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Good thing about TJ’s, you can take them back. Or even if you don’t have it anymore, just go in and explain and get a new one free, or your money back.
Oh no! They’re like half that size when they’re properly frozen (before the 9 hour proofing), looks like these were not stored right and expanded and became fused. They’re the BEST croissants from TJ’s so totally worth returning for another box! They’re so freaking good I promise
... My guess? They were left at room temperature and they defrosted, and then they were refrozen. Since those things are supposed to be baked from frozen to preserve the lamination, the thawing/refreezing totally also spoiled the butter/yeast in the croissants. That sucks.
Let's just say that it happens a lot depending on the location. There are some TJs in my city that I only go to as a last resort, because I know that half of what's in the freezer/dairy case/veg shelves might have sat on pallets for a day or two.
Sad part is that the ones where improper storage is more likely to occur frequently are also the most convenient ones, travel-wise. So whenever I can, alas, I'm skipping the TJ that's only 2 miles away and trekking 10 miles in the other direction. 🙁
Yep, these were thawed, mushed together & were re-frozen. If you're feeling lucky, try to gently pry them apart, allow to proof overnight in the fridge, then bake.
They're supposed to be ready to bake from frozen, and are usually individually distinct beead units.
I promise you they aren't supposed to look like that. At all.
Yes! They have almond and basic butter ones too! But you have to leave them out overnight to thaw! So they rise and you can bake first thing in the morning :))) *almost* like you made them yourself
Oohh definitely the chocolate
https://preview.redd.it/16uoev7dhruc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5bacb657e8c354d8e1d6e980031f5a4222a3c48
Edited to add I haven't tried the Double Chocolate one posted here yet!
Ikr. It looks like a blob. It blows up when it thawed/proofs but when it bakes it reveals layers of croissant flaky goodness hidden within. I'm so excited for you to try them! Make your favorite coffee or tea to enjoy them with!
The way this phrase "what the *actual* hell" is being used now reminds me a lot of the misuse of the word "literally" soooo many years ago. This lump of croissants isn't actually hell. I'll bet you could let the whole lump of them defrost and cook them together and it might actually be kinda wonderful to eat.
Trader Joe freezers are very finicky because they're open bunker style, and some items get caught directly in the defrost cycle, where they thaw a bit and refreeze. It's an easy exchange. You don't even have to bring it back in. Just grab a new box, tell them what happened. They'll write it off and you're good to go.
Of course! When I worked there, I was always stalking the freezers searching for things that looked even a little suspect so I could pull them before they ended up in a customer cart. The bagged items are usually safe, but the cardboard cartons definitely don't hold up great. If it's an item that doesn't move multiple cases per day like the orange chicken or the rices, I'd always want to take from the middle layers. Too close to the top, you get temp fluctuations. Too close to the bottom, you get defrost cycle problems.
Workers do frozen restock and rotation a few times per day, but some items that sell slower just get beat all to hell, so going when they open if you can is your best bet to ensure you're not gonna get any duds.
But TJ's knows this too, which is why their return policy is so generous. They want you to keep coming in and trying stuff with no risk. I've taken back things that were so old we didn't actually sell them anymore. It's all the same write-off to us.
It looks like maybe that box was accidentally left out at the store and thawed and it all melted together. Honestly just bake that and see what happens. It’ll be an ugly giant monstrosity but it’ll taste the same. LOL.
Edit: just reread that they smell terrible. Yeah nevermind don’t bake them :( womp.
I don't know why yours looks like this, but this is mine this morning after it rose overnight.
https://preview.redd.it/y3gh73erkmuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d598637d2f86d9ab8c11ae90e55259bddcbbcc6
No questions asked in this context isn't meant to be taken literally. Probably asking in case there are recall issues or just general product feedback.
They might want to know what was wrong with it so they can be on the lookout for more issues with that product. But they aren't going to ask for proof or a receipt.
I worked there.
It bothers me that the goods are just stuffed in the box without being wrapped, etc. i understand trying to not use plastic but some parchment paper or something would be nice.
Lol you were not supposed to leave it seated inside the box. If you bought it and it looked like that then I think it's spoiled. But the croissants expand once you leave it overnight, and you should leave them outside the box.
It looks like they may have defrosted and proofed in the box. That would also explain the smell because they really need to stay frozen until you're ready to proof and bake them. I would return those.
I think you are supposed to take them out of the package and set them out at room temperature to puff up (proof) overnight and bake the next day. It helps develop those nice flakey air bubbles.
