crystal light, Recipes, & Food News

Best Lemonade: Our Taste Test Results

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 4:49PM

We puckered our way through 70 cartons, bottles, and cans in search of the best store-bought brand of lemonade. Read on for results.

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Lemonade Taste Test

by AOL Food Editors
Our team of food editors shook, stirred, popped the top and puckered their way through 70 cartons, bottles, cans and pouches in search of the most thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying brand of store-bought lemonade. In the end, they selected several runners-up and a winner in each of seven categories: plastic bottle, can, juice box or pouch, powder, glass bottle and paper carton, as well as the best pink lemonade and the absolute best and worst overall. Read on for results and see how store brands can sometimes rule.

Rachel Been, AOL

Getty Images North America

Lemonade Taste Test

by AOL Food Editors
Our team of food editors shook, stirred, popped the top and puckered their way through 70 cartons, bottles, cans and pouches in search of the most thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying brand of store-bought lemonade. In the end, they selected several runners-up and a winner in each of seven categories: plastic bottle, can, juice box or pouch, powder, glass bottle and paper carton, as well as the best pink lemonade and the absolute best and worst overall. Read on for results and see how store brands can sometimes rule.

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Plastic Bottle
Tropicana Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 100
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "More like lemon soda than lemonade, this was light and refreshing."

Learn more about Tropicana

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Plastic Bottle
Simply Lemonade

Sweetener: Natural Sugar
Calories per serving: 120
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "It was balanced and non-sticky with a smooth, lime-like finish." "I tend to like the 'Simply' series -- orange juice, limeade, etc. -- and this does not disappoint."

Learn more about Simply

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Plastic Bottle:
Citarella Freshly Squeezed Lemonade

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar
Calories per serving: N/A
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 5
Lemon strength: Mild
Our panel says: "With notes of (unadvertised) coconut and lime, this was a tropical dream." "It's like a vacation in a bottle."

Learn more about Citarella Store brand

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Canned
Country Time Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 140
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Solid
Our panel says: "It's wonderfully bold and lemony, neither too tart or too sweet." "The finish is a little bit sticky, but the flavor makes up for it."

Learn more about Country Time

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Canned
Arizona Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 110
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2
Lemon Strength:
Our panel says: "The flavor is just about perfect -- a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. Only drawback is the slightly sticky mouth feel, but just solve that by ditching the can and serving over ice." "Nicely balanced, assertive, no messing around."

Learn more about Arizona

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Canned
San Pellegrino Limonata

Sweetener: Sugar
Calories per serving: 141
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2
Lemon Strength: Intense
Our panel says: "This is incredible front-porch lemonade -- if your front porch happens to sport marble columns with ivy growing up them. This is grown-up lemonade that's strong, clear, effervescent and utterly addictive."

Learn more about San Pellegrino

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Juice Box
Minute Maid Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 90
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 4
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "A refreshing small box for when you're on the go" "It wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be -- and that's a good thing."

Learn more about Minute Maid

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Juice Box
Hi-C Poppin' Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 100
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Mild
Our panel says: "A crowd shocker, it wasn't as sweet as the majority of juice boxes." "A well balanced drink."

Learn more about Hi-C

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Powdered
Crystal Light Lemonade

Sweetener: Aspartame
Calories per serving: 5
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Right up front
Our panel says: "This is the rarest of all creatures -- a low-calorie lemonade that doesn't have a nasty aftertaste! The taste that it does have is actually a really nice balance of tart and sweet."

Learn more about Crystal Light

Rachel Been, AOL

Filed under: Taste Test

Flavor packets can break kids' soda habit

COMMENTS 3

by Nicole Weston, Posted Aug 29th 2006 @ 12:01PM

When the school year starts up again, parents lose a measure of control over what their kids may be eating - hence all the controversy about sodas and vending machines in schools. One way to help keep kids away from those soda machines is by giving them something that tastes as good, or better, than soda, but is at least a little less sugary. Single-serving flavor packets offer a potential solution. These individual drink mixers include products like Lipton Green Tea to Go, Crystal Light On the Go and Kool-Aid Singles, all of which contain 0-30 calories and can be mixed in with a bottle of water - a far better vending machine choice than a regular soda.

The Houston Chronicle did a review of a few brands and found that Country Time On The Go Lemonade, Lipton Green Tea To Go and Celestial Seasonings Zingers To Go were all worth buying, with good flavors and minimal artificial aftertaste, which they found unappealing in some brands.

These aren't just for kids, of course, and are a good way to drink an extra serving or two of water each day, though you might want to hold off on the Kool-Aid flavor once you're over the age of 10.

Source

Filed under: Cooking With Kids, Raves & Reviews, Light Food, Drink Recipes, How To

Orbit lemon-lime gum taste test

COMMENTS 8

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jul 18th 2006 @ 7:02AM

No doubt you've seen the commercials for Orbit gum. They feature that exceptionally perky British girl and, more recently, Snoop Dog. The commercials are a bit hit-or-miss, but the gum is actually pretty good. The flavor lasts for quite some time and it has a nice texture to it. I am particularly fond of the Bubblemint flavor, which is a slightly more refreshing version of a traditional bubblegum.

I am not, however, fond of their newest flavor: lemon-lime. Although their marketing assured me that it was "Snoop's top pick!" it tastes like extra-strength Crystal Light, and the sour, sweet and artificial taste dies away quickly. Although that's a good thing in this case, it's not really a good thing in the larger scheme of gum products.

I'll stick with the more traditional flavors, although their Citrus Mint, which is orange-flavored, sounds like it would be pretty good.

Source

Filed under: Raves & Reviews, Ingredients, New Products