Acerola Is the Trendiest New Food at Trader Joe's — But What Is It?

Kristine Cannon
·4 min read

Cheese-less cheesecakes, matcha green tea ice cream, cheese cauliflower jalapeño dip: Is there anything Trader Joe’s can’t do? This month, the popular California-based grocer is brimming with exciting, unique, and delicious new products, from cheese-less cheesecakes and matcha green tea ice cream to cheesy cauliflower jalapeño dip. And while all have us sprinting to our nearby TJ’s, two new products feature an intriguing ingredient we’ve honestly never heard of before: acerola.

Dubbed an “untapped functional superfruit” by a 2018 study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, acerola is, as Trader Joe’s puts it, a cherry-like fruit that grows mostly in the warmer parts of South America and is rich in Vitamin C (just one of these acerola cherries contains more than 100 percent of our daily recommended value of vitamin C). Acerola, which also boasts vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, is often used to help prevent colds or the flu; and when combined with vitamin C, it can help boost immunity. So, considering our current climate, it makes perfect sense why this superfruit would resurface this year — and at Trader Joe’s, no less.

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Trader Joe launched two new vitamin C-rich products this summer: Unsweetened Organic Acerola Puree and Absolutely Acerola Juice Shots.

Available in the freezer section, TJ’s Acerola Puree Packets ($3.49) are sold in four-packs and are perfect for smoothies and juices. In fact, each of the 3.5-ounce packets “delivers a whopping 1,180 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C!”

The Absolutely Acerola Juice Shot ($1.99), on the other hand, contains the juice of 12 acerola cherries; and one bottle contains 1,010 percent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C. “What’s more, you can trust you’re tasting the true, tart & fruity juice of the acerola since our supplier uses an HPP (High Pressure Process) to help maintain the safety of the juice and the quality of the flavor,” Trader Joe’s says.

You can shoot it straight, add it to smoothies (like the puree packets), or add it to mixed drinks for a shot of bright, tart flavor. Trader Joe’s recommends using it in their Chameleon Cooler cocktail, which calls for one juice shot and TJ’s Chia Seeds, Mango Nectar, Unsweetened Coconut Beverage, Freeze Dried Strawberries, and a lime wedge and fresh mint.

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📷: (1) “Chameleon Cooler,” feat. TJ’s Absolutely Acerola #JuiceShot • (2) “Sunshine #Smoothie,” feat. TJ’s Unsweetened Organic Acerola Purée Packets • Link to each #TJsRecipe in bio • — First things first: #Acerola is the cherry-like fruit of an evergreen shrub that grows mostly in Central & South America. Thanks to its temptingly tangy flavor & extremely high Vitamin C content, what was once a sub-tropical secret to some—namely, to North Americans—is now a phenomenon for for all. . If you’d care to get *acerol-acquainted,* #TraderJoes is offering this tangy, tropical treat in two forms: first, as a #coldpressed juice shot made from the juice of 12 acerola cherries, and second, as an unsweetened, unadulterated frozen purée conveniently portioned into smoothie-sized packets! . These new products sound pretty cool right? Almost as cool as an acerola “Sunshine Smoothie” or “Chameleon Cooler”… Or the fact that each one of our Purée Packets and #JuiceShots contains 1180% and 1010%, respectively, of the recommended daily value of Vit. C… (!!!) 💯🍒☀️

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jul 18, 2020 at 3:10am PDT

Trader Joe’s also has a smoothie recipe for their Unsweetened Organic Acerola Purée Packets called Sunshine Smoothie. For this, you’ll need one banana, shredded carrots, and Trader Joe’s Orange Juice, Greek Yogurt, Pineapple Tidbits and, of course, TJ’s Organic Acerola Puree Packets.

Before you go, check out the slideshow below:

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