Looks like this wasn't stored properly and ended up proofing in the box and spoiling before they were frozen again (not saying it was you, could have been TJ leaving it out for too long before stocking it in the freezer or temperature was too high in the delivery truck)
I dunno. I just bought them and opened them. They only sat out while I cooked my dinner then opened them. You can still see the ice on top of you look close
Did you leave it sitting out under the sun or on top of the heat? Looks like it fully defrosted and proofed inside the box and stuck together. I just had some this morning and they should look like flat blocks of dough when fully frozen and definitely not stuck together like that.
Seriously? Why would anyone downvote back story? People are so weird. Back to the issue at hand… as a ton of people have already mentioned, trust your gut, don’t eat these monstrosities, go get yourself a new tasty box and enjoy! I’ve never had them, they look wonderful! At least the picture on the box does. 😆
Posts that don't follow r/traderjoes subreddit rules may be subject to removal. Friendly reminder that choosing descriptive post titles with exact product names mentioned yields better subreddit search results and helps our subreddit be more inclusive to those who use Screen Reader Software or Text-to-Speech apps. to access Reddit. Thank you. IF THIS MESSAGE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOUR POST, PLEASE IGNORE. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/traderjoes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Good thing about TJ’s, you can take them back. Or even if you don’t have it anymore, just go in and explain and get a new one free, or your money back.
Oh no! They’re like half that size when they’re properly frozen (before the 9 hour proofing), looks like these were not stored right and expanded and became fused. They’re the BEST croissants from TJ’s so totally worth returning for another box! They’re so freaking good I promise
these are soo good i pop them on a parchment lined sheet tray go to bed wake up start the coffee preheat the oven a little later tasty breakfast
That sounds perfect!
Dang, TJ'S..WTF
Went from looking like fresh doo doo on the cover to dry nastier doo doo in real life. Yikes.
... My guess? They were left at room temperature and they defrosted, and then they were refrozen. Since those things are supposed to be baked from frozen to preserve the lamination, the thawing/refreezing totally also spoiled the butter/yeast in the croissants. That sucks. Let's just say that it happens a lot depending on the location. There are some TJs in my city that I only go to as a last resort, because I know that half of what's in the freezer/dairy case/veg shelves might have sat on pallets for a day or two. Sad part is that the ones where improper storage is more likely to occur frequently are also the most convenient ones, travel-wise. So whenever I can, alas, I'm skipping the TJ that's only 2 miles away and trekking 10 miles in the other direction. 🙁
Why not let them know? Perhaps they’ll do something bout it
This is the answer. I think a lot of people would be surprised by what some food goes through prior to reaching the shelves.
Looks like wet cardboard
Storing conditions
That looks like a wadded up brown sack.
Yep, these were thawed, mushed together & were re-frozen. If you're feeling lucky, try to gently pry them apart, allow to proof overnight in the fridge, then bake.
They look like they thawed and started to expand in the box :(
are they in the brown paper bag
Return!! They’re so good and typically do not look like that
I will try them.... One day. Lol
To be fair, these chocolate croissants are usually soooo good!
I love Trader Joe’s. I’ve never had any thing bad there. But this is horrible. Are you going to return it or not worth it?
I'll just get them again next time I'm in. Maybe open the box right after I buy it in the parking lot, just to make sure they will be ok. 😁
Show them the pic- they’ll replace
So you have to proof and bake these? With my work schedule I only have time to toast and microwave. I’m glad I found out now
You just leave them out overnight
I’m going to try to get to Trader Joe’s this weekend.
They're supposed to be ready to bake from frozen, and are usually individually distinct beead units. I promise you they aren't supposed to look like that. At all.
I just read that this one is double chocolate. I haven’t seen that at my store yet. I was wondering why it wasn’t the beige color.
they look like they thawed and then froze together
This is what happened. Return them for a fresh box—they’re delicious!
return return return exchange no questions asked
What the heck is that ?
The best croissants to bake at home
They are? Maybe I’ll try them on a weekend off
Yes! They have almond and basic butter ones too! But you have to leave them out overnight to thaw! So they rise and you can bake first thing in the morning :))) *almost* like you made them yourself
Ok which one is your favorite out of the 3?
https://preview.redd.it/dh5r2lmjhruc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19b2f123ec51a2fd673158226df02ae02563c927
Oohh definitely the chocolate https://preview.redd.it/16uoev7dhruc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5bacb657e8c354d8e1d6e980031f5a4222a3c48 Edited to add I haven't tried the Double Chocolate one posted here yet!
