Pick a Peck

While combing the 'gourmet' aisle of one of my favorite bargain stores, I came across a cute little jar of pickled red peppers. As a self-proclaimed foodie and fearless recipe adjuster, I knew I could use them as a substitute for something, so I added them to my cart. I'm convinced that part of the reason I liked them is the cute drawing of rabbits on the label. The jar may have sat in my fridge for a few weeks before I even remembered to open it, but when I did, I wasn't sorry. These little guys are delicious! They are Mama Lil's Pickled Hungarian Goathorn Peppers, specifically sweet hot peppers in brine...kind of a mouthful, but you will want to remember that name! Mama Lil was just a regular lady canning pickled peppers from her garden in Ohio, but her peppers became a highly coveted favorite of family and friends. Lil's son was away at college in Seattle and constantly requesting jar after jar to be sent his way. Eventually, he started the company with her recipe, using locally grown peppers where he lived and it took off. The only ones I have tried are the Sweet Hot Peppas, but they are so good. Calling them hot is deceiving because they are more pickley then spicy. The only problem is my jar is almost empty and I haven't been able to find any more. As often happens, this store gets in a shipment of something once and never again. I'm not giving up though. According to the Mama Lil's website, if my local grocery store doesn't carry the line, I can request that it does. And if worst comes to worst, I can buy a whole case of them straight from the company. It just goes to show that if you have a talent (like making awesome pickled peppers), who's to say that other people wouldn't be thrilled to enjoy the fruits of your labor? (so far I've used Mama Lil's peppas in omelets, tuna salad, and on a Mediterranean grilled chicken pizza...they do not disappoint!).