Costco Shoppers Love Zalea Jarred Peaches But Have One Major Complaint

Attention, Costco shoppers! The famous big box store has many cult favorite items among regulars, from the famous $1.50 hot dog and a drink Costco combo to great deals on luxury imported wine, and many of the store-brand Kirkland Signature products, which often rival pricier brand names (and many of which secretly are name-brand too). But sometimes, even a Costco fan favorite can cause controversy. Such is the case for Zalea jarred peaches. While these preserved fruits are a big hit with the users of the popular r/Costco subreddit, with one Redditor even proudly describing them as a "first purchase" with their seasonal employee discount, and another thrilled to find them in stock for $10 per jar, there is one issue with these peaches: the pits.

If you've bought Zalea jarred peaches at Costco, you may have been tempted to scoop one up with a spoon and take a bite straight out of the jar. Be forewarned, though, that doing so could lead to an unpleasant surprise, as Zalea jarred peaches are not pitted. On r/Costco, one user warned others off buying them by noting that the "fact that they still have pits makes them extremely frustrating to eat," while another admitted to having "a love/hate relationship" with the peaches, and preferring if "they were pitted and sliced in half" to make them easier to enjoy.

If you do decide to try Costco's Zalea jarred peaches, after you've safely removed the offending pits, there are plenty of great ways to enjoy them. While they're delicious by themselves, these peaches can also be used as a topping or an ingredient for a multitude of sweet and savory dishes. Sliced jarred peaches will enliven a dish of ice cream, fill a store-bought crust for a quick-and easy peach tart, or even top a cheesecake. You can also utilize them to make a delicious, cozy peach cobbler without the hassle of peeling or cooking fresh peaches.

Peaches aren't just for dessert, though, and that definitely holds true for Costco's Zalea jarred peaches. You can cook them down into a reduction that tops roast meat dishes to add a sweet, tangy note to bring out the richer flavors. You can also use them as a drink ingredient, by slicing them and utilizing them as a garnish for cocktails, or putting them in a food processor and then adding sparkling wine for a variation on a classic bellini.