Blog

Best Fruit Spread Pairings For Blue Cheese

Best Fruit Spread Pairings For Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese 

Not everyone's favorite but but after an aged Gouda, certainly mine. With its bold, sharp, and tangy flavor with grassy notes and hints of mushroom, an array of textures and in mouth feels from buttery to crumbly. This is a style of cheese that just keeps on giving. This cheese may be an acquired taste for a discriminating palate, but you don’t need to start with a bold Roquefort or Stilton. There are a wonderful array of milder blues, that with their buttery textures can ease you into the wonderful nuances and layers that come with exploring this style of cheese. My love affair with blue cheeses has not waned in spite of a newly discovered allergy to penicillin.
Often our first experience is with blue cheese is with a notorious bold Picante Gorgonzola or Roquefort. A punch to the senses for the uninitiated and often results in a once bitten twice shy stance to blue cheese. If this is you, I beg of you to retrace your steps and begin with some of these milder blue cheese varieties and ease yourself from mildest to bold of my favorite blue cheese suggestions and pairings. 
Pairing Blue Cheese with Fruit Spreads 

Traditional pairings for blue cheese include fresh fig, pear and apple slices, dried fruits, walnuts, chutneys, some jams, honey, truffle, chocolate, sherry, ports, stouts and of course wine…. Lots and lots of wine :)

With pairing for any cheese I always recommend try the cheese first, what does it taste like. Is it sour, musty like a goat cheese. Is it a bit sweeter with a mushroom feel like brie or bold heavy nutty tones like an aged Gouda or Alpine cheddar? Or in the case of blue cheese the bold acidity of the mold that gives a blue its distinctive flavor. Is it bold? Does it leave a slight burn in the mouthfeel? Is the cheese sweet, creamy or more tangy and bright? Once you have a feel for your cheese as it stands on its own, ask yourself, what is it you want from a pairing. Is it to be a palate cleanser for the next bite? Do you want to cut the acidity of a bold cheese or are you looking for a flavor combination the brings out or highlights different flavors and aspects of cheese that you didn’t notice before. Basically you are either pairing cheese with similar flavors to compliment a cheese or are looking for opposite flavors to contrast the cheese. The same when choosing a wine. What's great about bolder blue cheese and pairings is because of the strong nature and acidity of blue cheese, it allows for sweeter pairings that I would normally never recommend for cheese like overly sweet jams. Not only are some jams too sweet for almost every cheese imaginable, but the very nature of a jam is a reduction of fruit that simply is too heavy, smothering the cheese thus hiding its natural characteristics. You still want a little acidity which is why we pair with our chutneys, savory spreads and our fruit compotes with a range of cheese, they have a balanced acidity from balsamic vinegar, citrus and the natural acids of the fruit and have a third less sugar than traditional jam which result in perfectly balanced pairings. That is why quince paste and fruits are such a natural pairing, because they still offer some acidity and often why chutneys and pickles are more often chosen pairings.  In saying this, the sharp bold flavors of a strong blue cheese can be nicely paired with sweeter fruit compotes and condiments such as honey.  

Varieties of Blue Cheese and Pairings 

Blue cheese ranges from mild and creamy to bold crumbly sharp and tangy. Combozola which is a combination of a triple cream brie and a gorgonzola is a milder creamier type of blue-brie cheese and a French Roquefort is your more picante tangy pungent blue cheese.  Stilton is a beautiful well rounded blue cheese made in the UK, it's sweeter, creamier and more nutty than your salty tangy gorgonzola or piquant Roquefort - I almost think of it as a cross between a mild creamy aged cheddar and a blue cheese.  I think Stilton is a great all around blue cheese, especially for those who don't particularly enjoy a salty tangy sharp blue cheese.  Some of our favorite New World Blue Cheese varieties made right here in the USA are phenomenal and my personal favorites for a cheese plate - they include Jasper Cellars Bayley Hazen Blue (which reminds me of a Stilton), Point Reyes Farmstead Original Blue (more of a classic picante blue) and Bay Blue (a milder creamier blue) and the 2019 World Cheese Award Winner Rogue River Blue.  Each variety will pair well with apples, walnuts, grapes, pears, honey and a number of our chutneys and fruit compotes. Below is some of our favorite fruit spread pairing with blue cheese.


Mild Blue Cheese Varieties & Fruit Spread Pairings
Wozz! Best Fruit Spreads and Savory Jams For Blue Cheese Pairings:

Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote (with balsamic & rosemary) - Wild blueberries steeped in balsamic with grade A maple syrup, toasted walnuts and floral rosemary.  This blueberry compote is a divine pairing for a blue cheese, simply served with crackers or crostini.
 
Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread - Fresh onions are caramelized with 3 craft beers, brown sugar and roasted garlic. This savory sticky delicious onion jam is fantastic paired with an English Stilton and Roquefort. It's delicious on a blue cheese burger or with steak and blue cheese. Also a superb pick for a charcuterie and blue cheese board or as a base for flatbread blue cheese pizza.

 

Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote - Sour cherries from upstate NY are simmered with winter spices, red wine and cracked black pepper. This fruit forward spiced cherry compote pairs well with a mild to medium blue cheese and is delicious on a dessert style cheese board. 



Rum Toddy Toffee Dessert Sauce - Now this is not your typical blue cheese accompaniment but it's decadent and wonderful paired with a creamy salty Cozier blue cheese, Cambozola or a Stilton.  It's more of a dessert style cheese plate - think caramel and cheese (heavenly).  Drizzle our Rum Toddy Toffee Sauce over Effies Rye Cakes with a chunk of salty Cozier or entertain your next guests with our Dessert Cheese Board.

Pictured Below:  A decadent dessert cheese pairing.  Crozier Irish blue cheese atop Effies Rye Biscuits, drizzled with Wozz! Rum Toddy Toffee Dessert Sauce. 

Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread - Figs simmered in balsamic with fresh apples and pears and finished with pure mustard oil. This is an amazing mostarda that pairs beautifully with blue cheese, especially delicious with roasted meats like roast beef and cured meats like prosciutto. Great for crostini appetizers and as a base for flatbread.


Blue Cheese Varieties: 


Cambozola Classic Blue Cheese - Bavaria Germany

The cheese that brought me back to blue. A rather new edition to the blue cheese world only making its first appearance around 1900 before being revamped by Käserei Champignon creamery in Germany. Cambozola Classic is a triple cream brie-style blue cheese hails from the Allgäu region in southern Germany. Cambozola Classic has a delicate blue cheese flavor and a softer—almost spreadable—texture than a typical blue style cheese. Ideal for the blue beginner, smoother, creamier and milder than a typical blue, so even folks who think they don’t like blue cheeses because they’re “too strong” may find themselves craving more. 

Lighthouse Blue Brie - Tasmania Australia

From Australia's King Island Creamery is a beautiful blend of creamy brie with a subtle touch of blue. is made from a combination of Penicillium camemberti and the same blue Penicillium roqueforti mold used to make Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton. Extra cream is added to the milk, giving the Lighthouse Blue a rich consistency characteristic of triple crèmes, while the edible bloomy rind is similar to that of Camembert or Brie. 

CAMBOZOLA Black Label Blue Brie - Bavaria Germany

CAMBOZOLA Black Label, also from Käserei Champignon creamery in Germany. It has been aged longer and colder than the classic, which makes it  creamier and a little stronger in the blue notes. You can easily recognize this triple cream soft ripened cheese by its beautiful grey exterior mold. The cheese is injected with same blue Penicillium roqueforti mold used to make Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton. However, it is neither pungent like Stilton nor crumbly like Roquefort. The cheese, a cross between Camembert and Gorgonzola, is creamy, moist and rich like a Camembert with the sharpness of Gorgonzola. A soft-ripened cheese, the insides reveal pockets of blue veining and a unique exterior of grey mold. Its savory, nutty flavor with undertones of sweetness enhances the wonderful characteristics of the cheese. For a food connoisseur, the Cambozola is a great start into the world of Blue Cheeses. Taste it with fruits, honey or a Chardonnay.

Our favorite Wozz! savory jam pairings for this creamy blue brie cheese is our Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote, Cranberry Orange Cognac Chutney and our Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread.  Both of these were a fantastic accompaniment to the blue cheese served on simple crackers and crostini. 

Wine Pairings: Eden Cider VT Claudine Keeved cider, chardonnay, and Brut. 

