I was sitting at work the other day cracking and eating David Sunflower Seeds, and I thought to myself, these things really don’t much taste like Sunflower Seeds. Seemed like one out of every three or four David Sunflower Seeds tasted kinda funky or rancid, and I found them to be excessively salty, to the point of making my tongue burn. I guess if your seeds have little flavor, then salt is the fix. Seeds that taste like Brine instead of seeds, is a bummer. Sticking my nose in the package and taking a whiff, I found them to smell funky with a bit of a rancid smell. And David Sunflower Seeds were small, with many having worm holes. And so I decided I had to find another brand of Sunflower seeds to try and try and find the best sunflower seeds Roasted & Salted to perfection, on the planet.
So I marched down to Walgreens. All I found was David brand. Hmmm. Walked over to CVS, and yep, all they had was David.
I searched all over the web, and found that Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds had some very positive reviews. Went looking and found them at Raley’s on the way home that night.
Jumbo Brand Sun Flower Seeds, owned by Klein Bros. Holdings, Ltd in California came in a 5oz package, just like the David Brand Sun Flower Seeds. That’s where the similarity ends.
The Jumbo Brand Seeds were lightly salted, had much larger shells, a crisp pop when opening with your teeth, and they smelled good, and tasted like freshly roasted Sunflowers!
My mouth and tongue didn’t burn after eating Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds, as they typically do with other brands. And I wasn’t left with a giant thirst the David Brand leaves me with.
Jumbo Brand Sunflower seeds really satisfied the salty and nutty part of my palate, and kept me wanting more. I’d get a handful, crack and eat and want more a few minutes later. It’s a great snack because you have to work a little get a wonderful morsel of goodness, while avoiding gorging while snacking. So far Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds are my favorite and the best!
Do yourself a favor. If you like Sunflower Seeds give Jumbo Brand sunflower seeds a taste test.
You can order the traditional salted Jumbo Sunflower Seeds variety, as well as Ranch, Dill, All Natural Unsalted, BBQ, and Salt and Pepper from their website if you can’t find them in your local store.
Contact Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds.
UPDATE:
Went to Raley’s again today, and spied not only the Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds, but also the ubiquitous David Brand, but also another brand of sunflower seeds called, Spitz. They are Canadian, and come in a resealable bag. That’s a nice touch, but usually just use a clothes pin to keep my opened bags of seeds closed and fresh.
I bought a bag of Spitz, and also another bag of BBQ Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds.
The Spitz Sunflower seeds are a bit smaller than the Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds, and seem to be a little harder to crack, and perhaps less fresh smelling and tasting. They are still much, much better than the David Brand. If I had to chose between the three brands, I’d put the Jumbo Brand Sunflower Seeds at the top, followed by Spitz, and trailed by David. In fact at this point I’d just do without before buying another bag of David Sunflower Seeds.
The Jumbo Brand BBQ Sunflower Seeds are quite nice. Not at all what I thought they’d smell and taste like. I somehow had the idea of a bottle of BBQ sauce dumped on the seeds, but in reality they tasted a little smoked, and had a tiny bit of a spicy kick to them. Even though they had this coating of smoke, they still cracked resoundingly when chomped. And the flavor of the seed still came through the BBQ flavor. I love them!
I bought another bag of Jumbo SunFlower Seeds the other day, and they were awesome. Seeds were huge, and opened with a resounding pop, and until I find something better, I’ve come to the conclusion that Jumbo Seeds are the best.
Great points
Thanks
I could have written this review; I have been through the same things with sunflower seeds. I first found a small bag of Jumbo brand seeds at Walgreens. After discovering that I loved them, I too found them at Raleys–a one-pound bag! I love the fact that they are less salty, having “low sodium” right on the front of the package. Now I can eat them every day; they are so fresh, crisp and yummy!!!
If you think Jumbos are good you should try a brand I found at Wal-Mart called Dakota Style! They are also Jumbo sized and when I compared the sodium levels to David’s they were about 30% less. They had an unbelievable crack and were salty when I got to the meat. They are out of the Midwest. I also tried their Kernels and they are great! You have to give them a try!
