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Fruit Sorbets Score For Calories, Taste

Rick Bonino Food Editor

Ice cream just isn’t what it used to be.

As anti-fat fervor rose in recent years, much of the supermarket freezer space once reserved for ice cream gave way first to ice milk (now known as “light” ice cream) and then to frozen yogurt.

Today, some of the trendiest frozen desserts are even lower in fat: sorbets, simple ices of fruit, sugar and water, and sherbets, similar but with a bit of dairy products added (although still less than 2 percent milk fat).

The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel recently sampled two sorbets and a sherbet at the end of a delightful dinner menu that also featured nonfat hot dogs and pork and beans.

Maybe it was just taste buds finally bursting free, but the first of the three - Real Fruit’s chunky wild berry sorbet - received our first-ever five-star average rating.

Both the raspberry sorbet from premium ice cream maker Haagen-Dazs and Dreyers’ strawberry-kiwi sherbet got four stars, although some tasters found the Haagen-Dazs’ berry flavor too intense.

The Dreyers was by far the best bargain, at about the same price for a quart as the sorbets cost per pint.

So where did the cream from the ice cream go? Not into cream sodas, which derive their trademark taste from vanilla.

While all were called cream sodas, the three types tested by the panel varied widely in color, aroma and flavor.

A honey-enhanced offering from the Thomas Kemper beer people took top honors, but barely ahead of A&W’s remarkably decent diet version - at half the cost and none of the calories.

As for the Safeway Select soda … say, how ‘bout some more ice cream?

Real Fruit Chunky Sorbet, Wild Berries

Price: $2.49 for one pint.

Nutrition: 100 calories (no fat); 10 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.

Taste: *****

Value: ***

Comments: “Delicious - very berry - very sweet - no one was willing to share!” - Jim McGinty.

“Absolutely wonderful! Total quality.” - Stacy Casto.

“Good flavor, color - raspberries, blueberries - big pieces of berry.” - Mary Lou Crouter.

Dreyers Strawberry-Kiwi Sherbet

Price: $2.99 for 1 quart.

Nutrition: 120 calories (11 percent fat calories); 25 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.

Taste: ****

Value: ****

Comments: “Fresh strawberry taste - real creamy taste.” - Jarretta Manning.

“Big chunks of strawberries. Not too sweet; tastes like homemade strawberry ice cream.” - Susi Faville.

“Tastes like ice cream, very good. Will be buying some soon.” - Jim Eggers.

Haagen-Dazs Raspberry Sorbet

Price: $2.69 for 1 pint.

Nutrition: 120 calories (no fat); no sodium in 1/2 cup.

Taste: ****

Value: ***

Comments: “Tastes like I’m eating a frozen raspberry. This is delicious!” - Jan Robison.

“Intense raspberry taste. Would be wonderful between courses of a big meal. Clean aftertaste.” - Mike Lax.

“Not bad, but a little too potent. Has a pretty good pucker factor. Would be excellent if they backed off the flavor a little.” - Paul Norris.

Thomas Kemper Honey Vanilla Cream Soda

Price: $4.49 for six 12-ounce bottles.

Nutrition: 170 calories (no fat); 70 milligrams sodium in 12-ounce can.

Taste: ***

Value: **

Comments: “Tastes like butter-rum Life Savers. Very sweet and rich. Premium brand.” - Susi Faville.

“Nice and creamy, a little too sweet, but good. Way too pricey for the taste, however.” - Paul Norris.

“Thick and full-bodied, too sweet for my taste.” - Jan Robison.

A&W Diet Cream Soda

Price: $2.19 for six 12-ounce cans.

Nutrition: No calories (no fat); 70 milligrams sodium in 12 ounces.

Taste: ***

Value: ***

Comments: “I knew it was A&W, but wasn’t sure if it was diet - probably the best diet pop.” - Jim Eggers.

“No, just say no.” - Jim McGinty.

“Has that real ‘creamy’ cream taste; this is real cream soda.” - Jarretta Manning.

Safeway Select Cream Soda

Price: $1.49 for six 12-ounce cans.

Nutrition: 170 calories (no fat); 40 milligrams sodium in 12 ounces.

Taste: *

Value: **

Comments: “Artificial sweetener? Diet soda? Funny aftertaste.” - Mary Lou Crouter.

“Awful tasting!” - Mike Lax.

“ICK. Extreme aftertaste - artificial flavors linger on.” - Stacy Casto.

, DataTimes MEMO: Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are bought at a retail store and prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.

Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are bought at a retail store and prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.