Product Review: Jenkins Jellies

   A couple months ago, the generous folks over at Jenkins Jellies sent me their collection of pepper jellies to review.

    - Passion Fire, Hell Fire, Fiery Figs, and Guava Brava. Each full sized jar came with its own little spoon to stir… Along with it came a handwritten note (Seriously could they be any cuter?), a recipe idea card (which was super helpful because I had no idea what to do with the stuff) and a little back story about how they got started.   

    Hillary Danner and Maria Newman are the masterminds behind these amazing jellies, and when I say they are AMAZING I’m not exaggerating.. keep in mind I don’t even like jelly.. I’m serious- I was the kid who ate PB+ Fluff or PB+ Butter to avoid the stuff. But a girl has to grow up sometime right? :) 

    

These Jellies are made

-With their "blend of 7 fresh peppers to create a complex but balanced sweet and spicy taste sensation"

-Without Artificial ingredients or preservatives 

-Gluten Free and Vegan

-AND come in recyclable packaging

    All awesome right? RIGHT! 

     So lets get down to business, EATING! I went with some of the recommendations on this one..  First, I glazed tofu, chicken-less cutlets, and on chicken for James and friends. Pan cooked or grilled, the Jellies coated extremely well, giving a sticky caramelized glaze without being too sweet. I just spoon a dollop on top near the end of cooking, spread it around and cook a few more minutes.. and enjoy! I especially LOVED how much flavor it gave the tofu without any prep at all. Most of the time tofu needs a good couple of hours for a marinade to give it any flavor, so this was a huge time saver, especially on nights I teach and or making dinner post workout. 

    Secondly, mixed with cream cheese. I made it for the first time at James’ party and it was a HUGE hit.. Both James and I were sneaking scoops when I made it the night before.. and pretty much licking the food processor bowl clean. And it was seriously the first thing to go the night of the party. I didn’t measure anything, just used two packages of cream cheese and put spoonfuls of the jelly in, mixing as I went until I thought it was spicy enough. I think I used more than half the jar, I told you I like spicy!

I served it with all kinds of crackers, tortilla chips, and with veggies. Delicious! For weeks after the party, our friends requested it BTW- Epic I tell ya :)

    I also used it in our stir fried veggies and again, it was delicious. 

We had it on grilled cheese, burgers, sandwiches, and even as it is on potato chips. The options are endless! I would have never thought that something that was so foreign to me would have been so useful and versatile, but it is!
   I always found the balance between the spicy and sweet to be right on point. The jellies do have a little bit of a kick, but it was never over powering or too much to handle, and seemed to mellow a bit (for those who are sensitive to heat) with cooking or when mixing it with cream cheese or other cheeses. More importantly, they have just the right amount of sweetness.
    What I’m trying to say is that this stuff lives up to the hype.. every single person that tried the stuff I made with the jellies, really loved it. More importantly, I the jelly hater, am converted!

   Go check them out at www.jenkinsjellies.com!

A big THANK YOU to Hillary and Maria! 

***Please note that these opinions are my own, and are 100% honest and truthful. I was not compensated for this review, but did receive the product at no cost to me.