Cooking: salads, mild dressings, grilled sandwiches, a wonderful dessert cheese served with fruits

Fourme d’Ambert - Auvergne France

 Pronounced dom-BEHR Fourme d'Ambert is a rich and creamy cow milk blue from the Auvergne region of France. It has a thin, yellowish rind mottled with sandy molds. Its interior is bone white with distinctive bluing. Although its scent is very earthy, fruity, strong and woody. Fourme d'Ambert has a creamy,mild flavor with a slight nutty finish. The paste is both soft and smooth with a velvety mouthfeel full of sweet cream and an earthy, mushroomy roundness. The cheese has an aroma reminiscent of the caves where it was aged, a dense and creamy texture and a fruity flavor with hints of nuts on the finish. Despite the thorough blue veining, this is one of the milder blue cheeses.

Wine Pairings: Fourme d'Ambert is a very wine-friendly cheese. Pair with Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends  sauternes and other dessert wines, but also some full-bodied reds such as Rhones, pinot noirs and syrahs.

Cooking: Crumble this blue cheese in salads, serve with fresh pear, stir the blue cheese into creamy sauces, add to quiche and savory baked torte.

Semi Mild Blue Cheese Varieties and  Fruit Spread Pairings

Chiriboga Blue - Bavaria Germany

A native of Ecuador, Arturo Chiriboga has mastered the art of German cheesemaking at the foot of the Alps in Bad Oberdorf, Bavaria. His cow's milk blue was modeled on Roquefort but tastes more creamy and buttery than the peppery, assertive French classic. Chiriboga Blue is intensely rich and buttery, with a dense, tongue-coating texture that is reminiscent of frozen custard. The ivory interior with very few blue-gray streaks of veining produces a very subtle flavors of sweet cream and grass, with a splash of mushroomy goodness and balanced blue piquancy.
Wine Pairings: something sparkly like prosecco or champagne, medium bodied red or citrusy white wine and Bavarian style ales

Cooking: Melts wonderfully for pasta and risotto dishes. Creamy sauces and dressings. Spreadable.

Gorgonzola (dolce)-  Lombardy Italy

Often most are familiar with a crumbly bold aged version of this cheese (Picante), but that is not what I am talking about. When young, (dolce) it is soft and creamy, opening with nimble strokes of butter and slowly approaching a slightly acidic finish. It has a wonderful balance between the creamy rich texture and the brighter acidity. Mature versions are stronger, piquant and deliver a pungent bite to finish.  Easy find recommendations Creamy Gorg cheese from BelGioioso Creamery Wisconsin.


Wine Pairings: Soft savory Red and/or White wines, Riesling, Pinot Bianco, Prosecco and other sparkling varieties.

Cooking: It melts wonderful for Italian pasta and risotto dishes, pizza, steak, crostini and sandwiches. Also delicious and frequently crumbled into salads, delicious on a salad with Wozz! Pear Ginger Vinegar drizzled atop.


Middlebury Blue Salisbury Vermont

Blue Ledge Farm Creamery, Middlebury Blue. The interior of this 2-3 month old blue is grassy, salty, and a little sour – a great way to expand beyond mild beginner blues. Earthy and milky, Middlebury Blue an almost cheddary texture, and blue veining adds a balance of earthy hay and sweet caramel, with a bite of pepper as well, with its crusty, rustic natural rind and smoother, creamier paste. Despite all this it is really quite a mild blue.


Wine Pairings: Sweet light reds
Cooking: Salads, Sweet Roast Vegetables, Walnuts 


Medium Blue Cheese Varieties and Fruit Spread Pairings
 
Jersey Blue Switzerland: Lichtensteig Rolf Beeler

Produced by legendary cheesemaker Willi Schmid. The Jersey Blue is Willi Schmid’s most decorated product: . The Jersey Blue undoubtedly proves the immense talent of its creator. Willi uses two different Italian molds. He doesn’t reveal which ones, we only know Gorgonzola mold is not part of it. Natural calf rennet is used. The Jersey Blue is especially appealing cut when you see the fine light blue to dark green veins that grow into the core from the outside. The buttery feel of the Jersey milk coats the palate and then the powerful flavors of the mold burst out. It has an unbelievable long finish, a masterpiece indeed. In flavor, it is sweet, complex, vegetal and fruity, with a fiery bite and high sapidity. The Jersey Blue can be enjoyed young but ages well. When it starts to dry out the flavors get sharper.


Wine Pairings: best paired with white wines such as Gewurztraminer and riesling. For red wine, try Brunello, or a dessert wine such as Vin Santo

Rogue River Blue Cheese - Grants Pass Oregon

An organic, cave-aged blue cheese wrapped in pear spirit-soaked Syrah grape leaves, is a seasonal product. The award winning cheese is made exclusively with milk from Rogue Creamery’s Certified Organic Dairy Farm in Grants Pass, Oregon. It is only made for a few months each year beginning on the autumnal equinox when cooler temperatures bring renewed growth to the pastures and the cow’s milk becomes richer and higher in butterfat. Aromas are of earth, cellar, sherry and port. The texture is dotted with crunchy bits (crystalized amino acids) that give it a slightly granular mouthfeel. Flavors are incredibly complex. Notes of butterscotch and caramel are balanced by a pronounced tang and hints of spice from the blue mold.  

Wozz! Pairings: Balsamic Fig Mostarda 
                          Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney
                          Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread

Wine Pairings: choose wines of age and distinction: Viognier, classic French or German Gewürztraminers, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, dessert wines; pear brandy; whiskey or rum; brown ales and stouts.  

Cooking: Tarts and quiche. Bruschetta and crostini. Bakes and gratins.

Strong Blue Cheese Varieties
Old World Blues Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Cabrales Asturia Region, Spain

Spanish semi-hard, fatty blue cheese, prepared within the administrative region of Cabrales Council and some towns in the Upper Peñamerella region. Both these areas are located at the foot of the Picos de Europa Mountains in Asturias. The cheese can be made from unpasteurized cow’s milk or blended with goat and/or sheep milk. It is aged between two and four months in naturally formed limestone caves. Chilly and humid conditions in the caves facilitate the growth of bluish-green penicillium mould on this highly prized cheese. Unlike other blue cheeses injected with Penicillium, Cabrales cures from the outside of the cheese to the inward. A finished Cabrales can be characterized by its  smooth texture, punctuated with holes and pockets of blue. The creamy paste is studded with crunchy granules of crystallized amino acids. A strong, penetrating aroma and sharp, acidic, slightly salty taste. Cabrales cheese is compact but crumbly with a unique, long lasting, developed and piquant taste for lovers of strong cheeses. Its aroma is also strong, typical of matured blue cheese. 

Wozz! Pairings: 
Wine Pairings: Red wine, Cider, Sweet Sherry, chilled sweet white wines, Brown Ales and stouts

Cooking: Great with fresh fig, salami and dried sausages. Treasured as a base for sauces, for melting over grilled or roasted meats and goes well along with baguette slices, crackers, or fruit.
 
 
Blue Stilton Tuxford and Tebbutt Creamery Melton Mowbray

One of the oldest creameries in The United Kingdom, Tuxford and Tebbutt has been running since 1780, producing many award-winning English cheeses, especially their famous Blue Stilton - they're one of five cheesemakers allowed to produce this classic British cheese. 

Tuxford and Tebbutt use traditional techniques like hand-turning on their cheeses, each wheel individually matured and graded to ensure quality and consistency, with methods they have perfected over the past 235 years and which is sometimes referred to as the “King of Cheeses,” Stilton has a protected origin designation, meaning any cheese labeled as "Stilton" must meet a particular set of standards. All protected origin cheeses are monitored by independent government agencies that perform random quality checks.To be a Stilton cheese means it must be made in Leicestershire,  Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire in England, where only seven dairies are licensed to make it. 

Stilton is always cylindrically-shaped and never pressed. It has its own unique crust and the blue veins radiate out from the center in a very distinctive pattern. It is a semi hard cheese also made from cow's milk. It has creamy, crumbly & smooth texture and spicy & strong flavors.

At the World Cheese Awards in 2012, Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton was crowned as the Supreme Champion of the event, taking home a total of five awards.

                          Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread
                          Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney
                          Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread

Wine Pairings: Traditionally Sherry and Tawny port wine. Suggested with sweet dessert wines. Brown Ales and stouts.

Cooking: good choice to go with walnuts, crackers, biscuits and bread. Soups and Gratins particularly cauliflower, broccoli and leeks. Beef. Fondue.
 
Roquefort - Toulouse southern France

Roquefort is one of the oldest and strongest blue cheeses and is made from sheeps milk. Roquefort is one of the oldest known cheeses. It was reportedly the favourite cheese of the emperor Charlemagne, and in France it is called le fromage des rois et des papes (“the cheese of kings and popes”) The unique characteristics of Roquefort are largely imparted from aging in the Roquefort caves near Toulouse in the southern part of France, the milk of the Lacaune sheep also plays a large role in the outcome of flavors. A light white to cream color with rich salty, sharp and tangy flavors and melts in mouth. It is creamy and aromatic, complex and intense, with sharp and tangy nuances. Like Stilton in England, by French law, only cheese that is processed at Roquefort, France, may be labeled “Roquefort”

Wozz! Pairings: 
                          Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote (with rosemary & balsamic)
                          Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread
                          Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney
                          Triple Ale Onion Jam Savory Spread

Wine Pairings: Dry Red wine, Sauternes 
Cooking: Salads, Quiche, Tarts, Pasta and Risotto, Beets, Leeks, Creamy White Sauces, Béchamel and Fondue.