I disagree I like the DAVID jumbo seeds. The first bag I tried had the pop and the right flavor. I think you should have called the number on the back of the back of ” RAncid” seeds, at least thats what normal people do.
I drove all around the country this winter (somewhere around 10K miles) and sampled every kind of sunflower seed I could find, and I totally agree with this article. I would, however, list Jumbo and Spitz as a tie, as I liked them both equally, putting David completely off the chart (so terrible..). I bet I chewed 20 bags of seeds this winter!
I like Jumbo and Spitz, but two brands that I think you need to consider are Bigs (Colorado) and my traditional favorite which are Giants (North Dakota) which have the biggest seeds. Both companies have a variety of flavors, but Bigs has the most unique with Jim Beam and Red Hot Buffalo Wings! Not cheap, but they are worth it!
I agree with the comment about Spitz. The bulk of them in the bag are smaller and slimmer and don’t pop open. They seem a little to soft to do so. I used to always eat Nutty Club but will now look for Jumobo’s. I don’t know if they are sold in Canada.
I buy a lot of jumbo David’s Sun Flower Seeds. But for the last 2 month they are so bad, not fresh and full of dry worms, and taste bad. Frankly I can’t find any other brand out there to give it a try, but I am not buying this junk anymore.
You wrote exactly what I feel. I’d rather go without than go with David or Frito Lay. It’s like sucking on a salt shaker to get tiny seeds. SPITZ cracked pepper are my choice but BIGS are the best for Dill pickle flavor. Still looking for GIANT brand that advertises spicy garlic and Sriracha hot sauce flavor. Might have to buy them online
It always seemed like every time I got a bag of the Davids they tasted like they were already 6 months old.. Now if you are dying and need some seeds, then the ranch flavors kinda cover up the nasty taste that goes with the Davids seeds. A Guy I work with turned me onto 2 different kinds of seeds. The BIGS are amazing. Ranch, Sea Salt and Dill pickle are my 3 favs but just about every flavor is pretty good. at least. The spitz are quite a bit smaller in comparison but the cracked pepper flavor is so unique that you can’t quit. Happy spitting folks!!!!!!
I’ve tried all the other brands of sunflower seeds out there and I think the fresh’s & best tasting are Ley’s original sunflower seeds
If you’re looking to try some good seeds you should try Chinook Seedery seeds. They are a new brand that is seriously good. I recommend the Hatch Green Chili flavor.
Use to get a brand back in the seventies from health food store called Four Star. They still may my mouth water thinking about them! So fresh and big and sea salted. Going to try jumbo since no longer available .
If you know any oriental groceries try the Cha Cha seed . Very nice. Amazon have em but pricey. At the store they run $2.50. Try the natural flavor.
used to eat davids for a while then i came across BIGS which were way less salty and more flavor. I’ll have to try the Jumbo ones. happy seeding everyone
Since going from being very active in my job to just sitting at a desk now, I chew seeds all day long. I always ate Davids to begin with but at the nudging of a coworker, I tried Spitz. They were so much better, particularly the Salted Caramel flavor. Suddenly seeing there were so many other options beyond just regular Davids, I’ve decided to try as many brands as I can. So far I’ve had Frito Lay, David, Spitz, Bigs, Jumbo and Giants. I’ve tried almost every flavor each brand has to offer and I have to say, my hands down favorite are Giants. They are always fresh, very few “rancid” seeds and they are pretty much the biggest seeds out there. Now I have to admit, I actually prefer a few more of the flavors of Bigs over Giants, but Bigs seem to have a “woody” shell that almost feels like I’m chewing on bark. I’ll grab a bag of Bigs every now and then because of the different flavors, but Giants are definitely my go-to.
Giants are by far an away the best brand on the planet. The North Dakota sunflower seed is the biggest and best tasting. Personally I think the Kettle Roast variety is the best as they are sweet and salty but do not burn your mouth, A word of caution. They are also incredibly addicting!
If you have never had the Giant Brand Kettle Roast go online and order some or if your in the mid-west buy them at Cub Foods. I promise you will no be disappointed!