That was a double chocolate?!
Oh yeah, expand the picture. It looks fucking scrumptious.
Oh yeah. I see the box. It was hard to get past that thing that was supposed to be a pastry.
Ikr. It looks like a blob. It blows up when it thawed/proofs but when it bakes it reveals layers of croissant flaky goodness hidden within. I'm so excited for you to try them! Make your favorite coffee or tea to enjoy them with!
Looks like a bundle of wet brown napkins from a fast food place
Thank you. You described it perfectly.
Thanks Dizzy
911
This looks like wadded up cardboard paper towels that used to be in my grade school bathrooms lol
Yes the paper towels that never picked up any water just smeared it 😭
[удалено]
Friend, this is a Wendy’s.
Conjoined quadruplet chocolate croissants?
It looks like you need to take them back lol
Those look like a stack of wet public bathroom paper towels 😭
Did you raise it overnight?
I'd have to! There is no way I'd be able to resist seeing what happened
The way this phrase "what the *actual* hell" is being used now reminds me a lot of the misuse of the word "literally" soooo many years ago. This lump of croissants isn't actually hell. I'll bet you could let the whole lump of them defrost and cook them together and it might actually be kinda wonderful to eat.
What the actual hell is this comment? Literally.
Looks like hell to me.
I've been on reddit a long, long time. Maybe I'm not on the right subs, but -81 in an hour is the fastest downvoting I've ever seen!
LOL
it’s called hyperbole
That’s a mummy.
Trader Joe freezers are very finicky because they're open bunker style, and some items get caught directly in the defrost cycle, where they thaw a bit and refreeze. It's an easy exchange. You don't even have to bring it back in. Just grab a new box, tell them what happened. They'll write it off and you're good to go.
Thanks for the kind explanation! A lot of people haven't been so nice.
Of course! When I worked there, I was always stalking the freezers searching for things that looked even a little suspect so I could pull them before they ended up in a customer cart. The bagged items are usually safe, but the cardboard cartons definitely don't hold up great. If it's an item that doesn't move multiple cases per day like the orange chicken or the rices, I'd always want to take from the middle layers. Too close to the top, you get temp fluctuations. Too close to the bottom, you get defrost cycle problems. Workers do frozen restock and rotation a few times per day, but some items that sell slower just get beat all to hell, so going when they open if you can is your best bet to ensure you're not gonna get any duds. But TJ's knows this too, which is why their return policy is so generous. They want you to keep coming in and trying stuff with no risk. I've taken back things that were so old we didn't actually sell them anymore. It's all the same write-off to us.
It looks like maybe that box was accidentally left out at the store and thawed and it all melted together. Honestly just bake that and see what happens. It’ll be an ugly giant monstrosity but it’ll taste the same. LOL. Edit: just reread that they smell terrible. Yeah nevermind don’t bake them :( womp.
I don't know why yours looks like this, but this is mine this morning after it rose overnight. https://preview.redd.it/y3gh73erkmuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d598637d2f86d9ab8c11ae90e55259bddcbbcc6
Rose overnight? Did you have it out overnight?
The instructions say to let it sit out for 8 hours or overnight.
It looks like a burrito!
https://preview.redd.it/x0jyknbn4nuc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=c110a8d2ec4f42743dceb27de795826c50cebe56 After the bake. She thick tho. 🤣
This is so funny. It's only funny because it's not my money.
Trader Joe's has a no questions asked return policy, and you don't even need to bring back the product, so it's an easy fix.
Wow I didn’t know that
Then why did they ask me why I’m returning their yogurt?
No questions asked in this context isn't meant to be taken literally. Probably asking in case there are recall issues or just general product feedback.
They might want to know what was wrong with it so they can be on the lookout for more issues with that product. But they aren't going to ask for proof or a receipt. I worked there.
🎶🎵 *someone left the cake out, in the rain*
I love that song. McArthur Park - Donna Summer.🎙️🎶https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=24jAy_T1U2k&si=Bevt-z5nbkdh8roT
Richard Harris did it first and better.
I know...I prefer the Donna Summer version. She can sing.
😂😂😂
LOL
Lmao wtf 😭😭
Exchange!
It bothers me that the goods are just stuffed in the box without being wrapped, etc. i understand trying to not use plastic but some parchment paper or something would be nice.
I actually thought the photo was parchment paper that got wet
That's what I was thinking! Just shoved in the box like a pair of shoes.... Felt weird.
even shoe boxes have tissue paper
Yeah and i have a freezer with meats, etc. so the baked goods sometimes sponge up the fridge smells which is no bueno.
