Aldi Garlic Knots Have A Keep Frozen Label For A Reason

Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, especially if you fall prey to one of the many mistakes everyone makes when trying to read food labels. It's even more confusing when those food labels seem to directly defy the reality staring at you from the grocery store shelf, as is the case with Aldi's L'oven Fresh Garlic Knots. The knots are located in the Aldi bakery aisle, and are set at room temperature with the rest of the baked goods. But if you look closely, you'll realize that the label shares this key information: "Best enjoyed same day as purchased or freeze until needed." Unfortunately, it seems like many shoppers are missing the fine print, leading to some less-than-satisfying culinary experiences. 

"I cannot quite adequately express my disappointment when I popped open this delicious smelling steaming bag of garlic knots I purchased 4 days ago," one person on Reddit shared, along with a picture of mold-covered garlic knots sitting on a sheet pan. "My heart was crushed." On Facebook, more Aldi shoppers shared their confusing garlic knot experiences. "Should the shelf stable garlic knots look like this?" asked one user, alongside a picture of more moldy knots. Commenters were quick to set them straight: "They are not shelf stable!" Though some shoppers thought it was indicative of the freshness of Aldi products as a whole, others pointed out how easy it is to not see the fine print freezer instructions on the label.

It seems like forgetting to freeze Aldi's L'oven Fresh Garlic Knots is a pretty common experience, and could be one of the reasons Aldi shoppers have mixed feelings about these garlic knots. "I made the same mistake," one Reddit commenter shared in solidarity with the original poster. "They are put out frozen but if you don't plan to eat them that day you need to put them in the freezer." Another said, "I brought the first bag home and put them in my pantry for a few days...I didn't read the bag since it was on the shelf at the store." 

So how exactly should one prepare Aldi's L'oven Fresh Garlic Knots? The instructions on the packaging say to freeze the rolls if you don't cook them the same day, but if you do freeze them, they need to be thawed before baking. The bag gets poked to create a few vents, and then the rolls get baked in the bag in the oven. But while forgetting to thaw before cooking is one of the big mistakes everyone makes with frozen foods, a Redditor shared this convenient tip: "You can just put them in the oven frozen. Just add a couple minutes cook time." The journey to getting garlic knots on the table can sometimes seem fraught with peril, but carb- and garlic-lovers know the struggle is worth it.