Carolina Sauce Company Newsletter & Coupon Sale

Coupon for 10% off EVERYTHING, 10 Days Only!
Use the Coupon Code Blog909 to get 10% off your order of $45 or more in products from the Carolina Sauce Company online store, good thru September 20th -- and yes, you can get 10% off already-discounted sale items!! Simply enter the coupon code Blog909 where indicated on the billing info screen when you order online, or mention the coupon if ordering by phone. But don't delay - this coupon is good for only 10 days and expires on Sept. 20th! (Note: Coupon does not include or apply to flowers or gift baskets or Operation Sauce Drop donations.)

Latest New Products, Many On Sale!
Our newest arrivals include our very own Carolina Sauce Company brand Vidalia Onion BBQ sauce, several new spicy ketchups, and the new & improved Pickapeppa Jerk Seasoning from Jamaica! Here are all the new products we've added since our last newsletter, many of which are on sale:

Hot Sauces
*Melinda's Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce, made with the Naga Jolokia or Ghost Pepper, the hottest pepper in the world - and it's on sale!
*Pickapeppa Gingery Mango Sauce: A faithful recreation of Ruth's Gingery Mango Sauce, this zesty (not fiery) sauce is all-natural and packed with zippy ginger
*Tortuga Caribbean Hell-Fire Sauce: Made from fiery scotch bonnet peppers, and on sale!
*Three new flavors of Nando's Peri-Peri Pepper Sauce, including the citrusy Extra Mild Lemon, exotic Wild Herb, and the sunny Hot Sweet Peri Peri Sauce
*Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce: Yes, this fiery favorite from Jamaica is back!

Steak Sauce
*Two delicious flavors of Burning Asphalt Steak Sauce from upstate NY, including the bold Homestyle Steak Sauce and the pleasantly sweet & gently spicy Sweet Pepper Steak & Dipping Sauce, both of which are on sale!
*Melinda's Habanero Steak Sauce, robust & fiery with a touch of sweetness, all-natural, and on sale too!
*Samson's Town & Country Sauce, a richer, sweeter version of the original Samson's Sauce, with another silly label that's sure to make you smile

BBQ Sauce
*Carolina Sauce Company Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauces: Authentic NC Piedmont (vinegar & tomato) barbecue sauce seasoned with real Vidalia onions, available in tangy Mild and spicy Hot. Both flavors come with a free recipe for making genuine NC pulled pork BBQ!
*The Distillery BBQ Sauce from the famous Distillery Restaurant & Bar in upstate NY, packed with thick, rich tomato-mustard flavor and on sale!
*Outta The Park BBQ Sauce: This instant best-seller is an all-natural tomato-based BBQ sauce that's thick and rich, mildly sweet, & zippy-spicy with ginger & pepper, and also on sale!
*Off the Hook BBQ Sauce: Made from an old family recipe, this hearty tomato-vinegar BBQ sauce is robust & savory, is great for marinating & grilling, and is on sale!
*Walkerswood Jamaican BBQ Sauce: At long last, this hard-to-find BBQ sauce is back! Made with bananas, hot peppers and jerk seasonings, this BBQ sauce adds mouthwatering tropical flavor to meats, poultry & seafood

Sweets, Snacks & Condiments
*Mrs. Picky Fanicky's NC Preserves, including the savory-sweet & mildly spicy Apple Peach Chutney and the sublimely delicious Apple Pie MmmMarmalade: Both are NC State Fair blue ribbon winners and come with recipe ideas, AND they're on sale!
*Hot Dill Pickle Chips and Hot Pickled Garlic, both made on a family farm in the NC mountains and both ON SALE!
*Sweet & spicy Burning Asphalt Ketchups from upstate NY, in Zesty Jalapeno and Blazin' Habanero - and yes, both are on sale!
*Melinda's All-Natural Spicy Ketchups, including smoky Chipotle, fiery Habanero, and hot Jalapeno

Wing Sauces & Jamaican Jerks
*The Distillery Buffalo Wing Sauces in spicy Original and fiery Hot: These are ultra-thick, rich Buffalo style wing sauces from upstate NY, and they're on sale!
*Burning Asphalt Ranch Wing Sauce, adding cool ranch flavor to traditional tangy Buffalo wing sauce for a winning combination (on sale!)
*Melinda's All-Natural Buffalo Wing Sauces: Habaneros dance with cayenne peppers in the tangy Hot and seriously spicy Extra Hot recipes, and both are on sale!
*Pickapeppa Jamaican Jerk Seasoning: It's back, now with authentic Jamaican Jerk flavor and fire, and on sale!