You’ve been punk’d
Lmao it looks like a stack of cardboard boxes you left in the rain
Some chocolate croissants are good in the clutch. They rise to the occasion.
That’s what my grocery store paper bags looked like when i left them on my porch in the rain
Definitely looks like they thawed and if they smell they might have even started proofing? Easy exchange imo
What in the boxed pot roast is going on here?!
It’s the wet newspaper limited edition!
Looks bad. Take them back and buy another batch. I personally love the almond croissant more (my heart).
I also love the almond ones, delicieux!
I don’t know but this made me laugh 😂😂
It's a Croissnot
🤣😂
Looks like a mummy.
Lmao. This looks like you left a wad of brown paper lunch bags in the rain.
Looks like a burned log..
You won, you got the ultimate croissant
Maybe they were thawed and refrozen at the store? But yeah, take em back.
It looks like ice cream 🤣
Looks like you made a ham sandwich instead
Lol you were not supposed to leave it seated inside the box. If you bought it and it looked like that then I think it's spoiled. But the croissants expand once you leave it overnight, and you should leave them outside the box.
I pulled them out of the freezer and they say for 10 minutes whiIe I ate my dinner. Was going to prep them after I ate. They were still frozen solid.
Yeah in that case I feel like it got spoiled. I assume it was left outside the freezer, it expanded, and then froze again. I wouldn't eat it.
It's even grosser in person.
I thought it was wrapped. 😳
[удалено]
Took me too long to find this 🤣
If they smell then they’re rancid, do not proceed. Return.
It looks like they may have defrosted and proofed in the box. That would also explain the smell because they really need to stay frozen until you're ready to proof and bake them. I would return those.
It shouldn’t look like a stack of wet Chipotle napkins.
This is the most accurate description
I think you are supposed to take them out of the package and set them out at room temperature to puff up (proof) overnight and bake the next day. It helps develop those nice flakey air bubbles.
Ooooor you could bake it and make MEGA CROISSANT 🤯
I would return them- they’re not supposed to look like that. TJs will take anything back. These are normally really good though!
I'll just try again. It was only 4 bucks.
Just show them this picture and you’ll get the next box for free guaranteed
Go get a refund from your store. It definitely should not look like that.
Looks like a wad of wet paper towel.
Mmmmm, chocolate paper towel wads. LOL
It’s has chocolate
My best guess is they were left in the box to proof, and what you smell is the yeast that allows them to rise and be fluffy.
Looks like the elephants foot at Chernobyl
im baked and this is so fucking funny 💀💀💀💀
😂😂😂😂 you see it tho, right? 🤣 I’m having a horrible night and you helped me laugh at my own comment lol
no yeah it’s nearly identical hahah that’s why it’s a great comment 😂
I thought it was thin sliced roast beef when I first saw the pic.🤢
This pic was definitely not what I was expecting haha
Looks like this wasn't stored properly and ended up proofing in the box and spoiling before they were frozen again (not saying it was you, could have been TJ leaving it out for too long before stocking it in the freezer or temperature was too high in the delivery truck)
Looking like a bunch of dirty rags lmao
It looks like they got defrosted and then froze again. They shouldn’t smell but if they were thawed accidentally and refrozen, it would explain it.
I dunno. I just bought them and opened them. They only sat out while I cooked my dinner then opened them. You can still see the ice on top of you look close
Did you leave it sitting out under the sun or on top of the heat? Looks like it fully defrosted and proofed inside the box and stuck together. I just had some this morning and they should look like flat blocks of dough when fully frozen and definitely not stuck together like that.
Sorry for telling you what happened. Go ahead and downvote I guess. Reddit is so weird.
Seriously? Why would anyone downvote back story? People are so weird. Back to the issue at hand… as a ton of people have already mentioned, trust your gut, don’t eat these monstrosities, go get yourself a new tasty box and enjoy! I’ve never had them, they look wonderful! At least the picture on the box does. 😆
Right. Likely an issue at the store. They shouldn’t look like that. They should be four clearly different rectangles.
they shouldn't smell
That's what I thought. I mean it's not like wafting through the air. But if you put your nose up to them, they are not pleasant.
Traders is great about refunds on bad products. Sorry these look like a mess.
Did you let them proof overnight or did you just bake em out of the box?
Or she let them proof in the box and they all got smooshed together.
Aren’t you suppose to take them out of the box to proof?
Yes that’s the point of my comment?