5 Grocery Store Orange Sherbets, Ranked Worst To Best

Orange sherbet was never something I assumed would be in short supply. A little peek behind the curtain here, I began buying these products the day after New Year's. If you can piece together why trying to buy sherbet on that particular day could be tricky, you've got a keener eye than I. For those, like me, who didn't consider it, sherbet is one of two ingredients to create a fabulous party punch. Considering I went shopping the day after the Holiday Party season was wrapping up, I was lucky to find the few brands that I did. In fact, I was lucky enough to grab the last container of two of my selections.

I'm hoping that putting together this article will save you some time next time you're looking to throw a shindig, or if you're looking for a new favorite low-fat ice cream alternative. If you're still married to ice cream, there are plenty of taste tests out there to help guide you on that journey. To see how sherbet measures up against ice cream, I've invited the biggest ice cream fan I know, my father, to assist in the taste-testing portion of this article. Join me, and my father, as we delve into the zesty, sweet world of orange sherbets. I'm going to take a critical eye on each one's flavor and texture, in an endeavor to weed out the ones that aren't worth a party invitation, and which ones you should consider a VIP.

My first red flag with Frozen Farmer was that it was not labeled as a sherbet. I checked the labeling, ingredients — everything I could. It is a sherbet, as it has dairy in it. Otherwise, I would have considered this a sorbet and not picked it up from the store shelf. But the name notwithstanding, this seemed like a fancy, well-marketed sherbet. This was a last-minute addition to my lineup as all my other options had sold out in a 10-mile radius. I almost wish I'd opted to pick up some rainbow sherbet and tried to pick out the orange parts to test.

Frozen Farmer Orange Cream Frobert was not good. I mean, it was okay, if you were just wanting something cold with some flavor. However, texturally it was more like an Italian ice than a sherbet. The Cream and Orange flavors were both present. Except they absolutely did not blend. I have no idea how one manages to get two flavors into the same container and then not mix. At all. One second I would taste orange and then the next the cream. It was baffling. These sentiments were echoed by my father, who said that if it were a choice between Frozen Farmer Orange Cream Frobert and making his own ice cream, he'd take the time and effort to make his own every time. The convenience of buying this in the store was just not worth the taste or texture.

I have fond memories of eating at Friendly's. Not only did it have a fun kids' menu, but I knew I would be getting ice cream for dessert. I'm sad to say that the chain's popularity has waned since the mid-2010's. Going from around 500 stores to just over 100 remaining, and only being available in about 11 states. At least its ice cream is still being sold in grocery stores in my area — so if I'm craving that nostalgic flashback, I can always pick up a pint or two. I was eager to taste test the Orange Cream flavor for my childhood self alone.

I knew that Friendly's faced a bit of an uphill climb in this sherbet-off as it only carries a blended ice cream. The orange in its orange cream is sherbet, whereas the cream is vanilla ice cream. Since it was not a pure sherbet, it would struggle to claim the top spot unless the sherbet absolutely shone. In the end, this was tasty. If you want a creamsicle without the hassle of buying actual popsicle-shaped treats, this is the way to go. However, as it didn't look, taste, or act like a sherbet it has to be placed this low. The veins of sherbet throughout were excellent, but absolutely dominated by the cream. It all blended together, so I will have no problem enjoying the rest of his pint — but if you're looking for a sherbet, seek elsewhere.

Generic store brands are a staple of these taste-testing articles. If Great Value had an orange sherbet, you can bet I would have given it a whirl. Stop & Shop normally performs pretty well with me, it's one of the stores I go to for my day-to-day grocery needs. Unfortunately, Stop & Shop has also suffered its fair share of criticisms. Notably, its canned salmon and sourdough bread left a lot to be desired. The store's generic branding is far from a sure thing. I had a glimmer of hope when picking up this pint, as I managed to buy the last container on the shelf. If everyone else had purchased the rest of the case, surely it couldn't be that bad, right?