Dressings & Marinades
*Thomas Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing: This NC original adds a splash of tomato BBQ sauce to traditional balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and the result is amazingly tasty! Try it while it's on sale
*Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce: This all-natural marinade & all-purpose sauce is packed with sweet & spicy tropical flavor, and it's on sale!

Sauce For A Cause
Sauce For A Cause lets you treat yourself to some really good food while helping to support worthy charitable causes. Whenever you purchase any of the zesty products listed under "Sauce for a Cause" at the Carolina Sauce Company online store, the manufacturers donate a portion of the proceeds to various charities and nonprofit efforts including breast cancer research, protection of endangered species, children's charities, and more. Among the companies participating are Carolina Sauce Company (offering BBQ sauces and chow chow relishes to help support Operation Sauce Drop), Charlotte's Santo & Josie gourmet Sicilian sauces (supporting children's charities), J.T. Pappy's Gator Sauces (supporting breast cancer research), Mullen's Apple Sauce (supporting families of fallen Chicago police officers), and more.

Send Free Sauce to Our Deployed Troops
Operation Sauce Drop is our non-profit program that sends free gift boxes of sauce to US military personnel stationed abroad. We've shipped over 600 free gift boxes to date, but there are still more than 100 troops on our list waiting to receive a free box of sauce. It costs around $20 for us to purchase and ship each gift box. The troops really appreciate the free sauce, as you can see from the thank-you notes to donors and photos they've sent in. Want to send a soldier a taste of home, and bring a smile to his or her face? Then please support Operation Sauce Drop by making a donation. The Carolina Sauce Company MATCHES all donations, so your money will go twice as far. You can also shop to support Operation Sauce Drop, where some or all of the purchase price of the listed products goes straight into Operation Sauce Drop (you get the products you order, and the money you pay is used to send free sauce to the troops).

Send Beautiful Flowers & Bountiful Gift Baskets


The Carolina Sauce Company now offers bountiful gourmet gift baskets loaded with fabulous foods, delightful snacks and candy confections, specialty teas, and more. You can also order fresh flower bouquets direct from the grower, and send florist-arranged flowers of the highest quality, all at a reasonable price. Next-day and even same-day delivery options available! You can even personalize your floral gift with your own digital photo and card by selecting a "PhotoBlooms" gift. Simply click on the boxes above to browse our offerings and select that special gift that says "I love you," "I'm sorry," "Thanks so much," or anything else you want to express.

Follow SaucyGlo on Twitter for exclusive coupons, the latest food news, & for sharing zesty tips!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Nando's Peri Peri Hot Sauces Back In Stock!

Our shipment of Nando's Peri Peri Pepper Hot Sauces from South Africa has finally arrived, and all 7 flavors are back in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company! We also now have Nando's Sweet Apricot Cooking & Grilling Sauce available again, as well as a brand new flavor of Nando's Peri Peri Marinades that will soon be available on our online store (hint: it is sure to please chileheads who love the flavor and fire of the African Birds-Eye Chilli, as the Peri Peri Pepper is also known). We are in the process of filling all of our back-orders for Nando's products, and hope to get completely caught up tomorrow. If you are one of our customers who has been waiting for a Nando's backorder, we thank you very much for your patience and understanding. If you're one of those folks who had been waiting for the Nando's sauces to be back in stock before placing an order, well, now's the time! And if you're still waiting for Nando's Peri-Peri Barbecue Marinade, don't despair as we hope to have that delicious BBQ sauce & marinade back in stock soon.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Walkerswood Barbecue Sauce is Back!

After a very long absence (at least a year!), Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Barbecue Sauce is available again, and you can order it now from the Carolina Sauce Company! We were thrilled to learn that Walkerswood had started making this delectable tropical BBQ sauce again, and regular shipments of fresh sauce have been arriving in our warehouse. Needless to say, it's going FAST, and it's all we can do to keep up with orders and keep this product in stock -- but we'll keep re-stocking so long as folks keep buying (and Walkerswood keeps making) this unique and versatile barbeque sauce!

