|
|
 |
Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||||
Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Setton Farms Pistachio Berry Blend > Test Report by Gail StaisilSetton FarmsPistachio Berry Blend Test Series by: Gail Staisil, Marquette, Michigan  Initial Report - August 25, 2016 Initial Report: August 25, 2016 Tester Information Name: Gail Staisil Age: 64 Gender: Female Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m) Weight: 160 lb (73 kg) Location: Marquette, Michigan USA Email: woodswoman 2001 AT yahoo DOT com Product Information
Initial Impressions and Product Description I received two packages of Setton Farms Pistachio Berry Blend. Each package has multi-servings and the total weight for a package is over 5 oz (142 g). Each package has a tear-away strip and is resealable.  Pistachio Berry Blend According to the manufacturer this product is a new one in their line of pistachio products. Basically it is a trail mix but the ingredients are top notch. They included "premium quality California pistachios" as well as tart cherries and cranberries. Fresh roasted almonds, cashews and "creamy white chips" round out the ingredients. The label reflects that dried cranberries are the foremost ingredient followed by white chips, pistachios, almonds, cherries and cashews. Many of the ingredients (cranberries, chips, cherries) are processed with sugar so the sugar content for one serving is 13 g. The total carbohydrate content is 18 g and the protein content 2 g for a 1 oz (28 g) serving. As aforementioned each package of Pistachio Berry Blend is resealable. The package indicates that there are about 5 servings of 1 oz (28 g) each. The serving would have approximately 140 calories each with half of those calories from fat (7 g). The sodium content is low at 45 mg per serving. The product does contain tree nuts, milk and soy. It also states that it is manufactured in a facility that also processes products that contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy and wheat. Right now I am resisting the temptation to open a bag. However I will be going on another backpacking trip in a few days so I will wait til then. My thoughts are to separate the small portions out of the bag so that I can eat the appropriate serving. I am afraid that I normally eat way more than that, so we'll see how this goes!! Looking forward to taking the product out in the field. Can't wait to taste it and my only concern for the moment is how I am supposed to make the product last over four months. Top of Page Long Term Report: November 12, 2016 USA Locations and Conditions During the entire test period I have spent 17 days backpacking and three days at a lighthouse on an island in Lake Superior. All trips were in Michigan and Minnesota. Trip locations included lakeshore to boreal forest. Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2,000 ft (610 m). Location of Trip #1: Isle Royale National Park Length of Trip: 4 days, 3 nights backpacking (Sept 10-13, plus 8 more days of day hikes and adventures in Minnesota)  Pack Weight: 26 lb (11.8 kg) Distance: 31 mi (50 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Sun, clouds and rainstorms Precipitation: Heavy rain Temperature Range: 42 F to 77 F (6 C to 25 C) Location of Trip #2: Porcupine Mts Wilderness State Park Length of Hike-in Rustic Cabin Trip: 4 days, 3 nights (Sept 30 - Oct 3) Pack Weight: 28 lb (12.7 kg) Distance: 12 mi (19 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Partly sunny and sunny, a bit of rain Precipitation: Very light rain Temperature Range: 35 F to 58 F (2 C to 14 C) Location of Trip #3: Porcupine Mts Wilderness State Park Length of Trip: 4 days, 3 nights (October 5-8) Pack Weight: 27 lb (12 kg) Distance: 29 mi (47 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Sunny, cloudy and rain Precipitation: Rain  Temperature Range: 33 F to 57 F (1 C to 14 C ) Location of Trip #4: Porcupine Mts Wilderness State Park Length of Trip: 3 days, 2 nights backpacking (October 28-30) Pack Weight: 25 lb (11 kg) Distance: 12 mi (19 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, sunny Precipitation: Light rain Temperature Range: 39 F to 56 F (4 C to 13 C) Location of Trip #5: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Length of Trip: 2 days, 1 night backpacking (November 4-5) Pack Weight: 24.5 lb (11 kg) Distance: 10 mi (16 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Unseasonably warm, sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 36 F to 65 F (2 C to 18 C) ------------------------------------------------------ Trip Talk  During the testing period I separated out the trail mix so that I could enjoy it on a number of outings. I had two (5 oz/142 g) bags of trail mix to work with, so barely a handful for each 1 oz (28 g) serving. Each serving provides about 140 calories which was enough for a quick bite or two. Normally I would want to eat more to satisfy me but restricting the amount didn't do me any harm for the short haul. Of course I had to take a break and eat another snack instead an hour or two later as it wasn't enough to keep me satisfied for long. Since none of these trips were lengthy (longest being four days) I normally pack more food than I need anyway. I guess if I had more of the product, I can see myself eating at least 2 oz (56 g) at a time. Now for the taste. I really enjoyed the mixture of flavors. I like the tartness of the cherries/cranberries combined with the pistachios/almonds. The sweetened yogurt pieces were easy to eat but not really my favorite. Guess I would rather have chocolate in the mixture but I realize that is not for everyone! The product was un-messy to eat. I didn't get left with sticky hands nor did the chips melt. On my warmest trip the temps did reach 77 F (25 C) and the mixture didn't melt or get sticky. There is a good ratio of weight-to-calories, so something to think about carrying for lengthy trips where every ounce counts. I would consider purchasing this product for future trips. I might add a bit of chocolate to the mixture though. Pros
Tester Remarks Thanks to Setton International Foods, Inc and BackpackGearTest.org for this opportunity to test the Pistachio Berry Blend. This concludes my Long Term Report and the test series. Top of Page Read more reviews of Setton Farms gear Read more gear reviews by Gail Staisil Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Setton Farms Pistachio Berry Blend > Test Report by Gail Staisil | ||||||||||||||||