Apple Butter BBQ Sauce

Fall is just around the corner and the days are getting shorter, but there are still plenty of warm days and pleasant evenings for firing up the grill -- and we have the perfect BBQ sauce that captures the flavors of late summer and early fall: Apple Butter BBQ Sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company! If you're not familiar with apple butter, it is NOT apple-flavored butter. In fact, there is no dairy in apple butter. Rather, it's a luscious, old-fashioned apple spread that's the result of slow-cooking a bunch of apples with sugar, spices and a bit of water until the apples completely fall apart and everything cooks down into a deep brown "butter" that you can spread on biscuits, toast and bagels, stir into oatmeal and other hot cereals, or serve as an accompaniment for pork, chicken and turkey dishes. Our Apple Butter BBQ sauce blends real apple butter with a traditional tomato-vinegar-mustard barbecue sauce to create an amazingly rich & bold, naturally sweet and savory barbecue sauce that captures the essence of this special time of year. This is the kind of country-style barbeque sauce that will have the whole family licking their fingers and begging for more.

Our Apple Butter BBQ Sauce is ideal for slathering on ribs and chicken during the last few minutes of grilling, smoking or broiling, and you can also use it in the crockpot or serve it as a dipping sauce or table sauce for pretty much any kind of meat or poultry. I have a feeling it's going to taste fabulous on venison medallions and can't wait to give that a try later this fall when we have some fresh venison. Apple Butter BBQ Sauce is also delicious with kabobs of all sorts, including shrimp and veggie kabobs, and it imparts mouthwatering flavor to meatloaf and baked beans, too. I like to warm some of this sauce up in the microwave and then spoon over burgers when I get tired of using ketchup. Not only will young and old love the taste of this delightful barbecue sauce, but you can also feel good about serving it to your family because it is made with 100% all natural ingredients, and contains NO high fructose corn syrup (unlike many of the BBQ sauces you'll find at the grocery store). So what are you waiting for?? Get some Carolina Sauce Co. Apple Butter BBQ Sauce today while it's on sale, and before it gets too cold to grill!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Final 2 Days For Newsletter Sale!

Everyone loves a bargain, especially these days. And everyone loves good-tasting food. Today and tomorrow, you can get great bargains on good tasting food, by taking advantage of the ongoing Carolina Sauce Company Newsletter Sale! Lots of delicious sauces, condiments and snacks are currently on sale, AND by using a special coupon code, you can save an additional 10% off the product total for orders of $45 or more.

Want to find the coupon code, and special sale prices? It's easy: Read the latest Carolina Sauce Newsletter here on this blog to find the special 10% off coupon and info on sale items -- but don't delay, because the coupon is good for 2 more days only and expires tomorrow, September 20th!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you already used the Newsletter coupon last week and want to use it again, I have good news: You can! Simply order at least $45 in products today or tomorrow at the Carolina Sauce Company online store and enter the coupon code when you check out.

Rosh Hashanah Recipes

If you are looking for some delicious traditional as well as new recipes to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which begins tonight at sundown, look no further than AllRecipe.com's Rosh Hashanah recipe section, including recipes for smoked fish dip, challah, kugels, main dishes, and sweets like honey cakes and apple & pomegranate desserts. Likewise, Epicurious also has a good selection of recipes for Rosh Hashanah, as well as Israeli-inspired and Sephardic menus. MMMmmmm, I got hungry just browsing through some of the recipes and looking at the gorgeous photos!

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to all readers who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: The Carolina Sauce Company offers a nice selection of Kosher products, including the all-natural gourmet Olio & Spices sauces from Israel.

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

If you weren't lucky enough to inherit your grandma's cast iron skillet and had to buy a brand- new one, here are simple instructions for seasoning it before you use it. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet, if properly cared for, will last for generations and will become one of your favorite (if not THE favorite) pieces of non-stick cookware in your kitchen. These tips come courtesy of "Taste of the South" Magazine:

1. Line the bottom rack of your oven with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

2. Wash your new, unseasoned cast iron skillet in hot, soapy water using a stiff brush.

3. Rinse the skillet thoroughly and dry it completely. One way to ensure it thoroughly dries is to dry it with a towel first and then place the skillet in the oven for a few minutes while the oven is warming up. Just remember to use a potholder before removing the hot skillet from the oven (!!) and then let it cool to the touch before proceeding.

4. Spread a thin coat of melted vegetable shortening (e.g., Crisco brand) over the entire surface, both inside and out (I use a paper towel for this).

5. Place the skillet upside down on the top rack of your oven and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

6. Turn off the oven and allow the skillet to cool before removing.

7. Store your seasoned skillet in a cool, dry place, and never stack anything inside it because that could scratch the thin layer of seasoning. If that happens, the cooking surface will be more likely to stick and/or rust -- but don't despair, you can remedy the problem by re-seasoning the skillet using these instructions.