If you've never tried Walkerswood BBQ Sauce, you're in for a real treat: The main ingredient in this food-friendly sauce is bananas, and their natural sweetness is enhanced with brown sugar (there's no high fructose corn syrup in this barbecue sauce). Traditional Jamaican jerk seasonings like scallions, garlic, allspice and thyme are added for a savory counterpoint and authentic Jamaican flavor. And the judicious addition of tropical hot peppers adds just a touch of peppery heat without making this sauce too hot for sensitive palates. The result is a seductively delicious BBQ sauce that lends its festive island flavor to meats, poultry, seafood and veggies. Simply marinate for a couple of hours or overnight, and then grill or broil or bake as desired while basting liberally with more sauce. You can even use this sauce in your crockpot! And if you're one of the loyal Walkerswood BBQ Sauce fans who's been waiting for its return, now is the time to order yourself a bottle or more -- and don't delay, as one never knows when it might disappear again....

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Labor Day Burgers with Beer Sauce

This easy recipe is sure to be a hit this Labor Day (or any day) with beer-loving guys (and gals!) This recipe makes 6 burgers, but you can just multiply it if feeding a crowd.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef*
Optional: 1 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs diced onion
2 Tbs diced green pepper
1/2 cup ketchup**
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup beer
Optional: 6 slices of cheese
6 hamburger buns, OR 6 slices of toasted rye bread (to serve as open-face burgers)

In a large bowl combine the ground meat with salt if using (and with egg & bread crumbs if using ground venison or turkey instead of beef). Shape into six 1/2 inch thick patties and place on a platter and keep in refrigerator or cooler while you make the beer sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and saute the onions & peppers until tender. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, worcestershire sauce and cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Stir this ketchup mixture into the saucepan, then add the beer. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring, until the sauce reaches a boil, then lower the heat to keep sauce warm. Brush the top of each raw burger with the beer sauce. Grill the burgers over medium-hot coals until done, turning once and brushing with more beer sauce from time to time. If using cheese, place a slice on each burger just before removing from grill to slightly melt the cheese. Serve the burgers on buns, or on a slice of toasted rye bread for open-face burgers, with more of the hot beer sauce spooned over each cooked patty.

*For leaner burgers: Substitute ground turkey or venison for some or all of the ground beef. If using ONLY ground turkey or ground venison, you should mix in an egg and some bread crumbs or cracker crumbs to help the leaner ground meat bind into burgers.

**For spicy beer sauce: Substitute a spicy ketchup for regular ketchup.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Pickapeppa Gingery Mango Sauce is Here!

If you were a fan of Ruth's Gingery Mango Sauce, or if you love the tropical flavor combination of sweet mango and zingy ginger, I have great news: Pickapeppa Gingery Mango Sauce is now available from the Carolina Sauce Company, with the same great flavor as the original Ruth's Gingery Mango Sauce! Made in Jamaica using all-natural ingredients and featuring a seductively exotic sweet-savory-zippy flavor, Pickapeppa Gingery Mango Sauce is perfect for folks who enjoy zesty foods without the burn of hot peppers. This versatile table sauce is great with chicken, roast turkey and other poultry; pork chops, ham or roast pork; fish and shellfish; and on rice and vegetables too. You can even use it as a sandwich condiment instead of mustard, or on burgers instead of ketchup, to add tropical flair to your lunch. And if you're health-conscious, you'll be glad to know that Pickapeppa Gingery Mango Sauce is gluten free, has very low sodium, and has zero trans fat.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Backyard BBQ & Picnic Food Safety Tips

Many of us are probably planning to host or attend a backyard BBQ or a picnic this Labor Day weekend, so now is a good time as any to review some food safety pointers to reduce the risk of bellyaches (or worse):

*Avoid cross-contamination: Keep raw foods separate from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to prevent contamination during storage, preparation, grilling and serving. Don't return cooked foods to the same container or platter used for raw foods (or make sure you thoroughly wash the platter or container first, using soap and hot water). Likewise, don't handle cooked foods with utensils that touched raw meat, poultry or seafood, unless you first wash the utensils with hot, soapy water. Keep raw meat, poultry & seafood securely wrapped or sealed to prevent any juices from contaminating ready-to-eat foods, beverages, plates or utensils.

*Keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot: Use an insulated cooler with plenty of ice or ice packs for chilled foods, and keep it closed, and ideally out of direct sunlight. Keep hot foods hot either on the grill over indirect heat, or in a heat-insulating cooler (or in the oven at 200F degrees if cooking out at home).

