Strawberry Preserves
Trailing only grape jelly, strawberry preserves are America's second-favorite spreadable fruit. We rounded up eight nationally available brands of strawberry preserves and headed into the tasting lab to see which one we liked best. Two familiar names were our big winners. Our tasters preferred these brands because they didn't taste too sweet, and they packed big, distinct strawberry flavor. Interestingly, these two preserves contain more total sugar (from the fruit as well as sugar and/or corn syrup) per serving than most other brands, and yet they weren't perceived as too sweet. Why?
First, not all sugars are equally sweet. Some of our samples listed their primary sweetener as sugar, which tastes sweeter than the corn syrup listed first on the winner's label. Second, the amount of acid (citric acid or lemon juice concentrate) added to balance the sugar had a big impact on overall flavor. We measured the pH (the acidity or alkalinity) of each sample and found that the brands tasters had called too sweet (had the highest pH readings, indicating that they were least acidic. Lower pH readings--signifying more added acid--generally translated into better, more-rounded strawberry flavor.
Our lowest-scoring brands were judged to have the weakest strawberry flavor--no surprise considering neither brand uses strawberries as its primary ingredient.
Testers weren't too concerned about texture. As long as there was a noticeable combination of "jellied" matter and fruit chunks, they were pretty happy.
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RECIPE
Strawberry Sauce -
RECIPE
Jam Thumbprint Melting Moments -
TASTE TEST
Raspberry Preserves
| Product Tested | Origin | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | |||
|
Columela Extra Virgin Olive OilOur favorite premium extra-virgin olive oil from a previous tasting, Columela is composed of a blend of intense Picual, mild Hojiblanca, Ocal, and Arbequina olives. This oil took top honors for its fruity flavor and excellent balance. Tasters praised its “big olive aroma, big olive taste” with a “buttery” flavor that is “sweet” and “full,” with a “peppery finish.” One taster said: “It’s very green and fresh—like a squeezed olive.” Another simply wrote: “Fantastic.” |
Spain | $19 for 17 oz |
| Recommended | |||
|
Lucini Italia Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive OilTasters noted this oil’s flavor was “much deeper than the other samples,” describing it as “fruity, with a slight peppery finish,” “buttery undertones,” and a “clean, green taste” that was “aromatic, with a good balance.” “It has the flavor that some good EVOOs have,” said one admiring taster. |
Italy | $19.99 for 500 ml ($39.98 per liter) |
|
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive OilVirtually tied for second place, this oil was deemed “round and buttery,” with a “light body” and flavor that was “briny and fruity,” “very fine and smooth,” and “almost herbal,” with “great balance.” “Good olive flavor. I could smell it and taste it,” approved one taster. In a word, “pleasant.” |
Italy | $17.99 for 750 ml ($23.98 per liter) |
| Recommended with Reservations | |||
|
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive OilA clear step down from the top oils, tasters noted “overall mild” flavor and “very little aroma,” with only a “hint of green olive” and a “hint of spiciness at the end.” In pasta, it was initially “not complex,” but gradually “bloomed in your mouth.” Overall, it was “worthy of a second bite.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $12.49 for 750 ml ($16.65 per liter) |
|
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive OilWhile some tasters found this oil “sweet” and “buttery” with “medium body” and “slight spice at the end,” others complained that it had “zero olive flavor” and was “so floral it’s almost like eating perfume”; still others noted a “bitter” aftertaste. In pasta, it was “extremely mild” to the point of being “boring.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $10.99 for 750 ml ($14.65 per liter) |
|
Goya Extra Virgin Olive OilComments: The best comments tasters could muster were “mild” and “neutral.” Some liked it on pasta (though one called it “Snoozeville”), but complaints were myriad: “metallic,” “soapy,” “briny,” “hints of dirt.” Carped one taster, “I can’t imagine what is in here, but they have a nerve calling it EVOO.” |
Spain | $13.99 for 1 liter |
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