I have always bought fritos lay sunflower seeds. If they weren’t available I would buy Davids. I LOVE sunflower seeds but both brands are so salty that they leave my mouth sore. Spitz brand was not quite as salty but they didn’t always taste fresh. I have recently come across my new favorite. The Dakota Style jumbo sunflower seeds are sooooo good. They have the perfect amount of salt. The seeds are easy to crack and the kernels have a great flavor.
Like everyone else, I’ve tried almost every brand of sunflower seeds I can think of. Honestly, I could not see myself ever picking up David or Frito Lays, they’re super salty and leave the inside of your mouth in pain. My favorites are Giants, Jumbo and Bigs. I usually order directly from their website and get a variety case.
Ditto, seedmaster. Try the Giant brand kettle roast! you will not be disappointed.
If you like Jumbo Seeds you should try BIGS brand seeds, if you haven’t already. They have a lot of name brand flavors like Hidden Valley Ranch, Frank’s Red Hot, Bacon Salt Sizzlin’ Bacon, and my personal favorite, Vlasic Dill Pickle, among others. They are big, fresh, and hit with just the right amount of salt, and the flavor is top notch.
I have snacked on sunflower seeds my entire life and have recently found Chinook Seedery. They’re advertised as a bigger seed than others and a more healthy option with less sodium. You would think that would affect the taste but they are the tastiest seed I have tried to date and have different flavors like Hatch Green Chile and Cinnamon Toast. Definitely look into Chinook Seedery!
Does anyone know where I can find white salted in shell sunflower seeds? I started eating these when I was 15 yrs old and now I am 38. I am totally addicted and I first found them at the eckerd stores which are no longer around. I then Found them at 2 companies since then and just found out they are discontinued. These seeds ate like no other. They r big and taste really good. Nothing compares to them. I wish I could post a picture. Hope someone knows what I am talking about and has an idea. I am going crazy. Thanks so much:)
I’ve poked around but am not having much luck. Looks like seeds for planting might be available:
http://robsrareandgiantseeds.com/1310-giant-white-sunflower-28-ft-white-sunzilla-cross-hybrid-7-seeds-rare/
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/122090152949?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F711-117182-37290-0%252F2%253Fmtid%253D1588%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D53601919689_324272%2526itemid%253D122090152949%2526targetid%253D186358932009%2526rpc%253D0.07%2526rpc_upld_id%253D92388%2526device%253Dm%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.com%25252Fulk%25252Fitm%25252Flike%25252F122090152949%25253Flpid%25253D82%252526chn%25253Dps%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9031985%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D239125209%2526adgroupid%253D14978428809%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-186358932009%2526gclid%253DCJHojqHN3tACFQyffgodyJYByg%2526srcrot%253D711-117182-37290-0%2526rvr_id%253D1135076789272&ul_noapp=true
http://www.martinamerica.net
Hello
Thanks for the information. I will definitely look at that site. I appreciate your response 🙂
YoU are to kind. I will check those out too. Thanks so much! !
Try Flying Duthmen or Dutchman. Mound City South Dakota. sold in the dakotas and Montana and Wyoming. All the rest of us need to order online.
Crisp shell, kettle roasted like texture along with almost a kettle corn sweetness (not much but enough to keep you engaged).
Tried them when I was home in ND and made sure I left with a couple large bags.
Sorry, that was Wild Ducthman, not Flying Dutchman.
Still good stuff.
Will look into ordering some. I’m sitting here crunching on Spitz Dill Pickle and the very first one was nasty with a bitter and rancid flavor. Giant Brand is still my go to.
I’ve tried them all. Wild Dutchman seeds win hands down. Do yourself a favor and try a bag.
Every store sells David sunflower seeds, they’re not that great. Not consistent in size or flavor. Kroger had they’re own brand, they were great. Been discontinued and now they carry is David. They do have small packages of Frito Lay sunflower seeds and they are good.
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Bigs for life! A gas station around here sells them more $1.70, but I’ve seen them go for up to $2.50. Always loved seeds, but hated how David’s would ruin my mouth. Also, half of their seeds are always stale or rancid. I guess when you make it to the stop, it’s easy to neglect quality. There was a low sodium David’s for awhile, but those weren’t too good either. I need to try the South Dakota jumbo seeds and Giant’s.