*Use a meat thermometer to ensure proper cooking: Color isn't a reliable indicator of doneness. The only way to be sure that meats and poultry are sufficiently cooked to kill harmful bacteria is to use a meat thermometer. For steaks, roasts and fish, cook to at least 145F degrees. For pork and ground beef, cook to at least 160F degrees (yes, that means no medium rare burgers, sorry!) For chicken and other poultry, including ground turkey or ground chicken, cook to at least 165F degrees. Don't forget to clean your thermometer after using, so that you don't inadvertently contaminate cooked food when checking the temperature!

*When in doubt, throw it out: Don't taste food that looks or smells questionable or "off". It's simply not worth the risk of food poisoning. If you have any uncertainty as to whether something is safe to eat, assume it's not and throw it out.

*Keep clean: Soap and water (especially hot) are your best friends. Do as much food prep as possible indoors where you can wash your hands, cutting surfaces and utensils frequently. If planning a picnic, find out ahead of time if there will be potable water available for washing hands, etc., and if so, bring along soap. If water won't be available, bring wet disposable towelettes for hands, and sanitizing wipes for non-eating surfaces (e.g., tables and vinyl table cloths). I also bring at least a couple of gallon jugs of water (I save and wash old milk jugs for this purpose) to wash serving dishes and utensils as necessary. Bring plenty of clean plates and utensils, and paper towels or clean cloths for drying. Before eating or processing raw fruits or vegetables, rinse under running water and wipe dry with a clean paper towel or cloth.

Following these simple precautions will help everyone stay healthy while enjoying a backyard cookout or picnic this Labor Day weekend.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Mrs. Picky Fanicky's NC Marmalades & Chutneys

Mrs. Picky Fanicky's is a small, family owned and operated business in rural North Carolina that grew out of numerous blue ribbons at the NC State Fair for their scrumptious all-natural marmalades and chutneys made from family recipes. Friends and family kept devouring these old-fashioned Southern preserves almost as fast as Miss Jody could make them, and finally convinced her to get her creations packaged for commercial sale -- and boy, am I glad she did, because this stuff is GOOD! Her North Carolina Chutney is an old style peach and apple chutney that's savory, subtly exotic and sublimely spiced with a zesty peppery finish. It's the perfect complement to pretty much any meat or poultry as a side dish or relish, and is also wonderful with salmon or tuna steaks. I like to spoon some of this apple peach chutney over softened cream cheese for a quick appetizer with crackers, and it's also tasty when combined with sour cream as a dip for raw veggies and apple or pear wedges. You can even mix it into cooked rice for a fancy side dish, or stir it into chicken salad for gourmet results. The possibilities are nearly endless for this versatile and delicious condiment!

Another treat from Mrs. Picky Fanicky is her Apple Pie MmmMarmalade, so named because you'll go "Mmmmmm!" with pleasure when you taste this amazing apple marmalade. Although she won't reveal her secret blend of apple pie spices, I'm pretty sure I taste cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and maybe even a touch of allspice and cardamom. It doesn't matter, whatever her secret is, it's definitely a winner because it's extremely difficult NOT to eat an entire jar of Apple Pie MmmMarmalade in one sitting. In addition to enjoying it "straight", it's heavenly as a warm or cold topping for vanilla ice cream as well as on biscuits, toast, bagels, pancakes, waffles, french toast, bread pudding, and more. Stir it into oatmeal for a delicious hot breakfast your kids will love. Serve it with pork chops and other savory meat dishes as a sweet counterpoint to a hearty entree. Add it to poultry stuffing to add subtle autumn flavor. In short, Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Apple Pie MmmMarmalade is not just for dessert!

I asked Miss Jody to tell me a bit more about how she got started making such wonderful marmalades and chutneys, and this is what she wrote:

"I spent many years growing gardens and preserving vegetables as well as making marmalades. Every time we traveled I would study other products, constantly reading labels, and I had a passion for North Carolina apples and North Carolina Peaches, plus a little gift of gab. My youngest son is in a wheelchair but he can work at the kitchen sink washing jars and cleaning fruits or vegetables for preserving. We started entering the State Fair with our pickles, chutneys and marmalades. Well, after winning numerous Best of Show awards and blue ribbons, someone came to me and said, 'you ought to bottle that stuff and sell it. The NC Dept of Agriculture will help you.' Well one thing led to another, next thing we were at Bobbee's Bottling [a local copacker] having large batches made and hauling it home. My kids named the marmalade 'MmmMarmalade' cause it was so good, and the response has been the same from food fairs and taste samplings. Both our products are traditions with time-tested recipes, no preservatives, and we laugh at 'refrigerate after opening' [on the label], cause it's foolish to cool an empty jar. Our logo, 'To Be Sure..That's Good Eatin..' and my company name is a reflection of me, Mrs Picky Fanicky, because after all I am Picky..."