New World Blue Cheese Varieties and Fruit Spread Pairings
King Island Roaring forties - Tasmania Australia
Produced by the King Island Dairy,  King Island dairy products have long been acclaimed throughout Australia and they’re rapidly building extraordinary reputations in the international marketplace. Unlike typical French blue cheeses like Roquefort made from ewe's milk, Roaring 40's Blue is made entirely from cow's milk. The result is a milder taste. Roaring 40's is a full-bodied blue with a honeyed, slightly nutty quality and great aftertaste. It is a rindless cheese, matured in wax coating, which cuts off the oxygen supply and encourages sweet and fruity flavor. The wax coating also preserves the cheese's moisture and creates a smooth and creamy texture. Cheesemaker Ueli Berger ensures that each of his cheese wheels is full flavored with a sweet, slightly nutty character, a rich mouthfeel, and good aftertaste. Its flavor is greatly enhanced by pristine natural resources, unscathed by pollution and human encroachment. These advantages, along with the year round grazing season, complement traditional King Island cheesemaking recipes to create this famous, nontraditional Blue.

Wozz! Savory Spreads & Jam Pairings For Strong Blue Cheese:

Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote (with balsamic & rosemary)

Bayley Hazen Blue - Greensboro Vermont
Behold Bayley Hazen Blue!  One of our personal favorite blue cheese varieties. Bayley Hazen Blue is named for an old military road that traverses the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. The road was commissioned by George Washington and built to carry troops to fight the English on the Canadian front. Though no battle ever took place, the road brought the first settlers to Greensboro and is still in use today. This cheese is developed and aged in the same area Wozz! first began it’s production and cheese pairings. Bayley Hazen Blue has developed a loyal following because of its fudge-like texture, toasted-nut sweetness, and anise spice character. The paste is dense and creamy, with well-distributed blue veins. The usual peppery character of blue cheese is subdued, giving way to the grassy, nutty flavors in the milk. Flavors are complex and multi-layered. The typical tang of the blue mold, Penicillium Roqueforti, takes a back seat to a wide array of flavors that include butter, chocolate, and occasionally licorice.  This multi award winning blue cheese is fantastic and is one of our must-haves for any cheese plate or charcuterie board. 

                          Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread
                          Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney
                          Triple Ale Onion Savory Jam Spread

Maytag - Newton Iowa

Maytag is a blue cheese produced by Maytag Dairy Farms from the milk of prize-winning herd of Holstein cattle. The farm located outside Newton, Iowa has been making this handcrafted cheese since 1941 using traditional methods of curing. Even today, the blue cheese is not produced in huge quantities as the cheesemakers want to ensure that only the best quality cheese reaches the consumers.  Maytag Blue cheese is ripened over six months during which it develops a dense, crumbly texture and semi-sharp flavor. Every bite of Maytag melts in the mouth releasing a slightly tangy flavor with a lemony finish. With its pungent odor, the cheese might not suit everyone’s tastes. 

                          Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread
                          Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney
                          Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread

Cooking: This American gourmet cheese can be crumbled into salads, on crackers or melted on a burger while you are sipping that ale or lager. cheese delivered in decorative silver foil tastes delectable when crumbled into salads, crackers or melted onto a burger.  This blue cheese is fantastic on a burger with Wozz! award winning Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread. 

Point Reyes Farmstead - California

Point Reyes Farmstead has 2 varieties of award winning blue cheese that are personal favorites of mine - their bay blue and original blue.  The bay blue is milder, sweet and earthy vs. the original blue which is creamy, bold, slightly sharp and tangy - both are just stellar for any cheese plate.  
Shop The Essential Cheese Pairing Collection: 

Wozz! Essential Cheese Pairings Savory Jams and Spreads Set - Our Classic Cheese Pairings Selection For A Variety of Cheese Plate Pairings From Blue Cheese To Baked Brie. 

Read more
Our Favorite Spreads, Chutneys and Condiments For Delicious Sandwiches

Our Favorite Spreads, Chutneys and Condiments For Delicious Sandwiches

Yes, ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard do have there significant role in the sandwich world but sometimes you just get bored with the status quo and need a spread or condiment that lifts your taste buds to a whole new level.  Your sandwich shouldn't always be a rerun of your 6th grade brown bag lunch, am i right?  Now don't get me wrong, there are certainly days when that old school bologna and cheese on white with mayo is just what the doctored ordered but I'm pretty sure we can raise the bar.  Here are our favorite sandwich recipes using our condiments, chutneys, spreads and relish that will take your sandwich to another level of tasty deliciousness and will leave you truly satisfied. 

1. Ultimate Hummus and Veggie Sandwich with Pickled Beet Relish

Your everyday hummus and veggie sandwich just got Wozz'ed up with our Indian Spiced Pickled Beet Relish.  This beet relish is made from fresh from the farm beets, roasted and shredded and pickled with our own blend of Indian spices.  It's most at home on a veggie hummus or goats cheese panini.

 

 

 

2. Grilled Chicken and Brie Sandwich with Cranberry Chutney

Juicy grilled chicken atop thick grilled bread and topped with gooey cheese, fresh avocado and our cranberry orange cognac chutney   Our Cranberry Orange Cognac is a blend of New England Cranberries blended with fresh orange, aromatic spices and cognac liquor.  Just delicious with a roast turkey sandwich.

 

 

3. Ham Egg and Avocado Bagel Sandwich with Wozz! Spicy Tomato Kasundi Sauce

Our globally influenced spicy tomato kasundi sauce with cumin, paprika and chili is a a cross between a wordly ketchup and a smoky bbq sauce and it completely transforms this breakfast bagel sandwich.

 

 

4.  Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs and Wozz! Super Hot Chii Sambal

Poached eggs on smashed avocado toast topped with our Indonesian style Super Hot Chili Sambal Hot Sauce. 

 

 

5. Falafel Gyros with Lemon Green Tahini Sauce

Lebanese street food made at home.  Is there anything better than a loaded gyro wrap with veggies, tzatziki, lemon green tahini dressing and falafel.  Survey says no.  This lemon green tahini dressing is also fantastic stirred into chopped eggs for an egg salad sandwich and if you are vegan, swap out the eggs and use tofu.

 

 

6. Turkey Cheese Wraps with Thai Orange Ginger Relish

Simple turkey and cheese wraps get a bold and tangy twist with Wozz! Spicy Savory Thai Orange and Ginger Relish 

 

 

7.  Balsamic Fig Caprese BLT Club Sandwich with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Spread

A BLT perfect for the summer garden season when ripe tomatoes and bunches of fresh basil are ready for harvest.  Add some sliced mozzarella, our Balsamic Fig Spread, crispy thick cut bacon, avocado and mayo and you've got yourself one ridiculously delicious sandwich.

8. Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Wozz! Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish

This grown up style grilled cheese is made with crusty sourdough bread, our Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish, sliced ham, fresh spinach, Gruyere and cheddar.

 

 

9. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger with Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread

What do you get when you take a Double Bacon Cheese Smash Burger and add Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread to it?

The most mouthwatering delicious flavor explosive bacon cheeseburger you have ever tasted.

Double Smash Burger with Onion Jam

 

 

10. Corned Beef Reuben with Wozz! Southern Style Rustic Mustard

Layered corn beef on marble rye bread with swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Wozz! Southern Style Rustic Mustard.  This sandwich is a full on flavor bomb. 

 

11. Crispy Fried Chicken with Green Tomato Jalapeno Mayo and Slaw

The ultimate buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with spicy mayo and "special sauce" coleslaw made with our Green Tomato Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Spread.  Served on a toasted brioche bun with pickles.

Green Tomato Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Spread | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

 

12. Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwich with Thai Orange Ginger Relish

Pulled pork on a crispy bun with Wozz! Thai Orange Ginger Relish, mayonnaise, cilantro and red onion.  Delicious!

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Thai Orange Carrot Relish

 


13.  Chicken Meatball Sub with Thai Hot Pepper Jelly

Chicken meatballs are seasoned up with a splash of soy sauce, garlic and ginger then coated in Thai Hot Pepper Jelly and served on a toasted sub roll with fresh cucumber, mayo, cilantro and mint.  

