review Ranch Hand Candy

[The Hot Pepper]

Product Reviewed:
Ranch Hand Candy - Habanero Hot
Company:
Ranch Hand Candy
Website:
www.ranchhandcandy.com
TheHotPepper Member:
rwaddell50
Listed Ingredients:
Jalapenos, sugar, water, habanero peppers.
Label/Packaging:
Small jelly jar, farmers market looking.
Heat Index:
5.5

PART 1

Here's a unique product... and don't be fooled, it's not candy. It's a cross between sweet relish and pepper jam. I lean more toward pepper jam since this is basically peppers in simple syrup (sugar + water = simple syrup), though, it is not a jam. Okay, so it's hard to label this stuff... well it's just as hard to find a vehicle for this stuff. Unlike traditional sweet relish, I wouldn't put this on a hot dog. It's too "jelly-like" without being jelly. The peppers are soft and sweet, with a little heat, but as a whole, it tastes too much like peppers sitting in simple syrup. It needs something else to round it out. Either an acid, or a little salt.

PART 2

So, I decided to do some experimenting. I put out three servings. I added a dash of salt to one, white vinegar to one, and a squeeze of lemon to one. Hands down the squeeze of lemon wins. In my opinion, this product needs lemon juice. The acid balances it out and the tartness cuts through the syrupy sweetness of the sugar water. I understand this is supposed to be a sweet product, but before I added lemon juice, it tasted too much like chopped peppers in a sugar water base, and nothing came together for me. That's my take.

SUM UP

With a little enhancement I believe this can be a successful product.

UPDATE

Post 5 below is an update to this review where I tried two additional flavors.

 

[rwaddell50]

Thanks for the Review

Thanks for the review. This is a unique product. It is intended to be used as an appetizer or a topping with other foods. It is most popular on Crackers and Cream cheese with the Ranch Hand Candy on top, as a "Sweet Jalapeno Treat". The product that I sent would need some extra stuff if it was eaten by itself. The other products that I offer have different fruits mixed with the Peppers and the flavors pop out at you. Thanks again for the review. Let me know if you would like to try any others.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

What the lemon juice did was balance the flavors and cut the dominance of the sugar. It wasn't to add a lemony flavor. For me, it worked better like that. I had trouble figuring out what to try it on. If it is made for eating with crackers and cream cheese, have you thought of offering a spread with it already mixed into the cream cheese? That may be a good way to go, then people would automatically know it's for bagels, crackers, etc. Since you can't give everyone that buys it specific instructions, it may be a good idea. Good luck with the product line.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Thanks again for the review. Let me know if you would like to try any others.

I will choose a fruit flavored one and try it with cream cheese so it is a fair review, as the one above was not with cream cheese.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

UPDATE

I was sent two flavors, Mango Peach (jalapenos, mango, peach, sugar, water, pectin) and Volunteer Heat (jalapenos, pineapple, oranges, sugar, water, pectin). I liked the Volunteer Heat better. The jalapenos were a little crisper and these fruit flavors worked better with jalapenos for me. Volunteer Heat also sums up what I was saying in the original review... it has the acid to balance it out (from pineapple and orange), it is less sugar-watery (either from less added sugar and/or water, or the addition of pectin), and the fruit helps define it as a product you would eat with cream cheese and crackers (in my case, a mini-bagel). These two also had new labels explaining what the product was and what to try it on. Nice addition.

What I like is Richard's passion for his product. Wherever there is passion, there is usually a good product. After the original review, he was confident enough in his product to offer two more of my own choice. This allowed me to choose two that I thought I would like, and I ended up finding one.

Thanks

 

[rwaddell50]

Thanks for the Review

Glad you liked it. Thank you for the great review and follow-up. The fruit flavors in combination with the crackers and cream cheese, or in this case mini bagels, are always a hit at the parties. We also have new pricing that should hit the website later this week and new recipes, as well.

Enjoy!