Mrs. Picky Fanicky's marmalade and chutney are all-natural, very low in sodium, and come with FREE "Recipe Ideas" cards -- and they're currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company online store.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Zesty Sauces for August 2009

Here are the top 10 best-selling sauces and condiments across all product categories at the Carolina Sauce Company for August 2009 -- and there was an impressive debut by a brand-new barbeque sauce, so keep reading!

1. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce: This perennial favorite of Caribbean hot sauce aficionados was our best-selling hot sauce and overall top seller. Matouk's West Indian is made with fiery scotch bonnet peppers and sweet tropical papaya for authentic island flavor

2. Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is the real deal, made in Jamaica and by far our most popular Jamaican jerk seasoning. Full of fiery hot peppers and intensely fragrant spices & herbs, a little goes a long way with this rich jerk paste/wet rub

3. Outta The Park BBQ Sauce is a brand new product at Carolina Sauce, and it's making quite a splash with its rich tomato flavor that's slightly sweet with a zippy-peppery kick. In addition to finishing third overall, Outta The Park BBQ Sauce was also our best-selling barbecue sauce and best-selling NC product last month! It's also currently on sale.

4. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce hails from Jamaica and is one of our all-time best-selling products. Spicy and flavorful, this all-purpose table sauce is the perfect hot sauce for practically anything that could use some heat

5. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is an authentic eastern NC vinegar-based barbecue sauce that's perfect for pulled pork BBQ and is regularly on our best-sellers list

6. George's Original BBQ Sauce is another authentic eastern NC vinegar-based barbeque sauce, but it has a hint of apple & tomato to cut some of the sharp "edge", making it delicious for pulled pork plus BBQ chicken and more

7. Buderim Ginger Bears: This addictive, grown-up gummy candy comes from Australia and is made with real ginger, for healthy snacking

8. Scorned Woman Hot Sauce is a classic vinegar-pepper hot sauce that's great with everything from scrambled eggs to burgers to pizza and more

9. Melinda's Reserve XXXXtra Hot Sauce: Made in small batches using aged habanero peppers, this is a seriously hot hot sauce from Costa Rica that's beloved by serious chileheads everywhere

10. Castle Sauce is a classic North Carolina steak sauce from Greensboro that's been on our best-seller list since its introduction last year, and its rich tomato-mustard tang is great on burgers, fries, sandwiches and more

We'll soon be updating our product-category lists of best-selling sauces & seasonings, and there were some newcomers in many categories last month, so stay tuned for those updates!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

BBQ Sauce & Condiments on Sale for Labor Day!

Fire up the grill, pack up the cooler and get ready for Labor Day with delicious BBQ sauces, cookout condiments, hot sauces and more at specially reduced prices! Simply visit the Carolina Sauce Company online store and look for the red sale prices, or look for the words "On Sale", when you click on a product category tab. You can also search the Carolina Sauce Company store for the words "on sale" and that will show you a list of all the products currently on sale. But don't delay, as these special sale prices are good only while supplies last!

Here are some of my favorite on-sale barbecue sauces, ketchups and condiments to help you get started:

Cool Hawg Grilling Sauces: Thick & rich, with a spicy mustard-tomato base

D'Vine Foods Muscadine BBQ Sauce: Blends sweet NC muscadine grapes in a tangy, slightly sweet tomato-vinegar-mustard barbecue base

Burning Asphalt Spicy Ketchups: Sweet & spicy, in zesty Jalapeno and blazin' Habanero

Trolly Stop Hot Mustard Sauce: From a little hot dog stand in Wilmington NC, this spicy dijon mustard has a hint of chipotle smoke & spice, and a touch of sweetness from tropical fruit

Hot Dill Pickle Chips, perfect for topping your burgers with a crunchy, spicy kick

Mullen's Apple Sauce: Heat some up and spoon over vanilla ice cream for a classic dessert

Zestfully yours,
Gloria