Meatball Sub with Thai Hot Pepper Jelly Sauce

 

Thai Hot Pepper Jelly


All of our condiments and spreads are versatile and can be used on a variety of sandwiches.  Here are a few more of our favorite sandwich and condiment combinations:

Shaved Turkey + Bacon + Mayo + Cheddar + Spicy Summer Mango Chutney + Salad Greens + Baguette 

Prosciutto + Fresh Pear + Goats Cheese + Fresh Basil + Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread on Hearty Artisan Bread Grilled

Roast Beef + Horseradish Mayo + Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread + Lettuce + Bulkie Roll

Turkey Burger + Melted Cheddar + Thai Orange Ginger Relish + Lettuce + Whole Wheat Hamburger Bun

Goats Cheese + Indian Spiced Pickled Beet Relish + Arugula on Grilled Bread

Pulled Pork + Jamaican Jerk Pineapple Chutney + BBQ Sauce + Fresh Cilantro + Pickles + Brioche Bun

View The Entire Collection of Wozz! Condiments, Spreads, Relish and Sauces

Wozz! Sandwich Lovers and Condiments Set
Sandwich Sauces and Condiments Set

 

 

 

Read more
Baked Brie with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda

Baked Brie with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda

Baked Brie with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda

I wanted to share with you all a delicious recipe that was developed by some good friends of ours at the extraordinary Weston Table Market. 
Weston Table is a retailer of ours that does a spectacular job of combining a sophisticated and visually stimulating travel and recipe blog with an upscale artisanal homewares store that focuses on beautiful design and functionality. Their whole approach is cohesive and beautiful and inspiring. 

Their website and store is described in their own words as"Our award-winning approach combines beautiful imagery and unexpected content alongside an extraordinary collection of goods that elevates living, giving, and entertaining. We believe in emboldening people to shop with intention and to make meaningful purchases. Weston Table is a craftsman to consumer, get to know the story, visually-rich marketplace presented in a lifestyle format that includes travel experiences and food centric entertaining." 
For a shopping experience that goes far beyond your expectations, please check out their website https://www.westontable.com/  

 


Baked Brie with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda

recipe courtesy of Weston Table
https://www.westontable.com/blog/brie-balsamic-fig-mostarda

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Put the round of brie in a SMALL OVEN PROOF DISH. Use a small off set spatula to spread the mostarda over the top of the brie (all the way to the edge so that it begins to drip over the sides).

3. Place the pancetta rounds in a single layer on a QUARTER SHEET BAKING PAN.

4. Place the brie on the middle rack of the oven and the pancetta rounds on the top rack of the oven. Cook the brie for 7 minutes and the pancetta rounds until they are crisp, about 5 minutes (check frequently and remove as soon as they are brown and crisp).

5. While the brie is baking, trim the ends from the scallions, light green and deep green pieces only (reserve the white bulb part for another dish). Cut the green stem on the bias into very thin 1.25” long strips in which one end of the scallion stays together and forms a V. Plunge the scallions into an ice water bath. The scallion greens will firm up and begin to curl.

6. Remove the brie from the oven and carefully separate the pancetta wheel where it comes together naturally. Stick the ends of 3 pancetta rounds into the top of the brie. Sprinkle with the curled scallions. Serve immediately with the remaining pancetta rounds and crackers.

KITCHEN NOTES

Let the brie come to room temperature for an hour or two before baking to minimize oven time and keep the mostarda from drying out. Pancetta rounds are often found in the refrigerator section that includes prepackaged sliced Italian meats. Effie's Homemade Oatcakes are particularly delcious with this dish and may be found at Whole Foods. If you have fresh or dried figs, slice them and add a few to the top of the brie before baking.

Read more
How To Use Onion Jam? Let Us Show You The Ways

How To Use Onion Jam? Let Us Show You The Ways

How To Use Onion Jam

Oh a sweet sticky caramelized onion jam, it's like heaven in a jar.  But how should you use it?  With cheese, pizza, flatbreads, chicken?  Yes, the answer is D: All Of The Above and wait up...there's a whole lot more.   Our Triple Ale Onion Savory Jam Spread is one of our best selling spreads, it also won the coveted NYC Fancy Food Show Sofi Gold award for best condiment, so we know a thing or two about a delicious handcrafted onion jam and have experimented with it over and over again, so let us show you how to use a caramelized onion jam in a variety of ways.  Our Triple Ale Onion Spread which of course we are partial too, is a sweet sticky caramelized onion spread made with fresh roasted garlic, fresh onions and 3 artisan ales and here are a few of our favorite recipes and ways to use it. 

Ways To Use Our Triple Ale Onion Jam Spread:

1. Pair Our Onion Jam with Cheese and Charcuterie

Pairing Triple Ale Onion Jam with cheddar is one of our favorite ways to use this spread.  It's also fantastic with aged cheddar, goats cheese, blue cheese, cured salami and crackers.  Add to charcuterie boards with a variety of cured meats and rustic breads for an all around crowd pleaser.

Recipe: Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Jam with Cheddar and Salami

2. Slather Our Triple Ale Onion Spread on All Your Sandwiches 

From steak and cheese to grilled cheese to a simple roast turkey sandwich, our Triple Ale Onion Jam takes your sandwich to the next level.  Try a roast beef, cheese and arugula panini with a little mayo and a dollop of onion jam toasted to perfection or try it on a grilled cheese with bacon.

Pictured Below:  French Onion Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Apple and Onion Jam

Grilled Cheese with Onion Jam

3.  Spread Onion Jam on Your Next Bacon Cheeseburger

There is nothing better than a sweet sticky caramelized onion jam spread on a char grilled bacon cheeseburger. 

Recipe: Bacon Cheeseburger with Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread

4.  Use Onion Jam as a Braising Sauce For Chicken

Toss chicken thighs with our Triple Ale Onion Jam and a little fresh thyme or rosemary and roast in the oven.  With a few roasted potatoes, it makes a weeknight meal that's easy and delicious.

Recipe: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Triple Ale Onion Spread and Roasted Potatoes

5.  Use Onion Jam For a Topping For Brie Cheese

Creamy velvety brie cheese with it's earthy and mushroom notes pairs perfectly with a savory onion jam.  Pair with toasted crostini and it's a crowd favorite.

Recipe:  Baked Brie En Croute with Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread

6.  Use Our Triple Ale Onion Spread as an Alternative Pizza Sauce

You don't always have to turn to that traditional tomato marinara sauce, our Triple Ale Onion Spread makes a wonderful pizza base, especially for a bbq chicken pizza, steak and cheese pizza or a cheddar, bacon and apple pizza.  

Recipe: Smoked Tilsit, Bacon, Apple and Triple Ale Onion Spread Pizza

7.  Add Onion Jam to Mini Tarts and Puff Pastry Appetizers

For no fuss, super easy entertaining, add onion jam to mini pastry tarts with goats cheese, brie or blue cheese and garnish with fresh herbs.  They only take 10 minutes are so good!   

Recipe: Mini Tarts with Goats Cheese, Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread, Thyme & Walnuts

8. Toss Onion Jam through Your Favorite Vegetables  

Steamed green beans tossed with onion jam and bacon is divine and a way to liven up those veggies.  Also delicious when tossed through Brussells sprouts or dolloped on top of roasted sweet potatoes. 

9.  Swirl Onion Jam through Macaroni and Cheese

Add a swirl of savory onion jam through your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe and top with bread crumbs.  You can even add a little ground beef to your macaroni and cheese for a fantastic weeknight comfort meal.  Check out this recipe below for an out of this world macaroni and cheese dish!

Recipe:  Onion Jam Mac and Cheese with Rosemary

10.  Spread Onion Jam onto Crostini

A simple and easy way to use onion jam is to spread onto toasted crostini with cheese, prosciutto and fresh herbs.  We love this crostini with our Triple Ale Onion Spread, Mushrooms and Fresh Thyme. 

Recipe:  Mushroom Thyme Crostini with Triple Ale Onion Spread

There you have it, the many ways to use Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Savory Jam Spread in a variety of recipes.  From easy entertaining to delicious weeknight meals.

