerings—everything from organic quinoa to cookie butter cheesecake, I must say, this product was on the more unpleasant end of the spectrum. If I'm going to pay four bucks for one liter of juice, it's nice to know that it's good for me, but I was also hoping I could stomach the taste a little better, too.

Both Sonia and I immediately noted the similarity to beet juice. No, not beetlejuice. Beet juice—which thanks (or maybe no thanks) to Trader Joe's, we're familiar with as well. Must be the purpleness that makes it taste like beets. Am I right?

It also does taste vaguely like traditional carrots, but not quite as much as I expected it to. The splash of lemon is barely detectable. A bit more of that tartness might have helped, but I doubt it would have done much to influence the overall essence of the drink.

The WG@TJ's team has encountered carrot juice in the past. Even purple carrot juice once before. But in each of those previous cases, the beverage was heavily sexed up with more palatable juices like grape, apple, and/or orange. I think that's what we need here. I'm happy this beverage is organic and healthy and all, but the drinkability factor needs a little help.

Sonia's been trying to do that thing where you drink like two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar a few times a day for weight loss and heath, and she thinks this product is barely more drinkable than raw vinegar. However, she wants to like it and assumes that the taste will grow on her. It won't. I know her. But she gives it a generous three stars anyway.

I kinda want to like it, too. But I don't. I'll give it two stars since it's organic and "good-for-me." 

Bottom line: 5 out of 10.

9 comments:

  1. Nathan - I really enjoy reading your blog. We have very similar tastes, so, I won't be buying this Purple Carrot Juice. Thanks for saving me money. The organic TJs (orange) carrot juice (in the refrigerator section) is very good, and I'm fine with sticking to that. I think raw purple carrots tend to be sweeter by nature, but, don't quote me on that. The fresh TJs organic heirloom carrots...where several colors come in one bag... are my go-to. I try to find the bag with the most purple carrots. I will compost the yellow carrots and cook the orange carrots...I swear they really aren't as sweet as the purple. Maybe I'm just imagining it all...

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    Replies
    1. Yes. Purple carrots are supposed to be sweeter. But it's kind of a beety sweetness to me, if that makes sense...

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    2. I think what you taste as 'beety', I think of as 'rooty'...but, yes, it makes sense. I don't like beets, but, I like purple carrots. Strange...

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    3. Dear Sirs,

      May I suggest to taste GEOHILLS Pumpkin & Carrot Juice (has organic version as well) - it can be found in CA -
      you can contact the wholesaler araks2017ca@gmail.com

      Delete
  2. Carrot and orange juice together is delicious, that "earthy" flavor is complimented well with the sweet/acidic oranges, so adding a good splash of oj to each glass will help you finish the rest of the bottle.

    As an aside, i also take cider vinegar daily and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps immensely. Don't use TJs, you need Braggs for the probiotics from the "mother" they use (Although i have now moved on to the hard core fire cider i made)
    Ttrockwood

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  3. Our Trader Joe's carries, "Carrots of Many Colors," merchandised right next to the bagged regular orange carrots. They were a Flyer item not too long ago, so if your TJ doesn't carry them now, they definitely did at some point-- and if they still have them, give them a shot! Purple carrot is much less intense in non-juice form (similar to beets; I LOVE beets, but I find beet juice difficult to swallow). In their non-juice form, purple carrots are a little less, "carrot-y," and perhaps a bit more earthy, but nothing as strong or concentrated as this juice. Try them raw first after you've peeled them, perhaps dunked in hummus.

    Oddly enough, while I can't stand beet juice, I can definitely drink this. It certainly has a deep earthiness about it that I can see as a like-it-or-don't type of product, with few falling into any sort of indifferent category. The (orange) Carrot/Turmeric juice is also fairly interesting.

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  4. Heres a thought ...how about still buying it for it's health benefits and make your own combinations of fruit juice mixes that you're sure to enjoy...that's what I've done and I don't even mess with beets at all but knowing that it's pure carrot juice I'm content with trying out different taste that I have control over rather than someone determining what flavors Im limited to.

    1 cup Purple Carrot juice
    1cup pomegranate juice
    2 cups of apple juice
    1 cup of cranberry juice
    1 thumb size piece of ginger(juiced or boiled down and cooled) with two spoons of lemon or lime juice.

    To balance the acidity make into a smoothie
    ( chill all portions from above in freezer
    adding a banana and optional base
    yogurt/ your choice of unsweetened soy/almond/hemp or oat milk and enjoy.

    Have fun with it take away or add to it. #choosehealth

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  5. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m obsessed with this juice. I can’t really stand regular carrot juice as it’s kind of ick for me, but this is definitely sweet and delicious. Not really a beets fan, but I can’t get enough of this. I wish it was sold in more places than simply Trader Joe’s. My only thing is why are the carrots sourced from Turkey, and just how much of it is lemon juice (which I like and love lemonade just fine, simply curious). Still very much like sweet things, so I find it perfectly crisp, tart and fruity, unlike say pomegranate juice, which is too heavy for me.

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