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Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts are perhaps the grocery store’s best kept secret. This healthy veggie, up until now, has been so hard to find — without citric acid! Trader Joe’s recently changed their formulation, so now, this vegetable treat is healthier for all and just about perfect …
In this article we’ll discuss:
- How sustainable are artichokes
- Are they a heavily sprayed crop
- My view on Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts’ sustainability
- Why buy frozen artichoke hearts (instead of fresh)
- What’s the best way to cook frozen artichoke hearts
- Why frozen artichoke hearts are better than marinated or packed in water
- What’s wrong with citric acid
- Are they AIP compliant / allowed on healing diets
How sustainable are artichokes
Until recently, artichokes were reported to be a heavily sprayed crop. They constituted a monocrop, making them more susceptible to pests.
Since frozen artichokes are almost always a conventional product, this made them predictably tainted in terms of pesticide residue.
But more recently, the Environmental Working Group’s Shopping Guide to Pesticides in Produce excluded them from crops to avoid.
Nor has the EWG included them in the Clean 15.
At first glance, conventional artichokes are neither praiseworthy, nor something most of us need to completely avoid.
Let’s dig a little deeper …
Where are artichokes grown now and Are they still a heavily sprayed crop
Artichokes are grown worldwide, with most of the production coming from California, Italy, Spain, Peru, Argentina and Egypt.
When I called Trader Joe’s to inquire, I was told their buyers specialize in quality: finding the best cost and sustainability. Nationwide, frozen artichokes from Trader Joe’s may come from different suppliers. The ones being sold right now in Eugene, OR come from Peru.
This was a little more vague than I was hoping for — as transparency about growing conditions from sellers helps us know what we’re eating!
I got the impression that they keep their buying details secret to protect their proprietary process: “By procuring products directly from suppliers, distributing them through its own centralized distribution network, and labelling [sic] them directly as Trader Joe’s brand, the store is able to offer the same quality for a much lower price.”
Testing on artichokes out of Peru
Unfortunately, there is one scientific study on artichokes out of Peru that shows some risk, especially for children.
Because the central region of Peru bases its economy on the mining industry and agricultural activity, contamination can occur.
In this 2021 study, PTEs (potentially toxic elements) were found in ground water that caused low level contamination. When tested, the metals that came dangerously close to being too high in artichokes were lead and silver. The overall conclusion of the study stated that the levels in artichokes are safe, but I found the conclusions were a little more concerning.
Although de-emphasized, this study concluded, “that children had a higher risk of developing cancer than adults” from the PTEs in artichokes. (Yes, a little shocking to read.)
After reading that study, I had more mixed feelings about Trader Joe’s product than I had prior to finding the article, for sure.
Ocean Mist artichokes
What I wanted to be told is that Trader Joe’s buys from the nation’s best artichoke grower: Ocean Mist.
Ocean Mist is North America’s largest artichoke grower, with both conventional and organic crops. Both are certified by NutriClean, a third party certification program for pesticide-free residue.
While Ocean Mist does not label a frozen product, look for their fresh artichokes in grocery stores nationwide.
Critics of Trader Joe’s
Those who criticize Trader Joe’s secretiveness in sourcing object to their marketing and pricing methods.
It’s suggested TJ’s may even steal competitor’s recipes and then use their cultish branding to create brand loyalty, but with a higher price tag.
However, for anyone who shops at Trader Joe’s, in most cases, it’s obvious they do not charge more money than their competitors. If anything, they win brand loyalty by combining low prices with gourmet verbiage and trendy fonts/artwork.
As for their artichoke hearts, the criticism that may be more relevant is simply what others have already said: “… how hard the brand works to keep the identities of the manufacturers of its private label items under wraps”.
They are trying to prevent competition with their suppliers, which allows them to offer their very low prices. Sadly, this level of privacy can also hide major sourcing and quality defects, including the absence of fair trade and safe growing conditions — which often go hand in hand with lower prices, especially in developing nations.
My view on Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts’ sustainability
Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts are not perfect, because we can’t trust the growing conditions (including the ground water they’re grown in, which may be contaminated with PTE).
Trader Joe’s won’t tell us anything about how this convention crop is grown in Peru or from their other growers.
Because this crop is often historically grown as a monocrop, it is likely that at least some of TJ’s frozen artichoke hearts have pesticide residue.
Based on EWG’s Dirty Dozen category, we can perhaps take some comfort in knowing this crop no longer ranks highly for pesticide residue.
My unique health
Because I personally have my heavy metals tested at least once a year, I feel some added peace about the heavy metals issue. ALL of my heavy metals, including lead and silver, are at undetectable levels. (I have accomplished this through an intentional diet that’s also low in copper, arsenic and mercury.)
