American Spoon means fruity goodness from Michigan

April 7, 6:19 AMSoutheast MI Home & Living ExaminerJackie DiGiovanni

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Southeast MI Home & Living Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Image from www.spoon.com

American Spoon is located in Petoskey. The name is synonymous with fruit grown in northern Michigan and made into sweet and tangy treats that are welcomed in homes across America.

Here is their story:

“We have succeeded by doing the opposite of what a large food company would do. We seek out the most delicious varieties and prepare many of our fruits by hand. We cook in small batches, put as much fruit as possible into every jar and pay higher prices for exceptional fruits — prices that help to sustain these dedicated growers. As a result, we capture flavors and textures that aren’t found anywhere else.” co-founder Justin Rashid says.

American Spoon also continues to go to great lengths to source rare, wild fruits. It contracts with local residents in the Keweenaw of Michigan’s UP (Upper Peninsula) to pick precious wild thimbleberries. The company has dozens of people across Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula who forage local wild blackberries and wild elderberries. An almost forgotten fruit, wild elderberries are de-stemmed by hand, crushed, steamed and pressed in an antique cider press to make a purple-black jelly that was once a favorite on Midwestern farms.

Their retail stores are still up North. You can find them in Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Saugatuck, and, of course, Petoskey. Everything is available through their website. Some of their product line includes:

• Sour Cherry Preserves
• Leelanau Apricot Preserves
• Early Glow Strawberry Preserves
• Cherry Marmalade
• Rhubarb Marmalade
• Sugar Plum Jam
• Wild Thimbleberry Jam
• Black Mission Fig Conserve
• Red Haven Peach Preserves
• Bartlett Pear Preserves
• Cherry Marmalade
• Rhubarb Marmalade
• Sugar Plum Jam
• Wild Thimbleberry Jam
• Red Raspberry Preserves
• Black Raspberry Preserves
• Damson Plum Preserves
• Cherry Marmalade
• Rhubarb Marmalade
• Sugar Plum Jam
• Wild Thimbleberry Jam
• Cherry Marmalade
• Rhubarb Marmalade
• Sugar Plum Jam
• Dried Tart Cherries and Fruit/Nut Mixes
• Sour Cherry Spoon Fruit
• Cherry-Blueberry Spoon Fruit
• Apricot Butter
• Strawberry Butter (The Gallo Family Vineyards Gold Medal Award Winner for Best Artisanal Condiment)
• Blueberry Butter
• Cherry Butter
• Mango Butter
• Pumpkin Butter
• Apple Butter
• Red Raspberry Butter
• Ginger Pear Butter
• Crabapple Butter
• Salsas
• Savories
• Grilling and BBQ Sauces
• Syrups
• Honey
• Vinaigrettes

Image from www.spoon.com 

There are tempting recipes to try using American Spoon ingredients. Cherry Peach Pumpkin Chili by Gina Wittenberg that serves six people.

Ingredients:
-    2 Tbsp olive oil
-    1 onion, diced
-    1 clove garlic, minced
-    1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
-    2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained
-    1 Tbsp cumin
-    1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes
-    1 Tbsp chili powder
-    1 jar American Spoon® Cherry Peach Salsa
-    1 tsp salt
-    1/2 jar American Spoon® Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce
-    1/2 tsp cinnamon
-    4 oz green chilies, chopped
-    1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Heat olive oil in a medium sized stockpot. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and sauté until lightly browned.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately.

You can order online. You can order by phone at 888-735-6700. You can email them at information@spoon.com. Click here to request their catalog.

Just for fun: Install Google Earth. Enter Michigan in the Fly to text box.

     When buying for your family or your friends,
spend your Michigan dollars in Michigan.

If you would like to know about new articles, click on Subscribe for spam-free email.