YumSugar

The New Look and Taste of Heinz

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:15 -0800

For the first time in 40 years, Heinz has redesigned its ketchup packet - and made it healthier to boot.

This morning, the company revealed a larger, more versatile condiment packet, which ketchup lovers can either tear off to squeeze like a traditional packet or peel off to dip. It holds three times as much as the old packet. The packaging innovation will be in most quick-service restaurants by the end of this year.

The company also introduced Simply Heinz Tomato Ketchup, a version made with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The ketchup will be released in March, and by Summer, the entire core Heinz ketchup line will reduce sodium by 15 percent, making Heinz the lowest-sodium national ketchup.

I know this is ridiculous, but I consider this a Heinz breakthrough. I can't wait to tear open a packet that's big enough for more than three fries! Hopefully, the news will quiet ardent protest groups on Facebook, like Make Ketchup Packets Bigger and Abolish Ketchup Packets. Are you as excited as I am for this groundbreaking move?

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Taste Test: TeaZazz Sparkling Teas

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:05:33 -0700

Lately we've been receiving a lot of tea to try at the office. We've also been witnessing a lot of beverage companies swapping the high-fructose corn syrup in their drinks for pure cane sugar. So it comes as no surprise that the latest rising beverage on the market is TeaZazz, a carbonated tea made with sugar that markets itself as a healthier hybrid soft drink.

TeaZazz comes in four different flavors: original, green tea mint, green tea lemon, and peach. Curious, I tried the first two. To hear what I thought, read more.

When I opened the sparkling teas, they made a fizzy release noise. They were definitely carbonated but tasted about 50 percent less carbonated than a standard can of soda. As for the soda's taste, I liked the flavor of the original tea; it had an authentic black tea taste. I didn't care at all for the green tea mint, however. Carbonated mint tea just didn't go over well with me - I almost felt as though I was drinking fizzy, diluted mouthwash. The drink is made from sugar syrup, but it also contains sucralose, an artificial sweetener, and that too had a discernible taste. Those who loathe diet drinks won't like TeaZazz, either.

Have you seen or tried TeaZazz? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it.

Yummy Links: From the Barefoot Contessa to Ginger Ale

partysugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:37 -0700

Go inside the Barefoot Contessa's downtown Manhattan apartment. - Serious Eats
The FDA has ruled that high fructose corn syrup is still considered natural. - Slashfood
Learn how to make the perfect martini. - Chow
Bake up a batch of strawberry goat cheese scones. - Baking Bites
If it's too hot to bake in your neck of the woods, consider cooling down with this no-cook biscotti mascarpone parfait. - GlamDish
America's sassiest lifestyle guru, Steve Kemble, teaches you how to host a high style, no stress party. - Hostess with the Mostess
Did you know okra is in season? - The Kitchn
Make homemade ginger ale for just .61 cents. - The Epi-Log

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Taste Test: Thomas Kemper's Cane Sugar Soda

partysugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:15:09 -0700

In what's become a growing trend among soda manufacturers, Thomas Kemper has recently reformulated their soda recipes and updated packaging. Instead of using high-fructose corn syrup, the new beverages are naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar.

I tasted three - Black Cherry, Root Beer, and Ginger Ale - of the company's five sodas and was pleasantly surprised by the results. All of the sodas were refreshing with typical flavors that one would expect from a craft, bottled soda company. To find out how each one tasted, read more.

The root beer, with its vanilla-marshmallow smell and clear, classic taste, was my favorite. It was everything you want from a root beer - sweet and comforting. My least favorite was the black cherry. It had a strong artificial smell with a too-syrupy taste that reminded me of cough medicine. The fresh, clean, crisp ginger ale was my co-tester's favorite. They described it as a quality ginger ale that was "really good" with strong ginger flavor.

How about you? Have you tried the new Thomas Kemper formula? Did you notice a difference? Are you excited soda companies are eliminated the high-fructose corn syrup?

Taste Test: Smucker's Fall Toppings

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:00:27 -0800

Cinnamon is looking to be a popular flavor this season. Not only did PartySugar and I recently have a chance to try Ritz's new Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crackers, but we also took the time to put two of Smucker's limited-edition ice cream topping flavors, Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cinnamon, to the test. Did they prove to be goopy and gross, or were these spoonable sauces the epitome of holiday sugar and spice? Find out after the jump

Starbucks Focuses on Healthy Menu Items

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:30:13 -0700

At the beginning of the month, Starbucks announced it would be rolling out a new "Real Food. Simply Delicious" campaign on June 30 to highlight its focus on all-natural ingredients. Starbucks has reformulated 90 percent of its baked goods to make them free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, food coloring, and some preservatives. It has also added menu items today: the Strawberry-Banana Vivanno, Blueberry-Oat Bars, Banana-Walnut Bread, and two lunch salads, the Classic Salad and a Farmers Market Salad. To learn more about what you'll find at Starbucks keep reading

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:30:56 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Korean bibimbap makes a versatile, well-rounded dinner for one.
Appalachia's red hot dogs are the subject of a new food documentary.
Good news: Turns out drinking too much beer doesn't actually cause beer bellies.
The Skinny Chef learns how to bring out the best in a tomatillo.
Embrace the nostalgia of bread-and-butter pickles sans the high-fructose corn syrup.
A Boston Marathoner becomes the face of breakfast haven Waffle House.

