There comes a time in everyone’s life when you just want to shake things up a touch…let your hair down and go with the flow…add a little heat to your daily routine. While there are a number of ways I can think of to live out this suppressed wild streak, one of the tastiest I’ve come across is with a simple dash or two of Connecticutly Grown’s Hoardable Hot Sauce.
Creators Jens Tschebull and Abby Yates craft this special line of locally produced and bottled hot sauces. And for those who have finally jumped on and appreciate the sustainable bandwagon, hold on tight because their products are made with organically grown produce and ingredients straight from Connecticut farmers—hence the name Connecticutly Grown.
When asked why he decided to create his own blend of hot sauces, Jens responded enthusiastically.
"I love peppers!"
While the restaurants he frequented did have hot sauce on hand, the choices were limited and run-of-the-mill.
"I wanted some variety," he notes. "I was looking for something different." So Jens created an array of hot sauces to please his palate, as well as the palates of others, who ultimately encouraged him to bottle and sell it.
The Hoardable Hot Sauce line ranges in heat levels from relatively tame (Hot Apple) to explosive (Cruel and Unusual Punishment, made with ghost peppers, about 300 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper). In the middle there’s Lemon-Thyme, Green Pepper Mix and Red Pepper Mix.
While Jens has been making hot sauce for years, he recently began producing and marketing it for mass consumption and has had quite a bit of success since launching the line in 2010.
Margaret Sapir and Mitch Rapaport, owners of Wave Hill Breads Bakery & Café in Norwalk, CT, sat down for a tasting of Jens’ blends and were immediately hooked. They now carry his line in their bakery and café. And they’re not the only ones with a penchant for the punch of a pepper. Melt Market & Café in Bridgeport is another fan of Hoardable Hot Sauces and carries the line for purchase.
B.J. Ryan’s, a casual pub-styled eatery in Norwalk, CT, knows a good thing when they see—and taste—it, as well. So much so that the condiments are available for spreading on your cheeseburger, chicken, fish etc. You can also get a taste of the heat at Port Coffeehouse in Bridgeport, CT.
Additional places to purchase include Babycat Milkbar (Wilton, CT); Christie's Country Store (Westport, CT); Darien Cheese Shop and Fine Foods (Darien, CT); Double L Market (Westport, CT); Hickoree's Hard Goods (Brooklyn, NY); Holbrook Farms (Bethel, CT); Maltose Express (Monroe, CT); Nature's Temptations (Ridgefield, CT); Rowayton Market (Rowayton, CT); Sport Hill Farm (Easton, CT); Springdale Florist (Darien, CT); The Angry Pepper (Monroe, CT); and The Winter Farmers Market at Norfield Grange (Weston, CT).
You can also like Hoardable Hot Sauce on Facebook.
Check out my other column, “Fairfield County Restaurant Examiner,” dedicated to dining in Fairfield County, CT.
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