This New Sauce is Heating up the Owensboro Farmer’s Market
A few years ago, my husband, Michael, came home with a bottle of hot sauce. It didn't have a label, just a date on it written in Sharpie. We are both really adventurous when it comes to food. Sometimes, certain dishes just need a little extra spicy kick, ya know?
COVID Hobby to Hot Hustle
Michael had run into one of our lifelong friends, Josh Hamilton, who shared his newest hobby. "During the COVID lockdown, I started gardening. My favorite things to grow ended up being peppers and tomatoes. I had so many that I had to start looking into new ways of using and preserving them all."
A Whole New World
It was like that Aladdin song, "A whole new woooorld." There is a lot that goes into the process from the garden to the finished product, but Josh was all-in. He shared, "That’s when I stumbled upon canning and fermentation. It’s kind of a lost art because most of our food comes already canned and processed, or it’s frozen or refrigerated."
Fermented Hot Sauce Society
"I joined a Facebook group called Fermented Hot Sauce Society. Learned a lot from other hot sauce makers about safety and what stuff was good for pairing with particular varieties of peppers," he said, "I enjoyed doing it so much that I wanted to start experimenting with making different sauces and sharing them with others."
Good to the Last Drop
That's where Michael and I must have come in as guinea pigs. Let me tell ya, Josh knows his stuff. We loved his hot sauce so much, we kept the last little bit in the refrigerator forever because we didn't want it to be gone. Actually, it may still be in there somewhere (don't judge! lol!)
Owensboro Regional Farmer's Market Heats Up
The good thing is, we can just let it go and easily replace it with a new bottle. Now that the newly branded (love the label design!) Ham's Heaters Pepper Sauce is available at the Owensboro Regional Farmer's Market. "I’m getting a lot of positive feedback and support from the community and hope that my business grows and flourishes."
With flavors like Honey Habenero, Red Smoke, and Pineapple Chipotle available now, he also has other creative combinations like Caribbean Jerk, and even a Dill Pickle sauce to hopefully eventually add to the line-up. If you have a green thumb, you may be able to snag a baby pepper plant from him if you love to garden and want to start growing your own.
Live Hot Sauce Taste Test
Monday morning on the show, Josh brought his three bottled sauces for us to try. Our foodie friend, Ben Skiadas from Lure Seafood & Grill, brought some delicious grub for us to smother in spicy goodness. Smoked bacon-wrapped shrimp, fried pimento cheese macaroni balls, and chicken breast nuggies. All I'm saying is, it was hard to pick a favorite. While they all carry heat, it is not overwhelming. A slow and tasty tingle on the palate as the bright flavors shine through.
Win a Ham's Heater Sample For Two at Lure in Owensboro
We would love to give you the chance to sample Ham's Heaters too!. Ben has graciously offered up two certificates for a Ham's Heaters Tasting for Two at Lure Seafood & Grille. Fill out the quick form below before June 6th at 12 AM, and we will draw two lucky winners during the morning show on Friday.
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