# Pop Tart Purchase **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 25, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341 "2023-02-25T05:19:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/1 "2023-02-25T05:19:56Z")
OK, first off I’m older than Pop Tarts by many years. In fact they were never part of my breakfast/snack experience. I’ve been watching a series on TV including the Foods That Made America and the latest one was about the development of toaster pastries. Interesting program and it must have gotten me hooks because today as I cruised the cereal aisle for my wife’s mini wheat I turned to my left and there they were. Many square feet of Pop Tarts. Big boxes and small boxes, Iced and frosted. Looked to be an endless selection. So now I’m the not so proud owner of a box of Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop Tarts. I need to decide if I want to Toast, Microwave, Freeze or Stack. I’m kind of ashamed… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/2 "2023-02-25T05:26:38Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I need to decide if I want to Toast, Microwave, Freeze or Stack. Not deep-fry? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/3 "2023-02-25T05:29:41Z")
No rush though. As Seinfeld says, “They can’t go stale … because … they were never fresh.” ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/4 "2023-02-25T05:38:47Z")
You’ve gone down a dark road. I try not to buy them because I will eat them, even though I bake and generally have pretty high standards for pastry quality. Even while I’m stuffing a “blueberry” Pop Tart into my mouth (that’s hyperbole: I eat them ritualistically, carefully breaking off the unfrosted edges and eating them first, then working my way into the center, where most of the ersatz blueberry filing is), I realize that it is terrible nutritionally and really doesn’t taste very good. The crust is bland, the filling is a gummy paste that’s only vaguely reminiscent of fruit, and even the frosting tastes only of sugar. I prefer them toasted. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/5 "2023-02-25T05:50:51Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Not deep-fry? A relatively famous burger shack here in Olympia is owned by a rather eccentric fellow who likes to experiment in the kitchen after hours and post the results on Facebook. His attempt at deep-fried Pop Tarts did not work out well. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/6 "2023-02-25T05:56:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > His attempt at deep-fried Pop Tarts did not work out well. I’d imagine you’d have to fry the pastry raw in order to get the best results. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/7 "2023-02-25T06:11:53Z")
I always liked the brown sugar cinnamon version. They didn’t used to all have that frosting on them, I don’t see the plain ones all the time. I like that dry blandness of the pastry, the fruit fillings were kind of odd tasting to me, and I preferred them straight out of the package instead of toasted. I did check out Dave Barry’s story about flame shooting Pop Tarts with an old toaster. Really unimpressive . ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/8 "2023-02-25T06:26:48Z")
Toast-Ems are cheaper than Pop-Tarts, and I actually like them better. They’re one of the go-to foods I will eat if I’m not feeling well. Flavor almost doesn’t matter, although I do like the blueberry ones best. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/9 "2023-02-25T06:51:12Z")
I will only eat the unfrosted ones, which these days means strawberry or, in Canada, nothing. I’m ashamed to say that I drive over the border for them. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/10 "2023-02-25T07:13:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Toast-Ems are cheaper than Pop-Tarts, and I actually like them better. I hadn’t thought of those in years. They weren’t the ones I preferred over Pop-Tarts, though. It was Nabisco Toastettes. Between Toastettes and Deli-Style Rye Triscuits, Nabisco is seriously in the doghouse for cancelling things I like, so they get boycotted. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/11 "2023-02-25T07:38:04Z")
Honestly, Pilsbury Toaster Strudels from the freezer case beat any of the shelf-stable varieties of poppable tart. Not a fan of the savory egg-and-cheese ones, though. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/12 "2023-02-25T13:04:05Z")
For many years, I’ve eaten four (two 2-packs) frosted brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-Tarts every morning. I rarely toast them. I usually eat them straight from the package, but they are actually much better if you put them in an air fryer. Be gentle. Toast-Ems do not deserve to be mentioned. The toaster pastries from Aldi (Millstone?), however, are an interesting change. Slightly heavier and thicker with more cake-like pastry and wetter filling. You get more pastry (each unit is heavier) for much less money. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/13 "2023-02-25T13:28:52Z")
And if Pop Tarts aren’t sufficiently bland, there’s usually the house brand Faux Tarts right next to them. None of the flavor…and more! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/14 "2023-02-25T13:36:49Z")
Toaster pastries are included in combat rations nowadays. Young people just like them. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/15 "2023-02-25T13:42:27Z")
I think I’ll keep a few in the truck in case I get the hungries while in traffic. I’m guessing they’ll keep for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/16 "2023-02-25T13:53:53Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Smapti](#): > > > > His attempt at deep-fried Pop Tarts did not work out well. > > I’d imagine you’d have to fry the pastry raw in order to get the best results. I’ve seen deep fried Pop Tarts at the state fair. The key seems to be coating them in a disgusting amount of batter. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/17 "2023-02-25T14:16:54Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > I eat them ritualistically, carefully breaking off the unfrosted edges and eating them first, then working my way into the center, where most of the ersatz blueberry filing is), That is _exactly_ how I ate Pop Tarts when I was a child, eons ago. I haven’t had one in decades; they stopped tasting good to me as my taste buds matured. But this thread has given me an idea: what about using a box of Pop Tarts, broken and fitted into a pie plate, as a pie crust? I’m going to give this idea some thought, and possibly try it out, if I’m feeling retro-experimental in the kitchen one of these days. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/18 "2023-02-25T14:18:46Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > You’ve gone down a dark road. I try not to buy them because I will eat them, even though I bake and generally have pretty high standards for pastry quality. Even while I’m stuffing a “blueberry” Pop Tart into my mouth (that’s hyperbole: I eat them ritualistically, carefully breaking off the unfrosted edges and eating them first, then working my way into the center, where most of the ersatz blueberry filing is), I realize that it is terrible nutritionally and really doesn’t taste very good. The crust is bland, the filling is a gummy paste that’s only vaguely reminiscent of fruit, and even the frosting tastes only of sugar. > > I prefer them toasted. Wow, you’ve channeled my exact experience with Pop-Tarts as a kid, from the ritualistic way I ate them to my chronic disappointment at how not-good they were. They always seemed like they should be much tastier than they actually were, ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/19 "2023-02-25T14:23:11Z")
> [@solost](#): > > They always seemed like they should be much tastier than they actually were, Anything they did to make them taste better would probably affect their shelf life. The % of water in these things must rival popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341/20 "2023-02-25T14:26:05Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Anything they did to make them taste better would probably affect their shelf life. The % of water in these things must rival popcorn I don’t know, Hostess fruit pies were awesome, and I think they had a pretty good shelf life. Cherry was my favorite fruit pie flavor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-tart-purchase/980341.md?page=2)