Pickle

Pink Pickles

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey folks, it’s tuesday again and, today, I feel like trying something new. A different kind of product than anything that I’ve brought you before:

These are Chilli Bobs’ pickled onions, made with chilli and pink peppercorns. And labelled in pink and purple, to match.

Their kilner jar, alone, is quite distinctive. Yet so, too, is the pepper and I’ve previously found that those little pink peppercorns pair wonderfully with spicy food. Though I’d never have thought of using them in a setting like this.

Chilli Bobs’ pickled onions are an extremely creative product and there’s still at least one more surprise, hidden within. So let’s have a look, shall we?

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A Present from Pembrokeshire

Spicefreak3 Comments

Hey folks, this week we’re continuing on with our recent theme of not sauces that I’ve not paid for. And today’s come to me courtesy of Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm. A company who’s work was highly recommended by one of our previous features.

Yet they got to me before I could get to them and they sent me two of their most exciting products, free of charge.

Here we have their Burmese Naga Pickle and a rather scary looking pack of peanuts – spiced and honey roasted, yet also a vivid shade of orange. Between that and the scorpion, backing up the naga, I’m more than a little afraid.

Even if they do both look and sound delicious.

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Wild Finds

Spicefreak5 Comments

Welcome back, everyone, to yet another review of a generous company’s free samples.

This week, they’re from Foraged Fire, who, unlike my last two features, are entirely new to me. A company that I’d barely heard of, before their owner got in touch, but one that I’m super excited to show you.

Every single one of their products contains at least one major talking point. And I have three of them!

Each of these items is easily special enough to warrant its own post and, at any other time of year, I’d definitely split them up. But we’ve just entered into december and it’s mere days until my christmas recap. So I’m taking this opportunity to talk about all three because, if they’re as special as they sound, they’ll all deserve my holiday recommendation.

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Cauliflower Curry Bites

Spicefreak2 Comments

Happy national curry week, everyone! It’s back around again and, oncemore, I really wanted to put together a topical recipe for the occasion.

But I also wanted it to be a bit different to my other curry recipes and, after a little deliberation, I figured that it’d be fun to try out something from one of my favourite producers – Daddy Cool’s.

Now, this little dish of his isn’t the main event. It’s not strictly a curry but it’s a pleasant side, made using his gorgeous Okra and Garlic Pickle, to carry its delicious flavour through these light potato and cauliflower bites:

A particularly delightful addition to your curry platter, if not a delightful recipe to follow.

Hopefully I can fix its issues for you.

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Surinamese Piccalilli

Spicefreak6 Comments

Hey folks, I don’t know about you but, for me, time seems to be moving abnormally fast in our new, pandemic-stricken world. I mean, it’s already september, for crying out loud!

So, with that being the case, there’s a little something that I have to show you today. A somewhat different product from a previously featured producer that I’ve been keeping in reserve but is now fast approaching its best before date:

FarradaySuriname

This is the Surinamese from Farraday’s Tasty – A product which they claim, on their website, is a traditional surinamese-style pickle, yet describe, on the jar, as a spiced up piccalilli. Seemingly quite the contradiction, given that piccalilli is another example of british bangladeshi cuisine.

In actuality, though, it would appear that piccalilli found its way over there, somehow, and has become a major ingredient in the country’s traditional cooking. Albeit adulterated slightly, in order to fit the locals’ tastes.

Let’s see what’s changed, shall we?

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Red Rival Jams

Spicefreak2 Comments

Happy tuesday again, everyone!

Today marks the first of my july reviews and, with it, the end of my unexpectedly hectic birth month. This week, I get to relax a little and try out two simple chilli jams, from A Bit of a Pickle and The Smokey Carter.

PickleCarterJams

Each using a different, named chilli – One habanero and the other scotch bonnet – but both relying on a base of sugar and red bells to carry them.

Obviously, these aren’t going to be the same sort of breakfast jam that we saw in South Devon Chilli Farm’s elderflower. They’re going to be a pepper forward, somewhat savoury pair that’s better suited to spreading over cheeses and meats. But how much of that pepper flavour is actually going to come from their namesake varieties? And how different will these two be?

I’m very curious to find out.

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Lemondrop Curd

Spicefreak2 Comments

Alright everyone, there’s been a little bit of sweetness in these last few weeks but all the sauces therein were still predominantly savoury. So today, that’s going to change. We’re going to look at something that’s sweet to its core but, for once, it’s not a sauce. Or a jam. Or even a chutney.

It’s something new.

Today, folks, we’re looking at a chilli lemon curd.

LemondropCurd

And this isn’t the first such curd I’ve seen. Several other companies, the chilli pepper one included, produce a spiced up version of the standard spread. Yet A Bit of a Pickle are the first that I’ve found to actually state their pepper.

Albeit only in stickers on the side of the jar, because this product is that new to market.

LemondrpCurdSticker

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South Indian Chutney

Spicefreak2 Comments

Hello again, everybody. We’re finally nearing the end of my Reading Chilli Fest review backlog but, rest assured, some of the best are still to come. As well as one of the weirdest:

Manjira

Today’s product is a pachardi – Something that I’d never even heard of, before the event. Looking into it, though, it appears to be akin to a chutney or pickle and is traditionally either served as a side or used as the base of a curry. Much as an achari would use a regular chutney or one might use Mr Naga, if they’re looking for serious heat.

Where the pachadi sets itself apart, though, is in its high coconut content and the use of oil, rather than acid, for preservation. And, when made fresh, it’s often blended with yoghurt to form the keralan equivalent of a raita.

So, that’s what Manjira’s set out to popularise, here in the west – Quite literally a different side of indian cooking. But how does her “Hot Garlic” version of the “South Indian Chutney” hold up?

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Pale Ale Piccalilli

Spicefreak6 Comments

Happy tuesday again, everybody, and welcome back to another Gingerbeard review.

This time, we’re taking a look at their Ale and Chilli Piccalilli – A product type that I’ve never featured before and one that they make in collaboration with Electric Bear Brewing Co.

Aleilli

Both company logos adorn the label of this jar, along with a bunch of chillies dancing to the boom box from Electric Bear’s Werrrd ale, but that’s about all the visual indication we get of what goes into it.

Unlike on their bloody mary salsa, Gingerbeard do a pretty poor job of conveying what today’s product is, without words, despite the busier design. I’m not too impressed with its outside but let’s see what their picalilli is like within, shall we?

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Easter Pickles

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey folks, I hope that you all had a good easter.

I know I did. But then, I always do. There’s just something special about combining chocolate with a treasure hunt so that you feel like you’ve earnt it.

Blog-wise, though, I’ve already done one massively chocolate-themed post in recent months and I have another cocoa-based review coming up shortly. I don’t want to overdose on the sweet stuff all of the time and I certainly don’t want to sicken you all with a lack of variety.

So, instead of a chocolate review this year, I’m looking at the other side of easter. The themes of death and rebirth, often represented by eggs.

ChilliEggs

Yes, chilli eggs – Pickled ones, even – from a company who specialises in just that.

An item I may never have found, had it not been for someone’s recommendation.

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