Shop Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread

 

 

 

 

Read more
How To Use Salsa Verde in Recipes and Cooking

How To Use Salsa Verde in Recipes and Cooking

How To Use Salsa Verde in Recipes and Cooking

First off, what exactly is salsa verde and how do I incorporate salsa verde in my cooking?  Salsa Verde also known as "green salsa" is a condiment that originated in Mexico.  It's made with tomatillos, green chili, garlic, onions, fresh lime, salt and cilantro with usually a pinch of sugar to balance out the tart tang of this salsa.  It's typically thinner in consistency to a traditional chunky red tomato salsa and is commonly served with Mexican cuisine including enchiladas, tacos, fajitas and chimichangas.  Salsa verde isn't just to be used as a condiment drizzled on top of your favorite Mexican dishes, it can be used in a number of recipes as an ingredient and adds fantastic flavor tang and spice. For our award winning Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde, we chose to add a bit of fresh kiwi to kick up that tang just a bit more.  You may think that the addition of kiwi to our salsa verde would make it sweeter or fruitier but it does just the opposite, it adds a nice zing and acid to the salsa. We make our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde with fresh charred tomatillos, fresh jalapenos, garlic, onion, fresh lime and cilantro.  It's a favorite and actually was featured on The Today Show after winning best salsa at the NYC Fancy Food Show!  So we are not lying, when we say its delicious.  We've picked our best and easiest ways to use salsa verde in a variety of recipes and I hope you'll give our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde a try in your next dish.

1. Salsa Verde Guacamole 

Make a delicious guacamole in no time with salsa verde.  Just smash up some avocados, add your salsa verde, add a little chopped tomato, fresh squeezed lime juice and season with salt and pepper.  That's It!  Serve the salsa verde guacamole with tortilla chips at your next party for easy no hassle entertaining.

Recipe: Easiest Salsa Verde Guacamole

2. Dip Tortilla Chips in Salsa Verde

For a refreshing alternative to traditional red tomato salsa, serve tortilla chips or nachos with some vibrant delicious salsa verde!  Especially good with loaded pulled pork nachos.

3. Spoon Salsa Verde over Mexican Fajitas and Tacos

Serve salsa verde as a condiment and side to all your Mexican tacos, fajitas and quesadillas. I made these amazing Mexican Street Corn Beef Fajitas with our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde and they were so so good!  I have attached the recipe below.

Mexican Street Corn Beef Fajitas with Salsa Verde | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Beef Fajitas with Salsa Verde

4. Serve Salsa Verde as Condiment for Grilled Meats and Seafood

Simple grilled flank steak, chicken, fish and scallops are dressed up beautifully with a drizzle of salsa verde and when watching the carbs, salsa verde is a great choice!  Our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde has only 1 g of carbs per tablespoon and only 80 calories in the entire jar.

5. A Healthy Salsa For Grilled Fish Tacos

Who doesn't want zingy fresh and spicy salsa verde atop their grilled fish tacos? Salsa verde is a classic accompaniment and adds a fresh tang and smokey kick to the tacos.

Recipe: Grilled Fish Tacos with Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde

6. Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

"Enchiladas Verde", a favorite Mexican dish, chicken or pork enchiladas baked in a salsa verde sauce with a little extra hot sauce and sour cream on the side.  For a quick recipe, pick up a rotisserie chicken at store, shred chicken and set aside.  Pan fry your corn tortillas on both sides and set aside.  Now assemble your enchiladas - in a baking dish add salsa verde to bottom of dish, make your enchiladas rolls by adding shredded chicken, a little salsa verde into tortillas and roll up, place seam side down into baking dish.  Once dish is full of your enchiladas, add a little more salsa verde to top of enchiladas.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve with crumbled queso fresco or Cotija and chopped white onion.  

Pictured Below:  Chicken, Cream Cheese and White Bean Enchiladas with Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

7. Salsa Verde Chicken Cheese and Rice Bake

Salsa Verde can be added to a chicken cheese and rice bake for a Mexican inspired casserole dish. This is a delicious weeknight meal that you have to try using our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde. 

Recipe: Salsa Verde Chicken Cheese and Rice Bake  

8. Salsa Verde as a Healthy Salad Dressing

Salsa verde makes a wonderful low calorie fresh and zingy dressing for a variety of salads and is also used to dress side dishes of rice and beans.  I like salsa verde drizzled on a Mexican black bean and corn salad with chopped red onion, fresh cilantro and an extra squeeze of lime. 

9. Salsa Verde on Eggs

Salsa verde drizzled over your morning poached eggs on toast or scrambled eggs?  yes please.  When you are not feeling like traditional hot sauce, give salsa verde a go.  It's also a classic addition to the authentic Mexican dish Huevos Rancheros (fried eggs with refried black beans and salsa verde served on corn tortillas)

10. Salsa Verde As A Potato Salad Dressing

Forgo the Mayo!  We've just cut a zillion calories out of the traditional potato salad recipe.  A perfect addition to a hot summers day bbq - salsa verde potato salad with our handmade kiwi lime salsa verde. 

 

Recipe: Health Salsa Verde Potato Salad

11.  Add Salsa Verde To a Mexican Inspired Soup or Chili

A Mexican inspired soup is perfect for when it's cold outside and you want to warm up or if you are feeling congested or have a cold.  Salsa verde added to a chicken corn soup or bean chili adds a vibrant tang and spicy chili kick that is delicious.

Pictured Below:  Salsa Verde Chicken and White Bean Soup

Salsa Verde Chicken Soup

and that's a wrap!  We'll continue to add more salsa verde recipes as we make them using our signature Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde.  In the meantime, give one of these recipes a try or swap out your regular ole tomato salsa for this super fresh and delicious green version.  Don't forget to serve up some margaritas with these dishes as well...what's a night of Mexican without margaritas or tequila?  

Winner of the NYC Fancy Food show Sofi Gold Award For Best Salsa and Featured On The Today Show! 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more
Best Fruit Spreads, Jams and Nut Toppings For Brie Cheese

Best Fruit Spreads, Jams and Nut Toppings For Brie Cheese

Best Fruit Spreads, Jam and Nut Topping For Brie

I swear other than the bubbly, the next best thing at a holiday party is that delicious beautiful ooey gooey baked brie bejeweled with fruit preserves and nuts all dressed up in its puff pastry.  With warm slices of french bread scattered round it's base, it is an appetizer that just wants to be devoured by most guests.

You can top a baked brie with a variety of jams and spreads ranging in flavors from sweet and fruity to savory and piquant. Typically people prefer a sweet fruitier topping for brie and will often mix a jam with toasted nuts or herbs to spoon over top but a savory pairing such as our Triple Ale Onion Spread which is a caramelized onion jam made with 3 craft beers is a wonderful savory alternative for pairing, so both options - sweet or savory will work well and can stand up to the earthy creamy mushroomy taste of brie.  

Remember too that brie doesn't only have to be served in a puff pastry (commonly referred to as brie en croute), you can forgo the pastry and simply bake it in the oven for 10 minutes and then dress it up with your preferred topping (jam, savory preserves, honey, fruit, nuts, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, etc.)   You can also use brie in a number of different appetizers from mini tarts to small puff pastries, mini quiches, paninis and flatbreads.  All of our savory spreads and jam compotes listed below will work with a variety of soft ripened bloomy rind style cheeses from Brie to Camembert to Coulommiers (which is a cousin to brie) and make a beautiful addition to any cheese plate.

Our Favorite Spreads, Jams and Nut Toppings For Brie Include:

1. Baked Brie with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote with Thyme and Pecans

Our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote is made with whole tart cherries sourced from upstate NY with warm winter spices and cracked black pepper.  Its sweet yet savory and when mixed with toasted pecans and fresh thyme is just amazing with a baked brie.  Not only is it a classic pairing - brie cheese and sour cherry but for a holiday gathering, its just gorgeous on the table.  

Recipe:  Baked Brie with Sour Cherry Compote with Thyme and Pecans

 2.  Baked Brie En Croute with Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread and Crispy Bacon

A savory option which we love, our NYC Fancy Food Show Award Winning Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread mixed with bacon and served atop a brie baked in puff pastry.  The caramelized onion jam spread is a perfect pairing for the buttery mushroomy brie and makes a wonderful fall or winter appetizer. 

Recipe:  Baked Brie En Croute with Caramelized Onion Spread and Bacon

Brie En Croute with Onion Jam and Bacon Topping

3. Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread and Brie Pairings 

Our Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread is a combination of sweet figs slowly simmered in a red wine reduction sauce with balsamic and a finishing touch of mustard oil spice.  It's our signature cheese pairing condiment and the winner of the NYC Fancy Food Show sofi award for best condiment.  This fig spread is an amazing accompaniment to brie and we've used it many times in recipes.  Here are a few of our favorite brie and balsamic fig mostarda spread pairings:

  • Summer Cheese Board:  Pair Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread with a wheel of soft ripened coulommiers cheese (coulommiers is similar to brie cheese like camembert), fresh fruits, croissants, ham and honey for a cheese board well suited for a summer picnic.
  • Balsamic Fig and Brie Mini Tarts - One of the easiest ways to entertain is with mini tarts!  You will find them in the frozen puff pastry section of the grocery store and you simply fill them with your favorite cheese, herb and nut mixture, bake for 10 minutes and voila.  These mini tarts are filled with slices of brie cheese and topped with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread and fresh thyme.