Note: Proper care of your seasoned cast iron skillet is essential for the longevity of its non-stick finish. This means never using soap to wash it, and NEVER putting it in the dishwasher. After baking cornbread in my cast iron skillet, I usually simply scrub it well with a dry paper towel to remove all crumbs. If you need to wash your skillet, use hot water and a stiff brush, and that's it -- resist the urge to use soap! After washing, make sure you thoroughly dry the skillet immediately and apply a light coat of shortening to the inside before storing.

How to deal with rust: If an old cast iron skillet shows signs of rust, you can scour it off with a metal brush (make sure you wipe out ALL the rust dust - I wipe with a damp paper towel and then thoroughly dry the skillet), and then re-season it using the steps above.

And now you're ready to make authentic Southern cornbread, fried catfish, and all sorts of other down-home Southern recipes!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce

If you enjoy the fiery tropical flavor and unforgiving heat of scotch bonnet peppers, you'll be glad to know that Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce is finally available again, in all its furious glory! The scotch bonnet pepper is a Jamaican relative of the habanero pepper, and its color when ripe is a deep sunny yellow, much like the intense Caribbean sun at its peak in midsummer. The heat level of a raw scotch bonnet pepper usually ranges between an 8 and a 10 on a 10 point scale (assuming a jalapeno is a 4 to 5), so scotch bonnet peppers are definitely not for the faint of tongue! The famous Walkerswood company of Jamaica has once again resumed production of their scotch bonnet hot sauce, and it's as good as it ever was. This is an honest-to-goodness fiery-hot Jamaican hot sauce (but NOT a jerk sauce) with a straightforward flavor that won't interfere with the other flavors of your food -- in other words, Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce will add serious heat without the sometimes unpleasant "off" flavors in extract-enhanced hot sauces, and without making everything taste like jerk.

Made with scotch bonnet pepper mash and just a touch of traditional Jamaican seasonings like scallions, garlic and thyme, Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce is an ideal all-purpose table sauce and cooking sauce for people who like their food HOT. Splash it on pretty much any savory dish that could use a serious kick in the you-know-what to wake it up, or add it with care to recipes for chili, meatloaf and other ground meat recipes, Jamaican and other Caribbean cuisines, and to homemade marinades and grilling sauces. You can now get Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet hot sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company online store. And we sure hope the folks at Walkerswood continue to make this fiery hot sauce, as it's proving quite popular among old and new fans!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Savory Southern Fried Catfish

Using Mama T's Seafood Seasoned Salt in this recipe instead of ordinary seasoned salt adds delicious flavor from herbs and spices that are specially blended to complement catfish and other seafood. This recipe makes 4 servings but you can multiply it if feeding more.

Ingredients
4 fresh catfish fillets (about 1 1/2 lbs total), rinsed, drained & patted dry
1/2 cup self-rising corn meal (I like Martha White brand)
1/2 to 3/4 tsp Mama T's Seafood Seasoned Salt or other seasoned salt or salt-free seasoning
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for garnish

Heat about 3 Tbs oil in a large heavy skillet (cast-iron is perfect) over medium-high heat. Shake together the cornmeal and seasoned salt in a large zip-top plastic bag, add a catfish fillet, zip and shake/pat until the fillet is completely coated on both sides with the cornmeal mixture. Remove the breaded fillet and set aside, then continue breading the catfish one fillet at a time. Once the oil is hot, fry the catfish 2 fillets at a time, about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and the fish flakes. You may need to add a little more oil after frying each pair of fillets - if so, make sure the oil heats back up before adding 2 more fillets (if the oil is too cool, the fillets will be greasy). Drain the fried catfish on paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges for garnish.

*Note: For true old-fashioned southern fish camp flavor, serve with Thomas Fish Camp Cocktail Sauce and/or Thomas Fish Camp Tartar Sauce.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Cackalacky wins NC Hot Sauce Contest!

Cackalacky Spice Sauce won the "Critics Choice Award" in the North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest held in Oxford, NC this past Saturday. The festival showcased sauce companies, craft breweries, and wineries from all over the state and coincided with the Governor's proclamation that September 12, 2009 is "North Carolina Hot Sauce Day." The "Critics Choice Award" was based on the decision of a panel of professional food judges, including Bob Garner, author of the acclaimed "North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time;" Al Carson, editor of The Oxford Public Ledger and professional food critic; Debbie Moose, professional food writer and radio personality; and Chef Ross Ragonese, department chair of the Culinary Arts Program at Vance Granville Community College.

Cackalacky Spice Sauce is an unusually delicious gourmet spice sauce that's all about great flavor with just a touch of peppery heat. Made with all-natural ingredients including southern yams, vine-ripened tomatoes, aged chile peppers, and a splash of burgundy wine, Cackalacky adds mouthwatering, zesty flavor to everything from hamburgers and barbecue to baked beans and and chicken wings. You can get Cackalacky, as well as other unique and tasty NC products, from the Carolina Sauce Company online store.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce etc for August

The Top Ten Best Seller Lists in each zesty product category at the Carolina Sauce Company have been updated for August 2009. Quick links for each category list are below, as well as a notable product or two in each category:

*Best-Selling Hot Sauces: Many of the "usual suspects" are on this list, but the surprise 4th place finisher was Melinda's XXXXtra Reserve Hot Sauce from Costa Rica -- and the XXXX refers to the heat rating, not the label design!

