We be jammin'

When you think of jam, perhaps you think of a traffic jam... Did you know that in 2010, China was crowned the unofficial "host" of the largest traffic jam ever recorded??  The cars stretched for more than 62 miles (100 km) and lasted for 12 days!  The traffic jam occurred on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway near Beijing and was caused by trucks carrying construction supplies to Beijing to ironically help ease traffic on the Expressway!

OR maybe when you think of jam you think of Pearl Jam...  the rock band that was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990... they were one of the first alternative rock bands...

OR maybe you think of preserved fruit... the making of preserves, jellies and jams reportedly began centuries ago in the Middle East and according to the International Jelly and Preserve Association, "It is believed that returning Crusaders first introduced jam and jelly to Europe, in fact the use of cane sugar to make jam and jelly can be traced back to the 16th century when the Spanish came to the West Indies where they preserved fruit.."

So we here at in a pickle foods didn't invent the wheel BUT we are sure dressing it up!  

in a pickle foods' jams and pickles

 



Maybe you've tried one of our artisan jams made in small batches ... Apple Bourbon Cinnamon Jam; Lemony Pear Vanilla Bean Jam; Orangy Fig Jam; Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam;  Spicy Satsuma Orange Lemon Marmalade;




Wild Citrus Grape Jelly; Peach Cinnamon Jam; Blueberry Lime Jam; Peach Chocolate Jam; Strawberry Vanilla Bean; Fig and Lemon Preserves OR some other in a pickle foods' product that wets your whistle! 




Let us know here...  AND tell us what you think should be our next big jammin' product! We'll take a tally and publish your comments here and on facebook. 

In a Pickle AND need some product???  Just mosey on over to our web page at inapicklefoods.com and give us a shout out!

Bare Naked Pickles

Bare Naked before the Label

James has been busy in the kitchen for the last several weeks.  

Here's a shot of our signature B&B (bread and butter) pickles laid out and ready for their label... 



if you take a closer look
you'll see the really special way
our cukes are reaching out to you... see??? SEE??? It's almost if they were shouting out "Take a bite"... "Take a bite" sorry... I just can't help but get excited when we are in the kitchen making product.

Inspecting the bounty

Here's Mr. Richards performing a quality inspection of in a pickle's cinnamon peach jam.  He's got a tough job:  to perform a quality inspection when those peaches are singing "Taste me.. Taste me!"  

in a pickle Cinnamon Peach Jam

 








Our combo of peaches, cinnamon and hazelnut liqueur bring the taste of Momma's peach cobbler right out of the jar to you.






From our sweet and spicy tomato jam, a classic that brings together tomatoes and savory spices that gives a grilled burger a dynamite finish

in a pickle Sweet & Spicy Tomato Jam

 



..to our bare naked Bread and Butter's, you can bet in a pickle foods 

 
is gearing up
 

 

to blow the lid off your foodie favs.  

And you pickle peeps can count on it being a great moment!

Because we all know... life's greatest moments start ... in  a pickle!

Stretching out Summer with Tomato Jam Recipes

For all our pickle peeps here's a few great recipes to stretch out your summer, whether you are headed to a pre-game party, already started tail-gating or just looking for a yummy poolside snack... check these out with iap Tomato Jam and enjoy the rest of your summer!

in a pickle Tomato Jam

Chèvre & in a pickle Tomato Jam     

5 oz Chèvre

6 oz Kalamata olives, chopped

fresh basil, chopped

jar of iap Tomato Jam

Spread the Chèvre onto a platter, drizzle tomato jam on top, finish with chopped olives and basil.  Serve with crackers.

Here's one from a pickle peep at St. Michael's Farmer's Market...

Savory Tomato Jam Thumbprint Cookies

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded white) 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese   1/2 cup butter (softened) 1 egg yolk 1/4 tsp pepper

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (finely chopped pecans or unblanched almonds) 

1 cup tomato jam

Process cheeses and butter until smooth.  Add egg yolk and pepper.

Add flour and process until soft dough forms.

Hand roll small amounts of the dough into 1-inch balls, wet the balls in water and roll in the nuts to coat the dough.

Place on ungreased baking sheet.  With thumb or finger, make indentation in center of each.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.  Let cool on baking sheet and fill the thumbprint indentation with iap tomato jam.  Enjoy!

AND one last one... check out this link for Rosemary Cookies with iap Tomato Jam ... your summer just got a whole lot better.  Bon appetit peeps!

Happy Birthday

 


Wow!  It's hard for us to believe that it has been three years since we sold our first pickle!  What a journey we've taken and what a lot of great people we've met along the way! 


 From the first pickle jar of our Original Sweet & Spicy pickles to our newest artisan batch of Rum Peaches and Cream jam... 

 
it's been an incredible road full of ups and downs, fun times and truly in a pickle moments!  