Recipe:  Brie and Balsamic Fig Spread Mini Tarts Appetizer

 

Mini Tarts with Brie and Fig Spread

 

  • Summer Grilled Peach Pizza with Brie, Bacon and Basil - You don't have to wait until the holidays to bring out the brie, it's delicious when paired with summer fruits such as strawberries and peaches and is delicious on this summer grilled peach flatbread with Wozz! Balsamic Fig Spread, bacon and fresh torn basil.  

Recipe:  Summer Grilled Peach Flatbread with Brie, Fig Spread, Bacon and Basil

 

Pizza Topped with Brie Cheese, Grilled Peaches and Basil

 

4.  Cranberry Orange Cognac Chutney Paired with Brie Cheese

Wozz! Cranberry Orange and Cognac Chutney is a traditional cranberry chutney with an orange inspired twist!  New England Cranberries are simmered in aromatic spices including cinnamon and allspice with hand candied oranges and a touch of cognac liquor.  A classic holiday pairing for camembert or brie cheese, especially brie en croute and perfect when spooned over those leftover holiday chicken and turkey sandwiches!  Below we served our cranberry chutney with brie on puff pastry for a festive holiday appetizer.

Recipe:  Puff Pastry with Brie and Cranberry Chutney

Puff Pastry with Brie and Cranberry Topping

 

5.  Baked Brie Paired with Wozz! Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Fruit Compote (with balsamic and rosemary).  

This recipe is a home run.  It turned out sooo good.  For this baked brie appetizer we combined Wozz! Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Fruit Compote which is made using wild Maine blueberries, pure maple syrup, toasted walnuts, fresh rosemary and balsamic vinegar with some additional fresh rosemary and toasted walnuts and simply spoon it over the brie after it was baked.

Recipe:  Baked Brie with Wozz! Wild Blueberry Compote, Walnuts and Rosemary

 

Baked Brie with Blueberry Compote, Rosemary and Walnuts

 

6. Brie Paired with Winter Spiced Fruits and Honey Confit

Our Winter Spiced Fruits and Honey Confit is a favorite festive addition to your holiday cheese board and is wonderful paired with brie.  It's a combination of dried apricots, cherries, cranberries and golden sultanas simmered in aromatic winter spices with fresh rosemary, orange and honey.  

Dried Fruit and Honey Confiture

 

So there you have it, our best handcrafted jams, compotes, condiments and savory spreads with nut toppings for brie cheese.  For a quick recap of favorite toppings:

Baked Brie + Wozz! Wild Blueberry Maple Compote + Fresh Rosemary + Toasted Walnuts  

Baked Brie + Wozz! Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote + Fresh Thyme + Toasted Pecans

Baked Brie + Wozz! Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread 

Baked Brie + Wozz! Cranberry Orange Chutney + Pistachios + Pecans

Baked Brie En Croute + Wozz! Triple Ale Caramelized Onion Spread + Bacon + Fresh Rosemary

Serve warm with toasted sliced French baguette or crackers.  

Get The Set -  Wozz! Best Spreads and Jams For Brie CheeseTrio

 

 

If you are looking for a gift for the cheese lover or for the hostess that loves to entertain, you may like:

Wozz! Cheese Pairing Gourmet Spreads Gift Set - A Set of 6 Condiments, Jams and Savory Spreads Designed For Perfect Cheese Pairings

Spreads and Jams For Cheese

 

 

Read more
Condiments and Savory Jams To Compliment A Charcuterie Board

Condiments and Savory Jams To Compliment A Charcuterie Board

When you say charcuterie board, most people think of it as an upscale appetizer, most likely due to it's French origins and typically thought of as an arrangement of cured aged meats only to be bought at a high end delicatessen or artisan butchery shop. A spread of dry cured sausages and aged Parma ham and duck terrines served with mini toasts and butter and a few condiments and pickles.  Yes this is an example of a classic charcuterie spread and is my preferred take on a charcuterie board however, charcuterie boards can also be served in a more casual style such as a simple meat and cheese platter, an antipasto spread consisting of some cheese, meats and pickled veggies and even a ploughman's lunch which if you think about it, is kind of a deconstructed sandwich really.  Basically a spread of cold cuts, some salami, pickles, crackers, crusty bread, chutney and cheese.  

Whichever way you want to construct your charcuterie board, whether it be a sophisticated spread highlighting artisan made cured meats with types such as prosciutto di parma to jamón serrano to duck paté or it be a simpler spread including some Genoa salami or soppressata with some cheddar and crackers we've got a range of condiments, jams, chutneys and savory fruit spreads to liven up the board and add a nice accompaniment to your choice of meats, cheese, breads and crackers.

Our Favorite Condiments, Jams, Chutneys and Savory Fruit Spreads For Charcuterie Include:

 1.  Southern Style Rustic Mustard - Our Signature Pairing For All Charcuterie

Hands down a staple to a magnificent charcuterie board is a nice hearty mustard.  Our Southern Style Rustic Mustard is a hearty wholegrain mustard with a southern barbecue inspired twist and a nice bit of vinegary tang.  It's slightly sweet, peppery and tangy which makes it a phenomenal addition to a range of cured meats from sopressata (a rustic style Italian cured sausage) to capicola (also known as coppa - a smoked sausage) and salami.  It's also delicious with cooked sliced ham, mortadella (Italian bologna - usually seen in the deli - looks like large bologna with olives and black peppers inside) and chicken liver pate (served with butter and toast).  Our Southern Style Rustic Mustard is a perfect accompaniment to any charcuterie board you display from a swanky spread to a Super Bowl party platter and everything in-between.

Featured Below:  Our Southern Style Rustic Mustard Featured on our Fall Festive Simple Cheese and Charcuterie Board - pictured is French bread baguette slices with sopressata, prosciutto, gherkin pickles, Swiss cheese and aged cheddar with our Southern Style Rustic Mustard and our Triple Ale Onion Savory Jam Spread.  

Fall Festive Charcuterie Board with Mustard Condiment and Onion Jam | Wozz! Kitchen Creations
Mustard For Charcuterie | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

 

2.  Triple Ale Onion Jam - A Favorite Onion Jam For Cheese, Cured Sausage and Crackers - Winner of The NYC Fancy Food Show Sofi Gold Award

We always say our Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread is made for aged cheddar, cured sausage and crackers, washed down with a craft brew.  It's the Super Bowl style meat and cheese platter that this spread is made for.  This sweet sticky caramelized onion jam spread is also delicious with a variety of cheeses from blue cheese to goats cheese to baked brie (with a little bit of crumbled bacon and rosemary on top - so good).  

Pictured Below:  Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread with Aged Cheddar and Sausage.


3.  Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread - Figs Simmered in Balsamic with a Touch of Mustard Spice - A Classic Fig Jam For A Cheese and Charcuterie Board

Our Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread is not only our signature cheese pairing condiment, pairing with a variety of cheese from aged chevre to stilton, this fig spread is a classic addition to a charcuterie board and also a winner of the NYC Fancy Food Show for best in class.  Our favorite way to pair it, is with crostini, gorgonzola and crispy prosciutto (as shown below).  It's a delicious accompaniment to prosciutto (Italian dry cured ham) and Jamón (dry cured ham from Spain) served with a few cheeses including blue cheese, aged goats cheese and crusty bread or crackers along with grapes, nuts and olives.

4.  Green Tomato Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Spread - A Sweet Yet Tangy and Spicy Chili Jam For Your Meat and Cheese Platters

This is a pepper jelly jam made with fresh green tomatoes and fresh jalapenos, it's sweet and tangy with a vinegary spicy kick and it's just delicious paired with a variety of charcuterie and deli meats including ham, prosciutto, mortadella, sausage, pastrami and terrines.  It's also great with cheddar, Swiss cheese, goats cheese and simple cream cheese.  From a simple meat and cheese platter to a sophisticated charcuterie board this one adds a nice tangy pickle-y bite to them all.

Pictured Below: Toasted Crostini with Sopressata, Ham, Aged Cheddar and Wozz! Green Tomato Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Spread 

5. Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote -  A Favorite Fruit Spread For Pate, Foie Gras and Holiday Charcuterie Boards

With it's bright burgundy sour cherries, Our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Fruit Compote makes a gorgeous addition to a charcuterie board.  Sour cherries are simmered in red wine with warm aromatic spices and finished with a touch of cracked black pepper making it a great match for peppery salami and sausages.  It is our favorite pairing for pate, foie gras and terrines.  This sour cherry compote paired with duck paté and simple buttered toast is a lovely holiday appetizer. 

