I don’t get contacted by companies a lot; my blog isn’t (very) popular (yet). So when I received a message from Lisa (from Mooney Farms,) asking me to give their Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes a chance, I was all over it. Free food for blogging? Sold.
I first told Lisa the following:
“Thank you for contacting me. …I would like to make it clear that my opinions are always honest…the review isn’t guaranteed to be favorable. If you’d still like to proceed, please let me know!”
Her response was confident. “I am certain you will enjoy some, if not all of the products I will send you.”
Oh my. Really? Ok. Let’s give these a try.
Only three (of the 5) products are pictured below:
I started off by tasting the jar of Julienne-cut tomatoes (with Italian herbs) in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this jar not pictured). And unfortunately, I was disappointed.
The biggest turn-off for me, was that the tomatoes weren’t sweet at all. Sun-dried tomatoes are concentrated versions of their plumper selves, so my only conclusion was that maybe the variety of tomato they use to begin with, isn’t sweet. The second thing I noticed about these, was that the garlic and herb flavors were incredibly sour and metallic tasting. And last, the extra virgin olive oil used in the jar, is flavorless.
Not being one to give up, I ripped open the bag of the Julienne-cut tomatoes (with Italian basil,) hoping that maybe, with the exclusion of the olive oil, they would taste better. And they did, barely. These were slightly sweeter, and had a good chewy texture, but still had an “off” flavor. Maybe the blend of herbs they use are not of quality, or maybe they’re too heavy-handed with them, but it still left a harsh and unpleasant aftertaste.
I kept on truckin’, and threw some into our dinner last night, cooking them along side some freshly chopped garlic, butter, and onions, and tossed with pasta. They tasted better once they were mixed in with other “stuff,” but that’s not saying much, is it?
It’s with sadness to write this negative review, because I was contacted by someone so friendly and willing to give my little blog some free love. But I have to stick to my roots: I would not recommend Bella Sun Luci products. Their sourness and overbearing spices, along with the unpleasant metallic aftertaste are not qualities I enjoy in a sun dried tomato.
Have you ever tried this particular brand before? What are your thoughts? Is there something I’m missing?
Fine print: I was sent these products for free, to try and review on my site. All of my opinions are open, honest, and my own.
Yvonne Mason says: I was surprised by your review. I read it when I was searching for a place to buy Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil. Previously they were available at Costco – and appeared to be very popular – but they stopped carrying them. I absolutely love them and use them in many recipes, including just putting them atop cream cheese and toast in the morning. I, too, am honest about what I like and I really tried to see your point of view but I have to say that I – and my family – really love them. Maybe by comparison to another brand, I would think differently, but I was upset that Costco discontinued them and I’m really looking for another grocery store to but them.
oh no! i just bought some of these (the sundried tomatoes) at costco today and was searching for revciews. they look so pretty in the jar that it’s a shame that you didn’t enjoy them. i haven’t opened the jar yet…