The Stop & Shop Fat Free Orange Sherbet has a lot going for it. It has the correct texture, color, and mouthfeel for orange sherbet. I would not be hard pressed to eat more of this particular product, however it is extraordinarily lacking in the flavor department. Sure, it has that silky smooth perfect sherbet feel, but I really had to work it over in my mouth to actually taste the orange flavoring. It is not a particularly bad product, but considering its sort of bland nature, I can't rate it any higher. My father echoed the sentiment by claiming this sherbet tasted exactly how he expected a fat free product to taste. Correct, but a little weak.

From one generic product to another, Signature SELECT has held both best and worst positions on these taste tests. The brand is the store brand for all Albertson's chains, whether that be Albertson's, Shaw's Marketplace, Safeway's and so on. While I am never going to buy a Signature SELECT frozen breakfast sandwich, I do go out of my way to pick up its Worcestershire sauce. I am happy to report in this case that Signature SELECT came out swinging, and its orange sherbet is something to behold.

The only reason I did not place this sherbet in the top position is the texture. It was too clumpy. It behaved more like an ice cream than a sherbet and was extraordinarily sticky. The flavor of the Signature SELECT Mandarin Orange Sherbet is phenomenal. It had the strongest flavor out of the gate of all the sherbets. It was a powerful orange that absolutely nailed what I was expecting from an orange sherbet. My father agreed, though he tasted a chalky aftertaste that was not present in mine. While I didn't have a strange aftertaste, I will warn you that the flavor doesn't stick with you for very long. Once I'd swallowed, the flavor did not linger. In my experience, that's a Signature SELECT staple — strong flavors that evaporate once consumed. It gets an A+ for flavor, and a B for texture. Worth your time and your money, especially if you're already in an Albertson's owned store.

I was unfamiliar with the Kemps brand when I set out to purchase it for this article. Kemps has been around since 1914 and is primarily a dairy company, though the quality of its orange related products cannot be overstated. The company is proud of its roots, and strives to keep its quality consistent and reliable despite having a national reach, which is pretty amazing for a farmer-owned co-op. My research also revealed that Kemps rated highly on a comparison of Orange Juice brands, so I felt confident the product would at least taste good. In short, I was absolutely charmed by the brand, especially its various charities and outreaches. Of course, it comes down to the quality of the sherbet, not the quality of a business, for this article.

This is the perfect orange sherbet. No ifs, ands, or buts. It has a smooth, easy scoop with a silky, creamy mouthfeel. It has a top-notch flavor that is simply orange sherbet. It is difficult to use another flavor descriptor, because it is the ideal orange sherbet. A sweet start with a little citrus tartness, and a smooth aftertaste that made my mouth feel fresh. My father agreed with my assessment and almost didn't continue the taste test afterwards. He was so content with the dish of Kemps that I had to assure him I'd leave him the container. It's high-quality stuff. If you can find some Kemps near you, I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

One of the most important parts of these taste tests, at least to me, is a fair and consistent grading method. I even try to keep the plating and presentation consistent. Otherwise, there is a chance an outside influence will unduly alter how something tastes, or feels. As such, for these five sherbets, I made sure to take two scoops from each container, place them in a bowl for pictures, and then try at least three mouthfuls of each. This time around, I had a tasting buddy in my father — a self-described ice cream aficionado — who was happy to finish off each dish of sherbet and give me his thoughts.

I rated each sherbet based on how close the flavor came to an ideal orange sherbet flavor. A creamy approximation of orange flavoring — I didn't need a true orange flavor — as cream and citrus historically don't actually like mixing without causing a curdle. The other criterion for this particular test was the texture. A sherbet is supposed to be creamy, silky smooth, and easy to scoop. It should theoretically require even less actual eating than ice cream. I made notes regarding aftertaste, and had a little selection for my father's observations. I will say I discovered which side of the family I inherited my ice cream preferences from. All in all, this was an enjoyable ranking to undertake, and hopefully you now know which sherbet to be running towards, and which to be running from.