*Best-Selling BBQ Sauces: One of our newest products, Outta The Park BBQ Sauce, finished in first place by a mile -- and once you taste its rich, tomato-ey, pleasantly sweet and perkily spicy flavor, you'll know why!

*Best-Selling Steak Sauce & Pasta Sauce: Another newcomer with mouthwatering flavor and just a touch of spice, Burning Asphalt Sweet Pepper Steak Sauce was the 4th best-selling steak sauce or pasta sauce for August -- and it's on sale!

*Best-Selling Marinades & Dressings: Two delicious new products finished seventh and eighth respectively: Thomas Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (a mouthwatering blend of traditional vinaigrette with a touch of tomato BBQ sauce) and Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce (an all-natural, mildly spicy tropical marinade & cooking sauce) -- and both are on sale!

*Best-Selling Dry Rubs & Seasonings: Two flavors of Pluto's Caribbean Bliss Spice Blends, the original Spicy Blend and the extra-hot Fiery Blend, finished 6th and 9th respectively

*Best-Selling Gift Sets: With Labor Day coming just after the end of August, it was no surprise to see the mild version of our NC BBQ Sauce Gift Set was the second-most popular gift set for the month

*Best-Selling North Carolina Products: Our very own Eastern NC Hot BBQ Sauce was 6th on this list - and each bottle comes with a FREE recipe for authentic NC pulled pork barbecue!

*Best-Selling Wing Sauces: The Distillery Restaurant from upstate NY had its two ultra-rich Buffalo wing sauces on the best-seller list last month, with their fiery Hot Wing Sauce in first place and their spicy Original Wing Sauce in fourth -- and both are currently on sale!

*Best-Selling Jerk & Curry Products: The hard-to-find but oh-so-tasty Tortuga Jamaican Jerk Sauce was the 5th best-selling jerk product for August, and it's on sale, too!

*Best-Selling Snacks & Sweets: The fiery-sweet "Revenooers" Smoked Habanero Jam from Race City Sauce Works in Charlotte NC was the 6th best-selling snack/sweet (and yes, it's on sale!)

*Best-Selling Mustards & Ketchups: Three brand-new ketchups made this list last month, including the sweet & spicy Burning Asphalt Zesty Jalapeno Ketchup from upstate NY (4th), the smoky-hot Melinda's Chipotle Ketchup (5th), and the bold & fiery Melinda's Habanero Ketchup (10th)

*Best-Selling Salsa & Relish: Both the mild and hot versions of our very own Chow Chow Relish made this list, in 3rd & 5th place respectively

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Samson's Town & Country Sauce

A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a little bit bold and a little bit thick, Samson's Town & Country Sauce is the delightfully delicious younger sibling of the original Samson's Sauce, a North Carolina favorite since 1925. Samson's Town & Country Sauce is a cross between a regular all-purpose hot sauce and a flavorful mild steak sauce, which means it's perfect for adding a touch of sweetness and spice to steaks, burgers and other sandwiches, french fries, baked potatoes, scrambled eggs, pork chops & barbecue, chicken, fried fish, and all sorts of main courses. Town & Country Sauce is also a great way to add flavor to recipes like meat loaf, chili, baked beans, omelets, and more. I've been told it's even good on fruit salad, but I must admit I haven't personally tried that yet. What I have tried is splashing this versatile sauce into a mess of collards, and boy was that tasty! I'm sure it would be mighty fine with turnip greens, mustard greens, and other cooked greens too.

Like the original Samson's Sauce, Samson's Town & Country Sauce is made from the original hand-written family recipe. Specifically, Town & Country Sauce was created in 1986 by Gurney S. Boren, whose father developed the original Samson's Sauce back in 1925. Both sauces were commercially produced and sold by the family for 10 years, but then unfortunately the hand-written recipe for Town & Country Sauce was lost and this sauce disappeared from the marketplace. Luckily, the recipe was recently found in a box of old papers, and Samson's Town & Country Sauce is once again being produced and is available for purchase for the first time since 1996. And like the original Samson's Sauce, Town & Country Sauce has the famous "comic label" that dates back to the 1940s and is reminiscent of old "patent medicine" labels, with claims that the sauce can cure everything from baldness to amnesia and insanity, and might even be an aphrodisiac. Regardless, Town & Country Sauce is sure to make you smile, both when you read the amusing label and when you experience its food-friendly, palate-pleasing flavor. And at only $3.99 a bottle from the Carolina Sauce Company, you can't go wrong treating yourself to some Town & Country Sauce!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Samson's Town & Country Sauce is also low carb, with only 1 gram per teaspoon - not bad at all for a steak sauce & all-purpose table sauce & cooking sauce!