Each week we try dozens of products – everything from new food, to must-have kitchen utensils and handy appliances.
— What’s New —
Belazu Sour Cherry Harissa
Expect to spend: around £4.95
How much you get: 170g jar
Where you can find it: Waitrose, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Sous Chef
What they say:
- Paste Made with Paprika and Sour Cherries.
- Adds a fruity-spicy balance to your dishes. Jazz up a simple tomato & mozzarella salad, top a baked camembert or top grilled lamb chops.
What we say:
- A versatile paste with mild chilli flavour, punchy paprika and deep tanginess from the cherries. It’s a great choice if you don’t enjoy too much chilli heat in your food.
- We tried it in place of our usual harissa for an easy chickpea tagine, mixed with yoghurt for a quick harrissa dip and marinated chicken breasts before baking; all with great results.
- It’s quite a pricy product and as it’s not something you’re likely to use every day, it’s a shame that it needs to be consumed within 2 weeks. This does mean it’s not packed with artificial preservatives though – so that’s a good thing. In order to overcome this issue, we’ve conducted some freezer tests and are happy to report that you can freeze small portions very successfully in ice cube trays, or baby food containers for around 3 months.
What’s more, you can add to cooked recipes from frozen. So, try dropping cubes into bubbling casseroles, soups and sauces. - You might find the Belazu Rose Harissa paste more versatile – we always have a pot handy in the fridge in the test kitchen – it lasts for up to 4 weeks.
Sour cherry harissa dip
Mix 1 tbsp sour cherry harissa with 75g Greek yogurt and 1 tsp runny honey. Serve with warm falafels and lamb koftas, or as a dip with spicy baked pitta bread. Serves 2
Harissa baked chicken
Toss 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets with 2 tsp sour cherry harissa, 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp olive oil. Place on a baking tray, lined with foil and bake in a preheated oven at fan 200C/non-fan 220C for 16-18 mins, or until cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 2
Easy chickpea tagine
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan over a low heat. Add 1 finely sliced medium onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and 2 tbsp sour cherry harissa and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ½ x 400g can chopped tomatoes and 1x 400g can chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Serves 2
Taste Test
Every week we put a selection of supermarket products to the test.
Why you can trust us:
- We’ve visited each retailer featured and purchased like-for-like products.
- We’ve tested with a panel of no fewer than six people to help ensure a range of views.
- We’ve tested everything ‘blind’; meaning our tasters don’t know whose product they’re tasting or see any packaging.
- All testing is conducted by a qualified home economist to ensure fairness and consistency.
- We aren’t governed by advertisers or sponsors, so you can be sure that whatever information we share it’s honest and impartial.
Waitrose Olive Oil Humous
Expect to spend: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Sainsbury’s Olive Oil Humous
Costs: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Tesco Olive Oil Humous
Costs: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Asda Olive Oil Humous
Costs: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Marks & Spencer Olive Oil Humous
Costs: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Aldi Olive Oil Humous
Costs: £2.50 for a 300g tub
What we liked: A creamy, smooth houmous with a good touch of acidity from the lemon.
What could be better: Slightly too salty and no obvious olive oil flavour.
Score: 4/5
Product formulations, prices and weights correct at time of publishing.
Our Favourite Kitchen Kit
Good Grips Y-shaped Peeler
Expect to spend: around £9.00
Where you can find it: Available in kitchenware shops, department stores and online
What it’s good for: peeling vegetables, even tough ones like butternut squash, making Parmesan shavings, ‘grating’ chocolate for decorating cakes and desserts and peeling stringy sides off runner beans.
Why we like it:
A comfortable, wide handle and sharp blade that makes light work of even butternut squash skin. Will see you through bags of potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips with ease. We have three of these handy peelers in the test kitchen because they are so effective .
But it’s worth taking note of:
If you aren’t used to a peeler that you pull down over vegetables, it could take a bit of getting used to – and watch out for the ultra-sharp blade as it’s easy to nick the end of a fingernail. There are similar, cheaper peelers available, but we always come back to these as they last longer and peel more efficiently than any others we’ve tried.
Some ways to use it:
Pickled Cucumber
Cut thin ribbons of cucumber and toss with vinegar and sugar for a quick pickle to serve alongside cooked fish (recipe button link here), or even used for a posh cucumber sandwich.
Parmesan shavings
Scape the peeler down the side of a Parmesan wedge to create shavings to sprinkle on pasta or salads (recipe button link here). Any leftover shavings can be kept in a lidded container in the fridge for up to a week.
Chocolate decorations
This peeler is also great for making chocolate shavings for decorating cakes and desserts. It works best on room temperature chocolate – just use the longest side and grate straight onto your bake.