This month is special because it's our birthday month and wouldn't you know we are in good company... it would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday month.  Well, in a pickle foods is a long way from boeuf bourguignon but while we were thinking of Julia, and all her delightful inspirations, we thought about how Julia may have used our products.  May we suggest that her BEEF may benefit by substituting that tomato paste with in a pickles' Tomato Jam... and Julia's Egg Burritos?  Well, substitute that pepper sauce with our diced Original Sweet & Spicy Pickles... and Julia's Cherry Clafouti ... yep... in a pickle foods Blueberry Lime Jam instead of the cherries...
 

So here's a little salute to the larger than life, popular TV chef and author... ahhh... if Julia was still around we bet she would agree... life's greatest moments start in a  pickle!

And... another momentous occasion... the USDA has declared August 5 - 12 as National Farmers Market Week, in order to raise awareness of U.S.  markets... about 8, 000 of them... supporting local food systems and local entrepreneurs like us. 

Look for in a pickle at White Rock Local Market and St. Michael's FreshFarm Market.. you can order online, find us at your favorite little shop and if we are not there... ask for us... we'll be the ones with a party hat on in August!                    

Just call us the partyin' pickle peeps!    Happy Birthday to us... Happy Birthday to us... 

In a pickle places

We've been trying to spread pickle love all around this summer! 

 

In addition to hitting the White Rock Local Market we've taken on the St. Michael's Market in Dallas. We're making more product and sharing splendiferous moments with folks all over!

Here's a few of our venues -  Sweet and Spicy Pickles are in Sassy's in Rockport, TX, and in Fort Worth Vending Company.  Want them to come to you? Check out Greenling, they carry our products and bring them to you! Our splendiferous IAP  jams and pickles are in Port Aransas,TX...  You can find our pickles and jams all the way to Melville, NYand in our own back yard at Feastivities and Danette's Urban Oasis. And you can find us making more great products like Blue Blueberry Lime JAM... Strawberry Vanilla JAM... . Peach Cinnamon... and yummy Peach Chocolate.

We'll be in the Dallas/Fort Worth this weekend so drop by the  Celebration Farmers Market AND St. Michael's Farmers Market!!! Mark your calendar this Saturday 8am-12noon!!!!!  There's one thing for sure, wherever you find IAP products, you're sure to notice... life's greatest moments start in a pickle!

Four picks for the Fourth

We thought we would share four of our favorite in a PiCKLE recipes for the Fourth.  We hope everyone has a safe and fun day celebrating our nation's bday!

in a PiCKLE Firecracker Delight

1 16oz slab of cream cheese
1/2 jar of iap tomato jam
1/4 cup of pecans toasted and chopped
2 TLBS of chopped iap peppers from iap sweet & spicy pickles


Pour 1/2 jar of iap tomato jam on top of the slab of cream cheese.  Add 1/4 cup of pecans and the chopped peppers.  Serve with your favorite cracker.

iap Bacon Tomato Dip

8 slices of bacon, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
2 TLBS of iap tomato jam
1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Brown bacon in skillet over medium high heat.  Drain on a paper towel.  Mix cream cheese, mayo, jam, cheese and onions with cooked bacon bits.  Bake in a small shallow dish until golden and bubbly, about 15-18 minutes... top with chopped almonds.  Serve warm with carrots, chips and/or crackers.

iap Brisket Pies

vegetable oil for frying
1 can large buttermilk biscuits
1 cup of shredded cooked brisket
8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of iap sweet and spicy pickles
1 pkg of cubed ham
mustard for dipping

Fill a cast iron skillet about 1/2 inch deep with oil and heat to about 350 degrees F.  Remove biscuits from can, flour and roll each one out to a 5-inch round.  Place 1 heaping TBLS of shredded brisket on each round leaving 1/2 inch edge all around.  Top the brisket with equal amounts of shredded cheese and iap pickles and ham.  Place another rolled out round on top of the filling, place egg wash around the edges and press the edges to seal.  Dip end of fork in flour and press around the edge for extra sealing.  Repeat with remaining bisquits.  Dip the "pies" into the oil and fry for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Have some spicy mustard on the side for dipping!

iap Fig & Lemon Bread Appetizers

Pumpernickel bread, sliced and slightly toasted
5 oz Blue cheese Crumbles
1 onion, sliced
2 TBLS butter
1 jar iap Fig & Lemon Preserves

Add butter to a hot pan and melt, add onion slices and a dash of salt - stir frequently until the onion slices are soft and browned, about 20 minutes.  Remove and drain on paper towel.

Butter individual bread slices with iap Fig & Lemon preserves, add a few carmelized onions, topping with blue cheese crumbles. 



Our first appearance at the new  Farmer's Market at The Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church located in Dallas at 8011 Douglas was a great success!!! Thanks for all of the pickle peeps that came out... Please watch for us at Dallas' Celebration Market this Saturday and repeat performances at Dallas' White Rock Local Market and St. Michael's.  


Life's greatest moments start in a PiCKLE!