Photo by flickr user avlxyz

SodaStream Soda Maker: Worth Gushing About?

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:00:12 -0700

I have a confession to make: if I didn't worry about what my friends and family would say to me, I'd probably drink soda all day, every day - I love it that much. So when I got my hands on SodaStream's Soda Maker, a SkyMall-like contraption that claims to "turn tap water into sparkling water in three seconds," I knew I'd be in for some fizzy fun.According to Soda-Club, the company behind the machine, the SodaStream is more convenient (since you make soda instantly at home) than buying soda, less troublesome (no need to lug soda bottles), healthier (no high-fructose corn syrup), economically sensible, and better for the environment. Did the soda maker stand up to its claims? Find out when you read more.

I received a starter kit ($99.99) with a Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker, a 110-liter carbonator, two carbonating bottles, and an assortment of diet soda flavors and sparkling water essences. Following instructions, I assembled the machine, which requires no electricity, in under 10 minutes. To make soda, you fill a carbonating bottle with water, screw it into the machine, press a button four times to create fizz, and pour in some flavoring.

The soda machine is certainly easy to use, less troublesome to transport, and better for the environment. After the initial cost for the machine, a cup of soda will set you back less than $0.10. As far as taste, however, this is no match for store-bought soda.

The pop flavors (which included diet cola, diet grapefruit, diet cranberry-raspberry, and diet root beer) taste artificial with an odd aftertaste, and the bubbles aren't as fine or long-lasting as canned or bottled soda. "It's like Italian soda meets Crystal Light," a friend lamented. The flavored fruit essence drops taste even less natural. The soda bottles, despite being BPA-free, aren't dishwasher-safe.

If you're a heavy club soda drinker, or frequently make Italian sodas with traditional syrups, then this machine would actually be a good investment for you. But if you're a regular canned Coke drinker, the soda system's syrupy flavors won't likely be the replacement you're hoping for. Have you ever tried SodaStream? Did you come to the same conclusions about it?

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Jamba Juice Goes Beyond Smoothies, Debuts Food

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:50:36 -0700

Starbucks isn't the only beverage chain looking to regain its footing: Jamba Juice is also struggling to get its mojo back. In addition to its recently introduced oatmeal and licensed supermarket products, the smoothie giant will also unveil a new menu of food items.

Jamba's new menu will contain food items such as wraps, salads, and flatbreads, and will debut next week in California, with stores in the rest of the country following over the year.

The ready-made wraps include Asian-Style Chicken, Chimichurri Chicken, Gobble'licious Turkey, Greek Goddess, and Grains and Greens for vegans, and two salads, Caesar the Day, and Couscous Produce. All wraps and salads will retail at $5.50.

In addition, Jamba is also installing turbo ovens in stores for new baked-to-order California Flatbreads, which will come in four flavors: Four Cheesy ($3.50), Smokehouse Chicken, Tomo Artichoko, and MediterraneYum ($3.75). The company is also adding iced tea beverages and fruit-tea infusions in exotic flavors like prickly pear, passion fruit, and pomegranate. All will be made without high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.

In times when money's tight and people are more health conscious than ever, smoothies have seemingly fallen by the wayside. Because they're not filling enough - yet often have the calories - to be a meal, these fruity frosties have never played a part in my everyday routine. While it's a risky move for the chain, I could see how its on-the-go options might be appealing. Would you buy food at Jamba Juice?

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Starbucks Aims to Be Healthier, Greener

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:30:47 -0700

America's largest coffee chain has decided to jump-start its own eco-friendly food revolution: Earlier this week, Starbucks announced it would be rolling out a new food menu on June 30 as part of its "Real Food. Simply Delicious" campaign. And yesterday, the chain said it would install new water faucets in its stores as part of an environmental initiative.

The company is reworking 90 percent of its baked goods, and eliminating high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and food coloring from its products. Starbucks is also removing preservatives from items whenever possible, attempting to mimic the number of ingredients used in homemade baked goods. In addition, this Summer the coffee titan will test the viability of a Frappuccino formula that appeals to health-conscious consumers, and the chain will begin selling salads. Despite premium prices of natural ingredients, the company maintains these changes will not affect prices on its food menu.

Yesterday, Starbucks also revealed a plan to install new water faucets that meter out water across all US stores by September, a change that could save each café up to 150 gallons of water a day. It hopes to expand this green initiative internationally by Fall.

The coffee company continues to make frantic changes in hopes of reviving sales. I'm skeptical about whether these strategies will truly spark sales - since things like instant coffee, ciabatta-bread sandwiches, and value meals really haven't. Still, I'll admit I hope that health-conscious Frappuccino comes to market. What do you think of these changes?

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