Get The Set - Wozz! Condiments Jams and Spreads For Cheese and Charcuterie Boards

 

Read more
Best Ways To Use Peanut Sauce | Wozz Kitchen Creations

How Best To Use Peanut Sauce? Let Us Count The Ways

Whether you are making your own from scratch at home or you have a jar or bottle kicking around your pantry that you want to put to good use, a quality peanut sauce is a great ingredient to get creative with.  The most important thing is that whether you are making it at home or using store bought, you best make sure it's a quality peanut sauce - not all peanut sauces are created equal.   

We here at Wozz, are of course a little partial to our Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce, it's handmade in small batches by us with all natural peanut butter, fresh lime juice, a medley of Southeast Asian spices, fresh chili and creamy coconut milk.  It's layered with intense flavor - rich and creamy with a bite of fresh lime, spice and chili - it's definitely a step above your grocery store brand gluggy peanut sauce.  It was named best cooking sauce by the NYC Fancy Food Show and continues to be a best seller here at Wozz.

We use our peanut sauce in a variety of ways because it's pretty versatile - we use it as a dressing, a cooking sauce and a marinade.  Here are our favorite ways to incorporate peanut sauce in a number of dishes and recipes at home.

1.  Create A Curry Using Peanut Sauce

There are a variety of different curries to make using peanut sauce as a base. From chicken curry to sweet potato and tofu curry to peanut shrimp coconut curry, you simply mix your peanut sauce with coconut milk for your cooking sauce and add whatever protein or vegetables you like.  If you want to add even more oomph to your peanut curry sauce, you can add additional curry paste (red or green), you can add in some fresh garlic or fresh ginger, extra lime juice or a little sambal or fresh chili for extra spice.   You can make it as simple or complex as you like.  Serve the dish with rice or grilled bread to soak up all that delicious peanut sauce. Garnish your dish with fresh herbs, basil or cilantro, crushed peanuts and fresh lime wedges.

Pictured Below:  Asian Coconut Peanut Chicken Curry with Butternut Squash Recipe

2. Make Pad Thai Style Noodles Using Peanut Sauce

Cook up some rice noodles, add some shredded cabbage, carrot or bean sprouts, stir in a bottle of peanut sauce and garnish with fresh squeezed lime, crushed peanuts and fresh herbs.  A super easy weeknight meal that is a crowd pleaser.  Who doesn't love some pad thai? and you can always add some boneless pork strips, chicken, shrimp or tofu if you want some extra protein.

Pictured Below:  Pad Thai Style Noodles with Wozz Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

3. Use Peanut Sauce as an Asian Stir Fry Sauce

In a large skillet, add some sesame oil, brown off some diced chicken, stir fry some vegetables - green beans, broccoli, red pepper (whatever you want) and finish it with peanut sauce.  Bada bing bada boom, Asian peanut chicken veggie stir fry.  Of course, you can expand on this - add a little soy sauce, a little chicken stock or a little coconut milk, fresh herbs, sriracha, fresh garlic, fresh ginger but for a simple no fuss 15 minute dinner then simply brown chicken, stir fry veggies and add some peanut sauce.  Another delicious option is to add peanut sauce to a bit of chicken stock and serve over these Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce and Thai Basil (pictured below).

4. Use Peanut Sauce As A Dipping Sauce Or Satay Sauce

Peanut sauce is the classic dipping sauce for chicken satay (grilled chicken skewers) and makes a delicious dipping sauce for rice paper rolls, shrimp, potstickers, tempura and fresh vegetables including cucumber slices, carrot sticks and red pepper strips.  Peanut sauce makes a flavorful alternative dip for a veggie party platter.

Pictured Below: Grilled Chicken Satay with Coconut Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

5.  Use Peanut Sauce as A Dressing For Lettuce Wraps or Tacos

Skipping out on bread or cutting carbs? Peanut sauce makes a delicious dressing for a variety of Asian lettuce wraps.  Simply use the leaves from either iceburg, bibb or butter lettuce, add whatever filling you like and top with a drizzle of peanut sauce.  Some ideas for lettuce wraps include:

lettuce wrap with grilled chicken + fresh sliced mango + shredded cabbage + a little fresh basil + drizzle with peanut sauce

lettuce wraps with stir fried tofu cooked with peanut sauce + brown rice + topped with cilantro + crushed peanuts + scallions + chili sambal

lettuce wraps with sautéed ground chicken cooked in sesame oil with fresh garlic, ginger, a splash of soy sauce and hoisin sauce + top with pickled carrots + chopped scallions + a squeeze of fresh lime + drizzle with peanut sauce

You can also dress up a variety of tacos with peanut sauce from ground pork, mint and chili tacos to stir fried cauliflower tacos with cabbage and cilantro.

6.  Make Buddha Bowls with Peanut Dressing

Create a variety of different healthy buddha bowls and top with peanut dressing.  You can either use straight up peanut sauce for your dressing or you can mix the peanut sauce with a little rice wine vinegar to lighten it up.  Ingredients in your buddha bowls that go well with peanut dressing include:  baked tofu, lentils or roasted chickpeas, sliced avocado, pickled carrot or cabbage, fresh cucumber and red pepper, roasted veggies such as sweet potato or butternut squash, fresh salad greens, lightly sautéed kale and broccoli.  

Pictured Below:  Baked Tofu Buddha Bowls with Butternut Squash and Peanut Dressing

7. Use Peanut Sauce As A Base For Soup or Stew

We use our Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce as a base for a Fall inspired butternut squash, lentil and wild rice soup.  We mix the peanut sauce with vegetable broth and add coconut milk to make the broth.  If you don't want to add squash, lentils and rice, you could give it a more Asian flair and add shitake mushrooms and ramen noodles or rice noodles and broccoli.  You can also add some vegetable broth, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to the peanut sauce and slow cook with stewed beef (or boneless diced chicken thighs) and vegetables (sweet potatoes, rutabagas, onion, garlic) to make an African inspired stew, commonly referred to as Mafé.  

Pictured Below: Coconut Peanut Butternut Squash Soup with Lentil and Wild Rice made with Wozz Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

8. Peanut Sauce Makes A Simple Delicious Salad Dressing

Whether you are dressing simple salad greens or making a grilled chicken salad with fresh veggies and garden herbs, a peanut dressing is a nice way to switch things up from your traditional Ranch or balsamic vinegar.  Simply add a splash of rice wine vinegar or squeeze of fresh lime to your salad with a of drizzle peanut sauce for a creamy rich delicious dressing.  I love a peanut dressing over a chopped Asian salad of kale, shredded cabbage, peppers and some cashews or crushed peanuts for added crunch.  I often use it on a Thai style chicken salad with fresh mint and chili.  Another option is to toss your peanut dressing in a Thai noodle salad - simply cook up some rice noodles and cool over running water in colander, add some shredded cabbage, cilantro or Thai basil and shredded carrot and toss with your peanut sauce. Serve with fresh squeeze of lime. 

Pictured Below:  Thai Chicken, Cucumber and Mint Salad with Peanut Sauce Dressing

9.  Use Peanut Sauce As A Sauce For Chicken Wings or Vegetarian Cauliflower "Wings"

You can batter up some chicken wings, fry them and then toss with your peanut sauce or you can toss the chicken wings with the sauce and bake them, basting occasionally (a healthier option), or you can go super healthy and make some baked battered cauliflower bites (sometimes referred to as "cauliflower wings") and after they are done baking, toss them with the peanut sauce.  

Pictured Below: Crispy Coconut Peanut Wings with Cilantro, Lime and Chili

Peanut Wings with Cilantro, Lime and Chili


10. Use Peanut Sauce in an Asian broth for Mussels 

We use our Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce to make a broth for Asian inspired mussels which is a nice change from the traditional white wine, tomato based broth.  We serve the mussels with a side of rice and grilled bread to soak up all the coconut peanut broth.  Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro or basil. So easy and so good.  

Pictured Below:  Cambodian Coconut Peanut Curry Mussels Recipe using Wozz Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

Mussels in Coconut Peanut Sauce Broth

There you have it, our favorite ways to use peanut sauce beyond satay - from curry to tacos to salad to mussels!  It's a pretty versatile sauce once you start to get creative with it and it's a good one to have on hand in the pantry so you don't have to always make it from scratch.  

Wozz! Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce 

Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

Read more
How To Use Sour Cherry Spread? Let Us Count The Ways

How To Use Sour Cherry Spread? Let Us Count The Ways

How To Use Sour Cherry Spread

We released our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Compote Spread back in 2016, and it's quickly become a popular pick among our customers for their holiday and winter cheese plates.  I will say it's more of a fall and winter condiment and we actually designed it as such, it's made with whole sour cherries from Upstate New York, simmered in a red wine reduction sauce with warm winter spices and cracked black pepper.  With it's aromatic spices and gorgeous red color, it's well suited for the holidays and makes a terrific addition to your entertaining spread. 