Personally, I love using frozen artichoke hearts in my cooking, and I will keep buying the product for now because the rest of my diet is almost exclusively organic and very low in metals.
I eat about 4 ounces of this product once a week or once every two to three weeks.
Someone else may need to make a different decision based on the information in this article. I’m sorry I can’t give you a better and complete thumbs up on frozen artichoke hearts. It’s a very mixed review at this point.
Why buy frozen artichoke hearts (instead of fresh)
Yes, do buy fresh whole artichokes. They’re wonderful. My own mom made them regularly when I was growing up, and we always savored them.
Look for the Ocean Mist brand or organic to ensure the best quality.
But for two reasons, I buy frozen more often:
- With a busy lifestyle, cooking frozen artichoke hearts is more convenient.
- While whole artichokes are delicious, they can’t be used in recipes like the hearts can.
- I started roasting these beauties a few months ago, and they’re just SO delicious. Any gourmet kitchen or foody can appreciate that making frozen artichokes is all about how delicious they are to eat. They’re worth making and eating!
Additional reason, their growing season:
In California, artichokes are grown year round. Elsewhere in the country, they’re a spring crop, with March through May being their peek season, and then to a lesser extent, early fall.
By buying frozen, we can access this veggie year round. In most cases, I actually try to eat with the seasons. But in our family, there are a few exceptions: bananas, frozen berries, cucumbers and artichokes.
What’s the best way to cook frozen artichoke hearts
The best way to cook frozen artichoke hearts is to roast them in the oven on a sheet pan. Here’s the best recipe for Roasted Artichoke Hearts.
With this recipe, you get the wonderful artichoke flavor, plus crispy leaves and a tender middle. Roasted Artichoke Hearts are perfect as a veggie side dish, but also great as an appetizer, added to salads, pastas, antipasto platters and more.
Of course, frozen artichokes are also great: marinated for salads or appetizers, sautéed, added to pasta dishes, casseroles or soups.
Why frozen artichoke hearts are better than marinated or packed in water
Every marinated artichoke product (I know of) is marinated in at least part vegetable oil. As you may know, this is one food we should avoid entirely. And most people get too much vegetable oil already, from eating restaurant foods and processed foods.
Artichoke hearts packed in water are packed with citric acid, and often in packaging (not including the glass jar option), that sloughs off into food. This includes cans and Tetra paks.
What’s wrong with citric acid
Citric acid is a preservative that can be inflammatory.
Oftentimes, citric acid is grown using corn derivatives. Those who react are reacting to the corn, or to black mold …
Historically, citric acid was made by fermenting sugar with black mold. Although that sounds extreme, it was actually what put the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, on the map. (They then segued into making synthetic Vitamin C for the vitamin industry. And they helped to create the almost regulation-free vitamin market.)
All citric acid is still made from black mold — unless it’s organic and non-GMO. (Of the over 2,000,000 tons produced annually, 50% is made in China.)
The citric acid in all frozen artichokes that I’ve ever encountered is plain old citric acid, with conventional artichoke hearts. If you’ve got any aches or pains, or inflammation of another kind, citric acid is a good ingredient to avoid. Even without symptoms, I avoid it.
Are they AIP compliant / allowed on healing diets
Yes, Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts are allowed on the Paleo AIP diet (or Autoimmune Protocol). Now that the citric acid has been removed, this is an exciting new ingredient that many folks on the diet can now enjoy!
Regarding other wellness diets, each person can decide for themselves if the benefits outweigh the risk. Most people would agree that, when eaten in moderation or only occasionally, this one-ingredient frozen veggie can safely be eaten.
But for some who prefer only organic or better than organic eating, the conventional status of this product is enough to convey the uncertainty of its growing conditions. Although I almost always fall into this category, I will continue to buy and enjoy Trader Joe’s Frozen Artichoke Hearts.
That being said, I put an email request into Ocean Mist. I hope they’ll come out with their own frozen artichoke heart product that’s been tested and proved to be free of pesticide residue (and heavy metals). I look forward to hearing back from them, and hope they’ll see the market demand for such a product.
Mary Barrett says
On once again, you gave us a terrific amount of education. I’m trying the Os cal solution and it seems to be laying down calcium on my teeth. But keep having these weird reactions with my mass cell while I’m on it so my question is what is the least amount of time to leave the solution on my teeth I tried calling their website, but it’s like a runaround, if you have any information, I would appreciate it. Have a good weekend Mary.
Megan says
Hi Mary, I’m sorry for the long-ish delay in responding! I don’t know the minimum time, but I would think it would be a couple of hours. However, if you are having a reaction, it may not be a good fit for you at this time? Blessings!