Aldi Customers Seriously Adore These Jarred Olives

If you're a fan of putting together charcuterie boards when you have company over — or just for yourself — and you're looking to spice things up, then Aldi could come through for you in a big way, literally. Aldi's Specially Selected olives come in a few varieties, but the jalapeño stuffed olives really bring this tried and true, briny treat to the next level. If you like a bit of heat and you're already an olive fan, you owe it to yourself to give these ones a try.

When Tasting Table covered the pantry staples you should always get at Aldi, these olives were on the list. They pair incredibly well with anything on a charcuterie board and by adding a whole new dynamic that traditional olives don't have. As Samantha Maxwell wrote, "You'll get that same peppery flavor you experience with the pimento, but with a bit more heat and a touch of that green, vegetal flavor that jalapeños are known for." 

You can get olives stuffed with almost anything, not just the pimento that most of us are familiar with. From blue cheese to preserved lemons — an ingredient that would really shake up your next dirty martini — there are many different flavors and textures that set one jarred olive variety apart from another, but these jalapeño stuffed ones stand out. At $3.19 per 7-ounce jar, depending on the location, Tasting Table is far from alone in that opinion, too.

Our taste tester isn't the only one to who has fell in love with the Specially Selected jalapeño stuffed olives from Aldi. One user on Reddit said, "I'll open a jar of the jalapeño stuffed ones just to have a few, only to realize I've eaten the entire jar. Then I start drinking the brine." Another Redditor gave them a try in place of normal olives in a martini and described it as "phenomenal."

People sitting down to snack and finishing a whole jar is a common theme in online reviews. That includes reviews from people on strict keto diets who report polishing off half a jar in one sitting. The olives have also found use beyond simple snacking in things like homemade pesto and as a contrasting element to the typical items on a charcuterie board. With the added heat, that opens up even more choices for the variety of cheeses you may want to include.

Aldi offers other olives if you want to expand the flavor profile a little. They also have olives loaded with feta, blue cheese, or cheddar. If you still crave the heat you can get jalapeño jack cheese, too. If you're feeling a little adventurous, try adapting them to a classic tapenade recipe for a spicy upgrade. They would also make a great topping for a homemade pizza, baked into a loaf of focaccia, or anything you'd normally add olives to that would benefit from a boost of heat.