Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Review/Giveaway: Preservation Society Pepper Jelly



My grandmother died five years ago. She was a professional party thrower, before it was a profession, and never had a soiree without her signature dish, which featured Pepper Jelly, cream cheese and crackers.

So when I was asked to review The Preservation Society’s Pepper Jelly, the day after what would have been her 95th birthday, it seemed like a sign.

I was not disappointed!

My pepper jelly arrived in a small box with a 10 oz and a 4.4 oz jar. Upon closer inspection, the label’s matron looked surprisingly similar to my grandmother. However, unlike the pepper jelly my grandmother used, which was a shocking shade of red or green never found in nature, The Preservation Society's Pepper Jelly does not have food coloring in it, thus allowing the gorgeous amber color to shine through.

Upon closer inspection, I saw the jelly was sprinkled with real specks of pepper, dancing through the jar. I knew I was in for a real treat!

I checked the ingredient list on the back and I had heard of--and could pronounce--every item on the back:

Pure Cane Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Bell Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Pectin, Habanero Peppers, Citric Acid

The Preservation Society prides itself on the purity of their ingredients, they don't use high fructose corn syrup and they use a pectin that does not have Sodium Benzoate, which has been linked to hyperactivity in kids and cancer. In fact, the ingredient list was fairly simple and basically boiled down to peppers, sugar and pectin.

I decided to share my grandmother’s signature dish with my children. I put an 8 oz block of cream cheese on a plate, covered it in the pepper jelly and surrounded the concoction with water crackers. I put the dish down on the table and grabbed a butter knife.

The Pepper Jelly was spicy and sweet, and the creaminess of the cream cheese intensified the flavors while mitigating the "heat" of the jelly. Honestly, it was simple, elegant and tasted amazing, I could see why it was my grandmother’s go-to party dish.


My only regret is that my grandmother never lived long enough to try this amazing spread!

The jelly was a sophisticated blend of spicy and sweet. which was enhanced by the creaminess of the cheese and the bland cracker allowed the toppings to shine.

My son thought it was a wee bit spicy…. My daughters inhaled the concoction….

I am not kidding, it was gone in 5 minutes.

So I had to do it again with bagels, to get pictures. And so I could enjoy some, too! (aww, the sacrifice!)


My daughters and I had a great time reminiscing about my grandmother. She had played a huge role in my life. However, they don’t really remember her. However, she lives on in them. I see her in their love of animals, my middle child’s love of fashion.

And now, their love of pepper jelly….

Grandmother's Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese

8 oz block of cream cheese
~3 oz The Preservation Society’s Pepper Jelly (enough to cover the cream cheese)
Box of water crackers (or sliced bagels)

Place the block of cream cheese on the plate and spread the pepper jelly on top of the cream cheese, be generous with the jelly. Serve with Water Crackers or bagel slices.

The Preservation Society's Pepper Jelly can be found at specialty retailers, like My Organic Market, or on Amazon.com.

You can also order directly from the manufacturer by emailing sales@preservationpeople.com.


The Preservation Society Website
The Preservation Society on Facebook




If you'd like to give this delightful treat a try, The Preservation Society are allowing us to host a giveaway, as well!  The winner of this giveaway will be sent  a jar of 11oz Pepper Jelly and a jar of 4.4oz Pepper Jelly just like they sent me. The retail value is approx. $13 + shipping.





To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY
and will end just before midnight ET on 4-28-15. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway.  In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

38 comments:

  1. I love that it's all natural!!~ I would use it with my homemade buttermilk biscuits!! YUM!!~

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  2. I bet it would be super yummy on biscuits

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  3. I think it would make an amazing peanut butter and jelly.

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  4. This looks delicious! I love that they are all natural. I would use it when making jalapeno poppers.

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  5. I've heard of pepper jelly. Never tried it though. I'm afraid!!

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  6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE pepper jelly and cannot wait to try it out.

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  7. I'd add it to some cream cheese and make a yummy yummy dip!

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  8. I love it with some cream cheese and crackers.

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  9. Thank you for sharing and linking up at Waiting on...Wednesday! Have a great rest of your week!

    Holly
    iwillservewhileiwait.blogspot.com

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  10. The plum chutney with brie cheese would be wonderful!

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  11. I would like the mango chutney on a bagel.

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    1. And I would have the pepper jelly on toast.

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  12. I love that Preservation Society Pepper Jelly is all natural and doesn't contain any high fructose corn syrup. This definitely sounds like a great product that I'd really enjoy.

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  13. I love to put pepper jelly on a grilled cheese sandwich!
    addictedtorodeo at gmail dot com
    Ashley C

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  14. I love that I can pronounce all of the ingredients and that it's not loaded with preservatives, even though it's preserves (bahaha, I pun). I think I'd make a chorizo egg sandwich on a bacon powder biscuit, lathered with the pepper jelly. Yum!!

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  15. I really can't think of anything better than using the pepper jelly on toast, putting peanut butter on another slice of toast, the making a delicious sandwich.

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  16. I like that it can be used everyday with snacks or dressed up for an event. Plus it sounds so unique and yummy!

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  17. I had pepper jelly before and was surprise how good it was. The taste has a kick to it but not too spicy. #ProductReviewParty

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  18. I would try it on biscuits first.

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  19. Oh I know that we would love this! I make a homemade red pepper relish and my entire family loves it. Always a bonus when you can read everything that is in it. We too serve ours over cream cheese and eat it with crackers. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  20. I like quesadillas made with cream cheese and pepper jelly.

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  21. I want to try the plum chutney on some toast.

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  22. I like that they use no colorings or corn syrup. I would use the Pepper Jelly to make Southwest Monte Cristo sandwiches like the ones Rachael Ray makes. They are amazing!

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  23. It would be great on an english muffin!

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  24. My FI loves peppers and the jelly with cream cheese spread looks very good. Hes a big time snacker, so I would love to try this.

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  25. I love that all of their jellies are all natural. The mango chutney looks delicious.

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  26. I love that it is Vegan and made all natural without other 'crud'! (:

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  27. I think it would phenomenal on a grilled cheese sandwich -- something creamy and nutty, like an edam or hvarti. It sounds SO good!

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  28. the Cranberry Fig Chutney sounds great and I would use it as a topping with brie on some toasted bread rounds

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  29. The flavored are amazing. My first thought is to use on the hootenanny I make for breakfast each weekend.

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  30. I learned that they also offer chutneys. The mango chutney looks delicious. I would use it in a grilled cheese sandwich. The pepper jelly with cream cheese as a dip sounds like how I would use it.

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  31. I bet it would be super yummy on biscuits.

    agnesye@hotmail.com

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  32. I like that they are all natural. I'd put the pepper jelly on toast with avocado.

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  33. I also like the plum chutney and would eat it straight from the jar

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  34. This looks so incredible! I'm always so amazed by your talent. Pinned and tweeted. Please join us on Monday at 7 pm and party with us! It is so super fun to see what you have been working on! Lou Lou Girls

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  35. I'd like it on a grilled cheese sandwich made with cheddar cheese.

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  36. I would use it as a glaze on ham.

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