Not only is our sour cherry spread fantastic for cheese, it's also a fabulous pairing for roasted meats, charcuterie and desserts.  You can go sweet or savory with this gem of a sauce and we are here to show you 10 ways to use our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread.

 

1. Crostini with Creamy Goats Cheese and Sour Cherry Spread

So gorgeous and so good!  Simply slice a French baguette at an angle, brush with olive and a little salt, toast in the oven then spread with creamy goats cheese and top with our delicious sour cherry jam spread and a touch of cracked black pepper. 

Recipe:  Crostini with Goats Cheese and Wozz! Sour Cherry Spread

Crostini with Goats Cheese and Sour Cherry Spread | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

2. Crispy Duck with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce

Yes, yes, i know.  Crispy duck with a cherry sauce is absolute heaven.  This is a great go to when you are looking for an at home upscale Friday night meal or to entertain friends.  Cherry preserves is a classic pairing for duck.

3. Cheese Plate with Sour Cherry Spread

Our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread is fantastic with blue cheese, aged goats cheese, baked brie and camembert.  A beautiful addition to any cheese plate.

Pictured Below:  Baked Brie with Sour Cherry Compote, Thyme and Pecans

Baked Brie with Sour Cherry Jam Spread

4. Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce

Rub a pork tenderloin with a herb oil blend (oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper), roast in the oven and serve with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce on the side. 

5. Roasted Sausages with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce

An easy weeknight meal that lacks no flavor!  Savory sausages topped with a pan sauce made with our sour cherry spread and balsamic vinegar.  Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Recipe:  Roasted Sausages with Wozz! Sour Cherry Wine Sauce

Sausage with Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

6. Charcuterie and Paté with Sour Cherry Spread

Pair our sour cherry spread with a charcuterie plate with paté, foie gras and terrines.  Our favorite paté pairing is mini toasts with duck mousse paired with our sour cherry spread.  Serve with a red wine such as pinot noire. 

Recipe: Paté with Wozz! Sour Cherry Spread

Paté with Sour Cherry Spread | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

7. Cheesecake and Cherry Spread

No advice needed!  Spoon our Sour Cherry Spread over a simple store bought cheesecake for a simple yet phenomenal dessert.  Try this chocolate dirt cake with mascarpone and cherry spread

Cherry Cheese Dirt Cake | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

8. Ham and Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Sauce

A delicious elegant and classic addition to a baked ham.  Perfect for the holidays!  Just serve on the side and let your guests help themselves.  Warm the cherry sauce if desired.

9. Chocolate and Sour Cherry Spread

Spoon a sour cherry spread over a hot brownie sundae, chocolate ice cream, black forest cake or cocoa cakes with cream cheese.  Cherries and chocolate are a no fail perfect pairing and you will not be disappointed.  

Pictured Below:  A Dessert Cheese Pairing: Cocoa Cakes with Blue Cheese and Sour Cherry Spread

Sour Cherry Jam Compote and Blue Cheese Pairing


10. Lamb Chops or Pork Chops with Quick Sour Cherry Pan Sauce

Warm up our sour cherry spread in a saucepan with a dash of balsamic vinegar, knob of butter and fresh thyme and serve over pan seared pork chops or crumbed lamb cutlets for a delicious sophisticated weeknight meal.

11. Mini Phyllo Tarts with Brie and Sour Cherry Spread

Mini phyllo tarts are great to have on hand for a quick entertaining.  Simply cut up a wedge of brie cheese into cubes, add one cube to each mini tart and top with a dollop of sour cherry spiced spread.  Bake for 10 minutes and serve. Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary.  Mini phyllo tarts are found in the freezer section of the grocery store usually with puff pastry. 

12.  Holiday Dessert Cheese Board with Sour Cherry Fruit Compote

Our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Compote makes a wonderful dessert style cheese board.  It pairs fantastic with a variety of cheese such as blue cheese, goats cheese and creamy brie served alongside some dark chocolate or cocoa biscuits.  A little sweet, a little savory and a wonderful addition to the holiday table.

Dessert Cheese Board with Sour Cherry Jam Spread

 

Sour Cherry Spread

SHOP WOZZ TOTAL COLLECTION

 

 

Read more
How To Use Mango Chutney

How To Use Mango Chutney? Let Us Count The Ways

First off Let's Discuss Chutney.  What is a Chutney?

Chutney is a combination of stewed fruit and vegetables simmered in vinegar and sugar with aromatic spices.  It roots come from India where you commonly see chutney that is made from herbs, chili and spices such as tamarind chutney, cilantro mint chutney and one of our favorites, mango chutney.  Chutney is different from a jam, in that jam is traditionally made of fruit, sugar and pectin whereas a chutney adds a more savory element, including ginger, chili, vinegar, herbs and spices.  It's sweet but more savory, vinegary and spiced than a traditional jam.  You may ask if it's similar to a relish, however a relish is a bit more of a pickle made from vegetables and usually does not contain fruit, where a chutney usually contains fruit.  Because of it's sweet and savory elements a chutney lends itself well as an accompaniment to sandwiches, meats and cheese plates.

How To Use Mango Chutney

Mango Chutney or as some refer to as Major Grey's Chutney (a traditional English mango chutney) is a combination of mango, sometimes onion, chili, vinegar, aromatic spices and dried fruit.  Our version, Spicy Summer Mango Chutney is handmade by slowly simmering juicy mango with succulent dates, cider vinegar, fresh habanero chili, custom blended spices, fresh ginger and garlic.  We use our mango chutney here at Wozz in a variety of ways and because we are makers of chutney, we play with so many ideas of how to use it and include it in a number of recipes, so we think we are more than qualified to give you some ideas of the best ways to use this delicious condiment. 

1. Use Mango Chutney as an Accompaniment To Indian Cuisine

One of the most traditional ways to use a mango chutney is with Indian cuisine.  Mango chutney is traditionally paired with spicy Indian curries to help take some of the heat out of the dish, just like a yogurt sauce helps takes the edge off a spicy vindaloo dish, a mango chutney with it's sweetness, helps balance the spiciness of Indian dishes.  Mango chutney is also used as an accompaniment to Indian appetizers serving as a dipping sauce to samosas, vegetable pakoras and papadums. 

2. Use Mango Chutney As A Mango Simmer Sauce or Glazing Sauce For Chicken, Pork or Shrimp

A jar of mango chutney makes a wonderful simmer sauce for chicken and shrimp or glazing sauce for pork tenderloin.  One of our favorite ways to use our Spicy Summer Mango Chutney is add it to a saucepan with shredded rotisserie chicken and serve atop coconut rice with a little bit of fresh basil.  It's an easy weeknight dinner recipe and delicious.  

Pictured Below:  Mango Chutney Chicken with Coconut Rice Recipe

3. Use Mango Chutney as A Sandwich Spread or a Mix into Mayo For A Flavorful Condiment

From ham and cheddar grilled cheese to a chicken curry salad sandwich, our Spicy Summer Mango Chutney adds a delicious sweet and savory pop to everyday sandwiches.   For a chicken salad sandwich add a couple tablespoons of mango chutney to your mayonnaise, chopped celery and onions, along with a handful of raisins and dash of curry powder and serve atop a croissant. 

4.  Use Mango Chutney As A Topping Condiment For Grilling

Serve mango chutney as a condiment atop all your grilling favorites from pork chops to grilled chicken to lamb chops, shrimp skewers and more.  Simply spoon some chutney over your grilled meats with a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs or serve the mango chutney on turkey burgers, grilled fish, beef tacos or gourmet sausages.  

Pictured Below:  Grilled Ginger Soy Pork Chops with Wozz! Spicy Mango Chutney Recipe

5. Serve Mango Chutney with Cheese, Cold Cuts, Crackers and Terrines

Serve mango chutney as an accompaniment to a simple meat and cheese platter or ploughman's lunch.  A ploughman's lunch is an English style lunch which includes cold cuts, bread, butter, pickles, chutneys, cheese and sometimes fruit such as an apple.  It's like a picnic basket style lunch that was served for workers in the field, hence the "ploughman".  Mango chutney also pairs well with an evening appetizer of pork or duck terrines or country patés served with buttered toast and a glass of wine.

6.  Use Mango Chutney As A Stir Fry Sauce or Crock Pot Sauce

Add Wozz! mango chutney and a dash of chicken stock to a pan of stir fried chicken with peppers, onions, garlic, green beans and cashews for a easy weeknight stir fry served over rice, this recipe also works with shrimp and snap peas. Add a jar of mango chutney to crockpot chicken meatballs or pulled pork for an easy "set it and forget it" dinner entrée or crowd pleasing meal.

Pictured Below: Spicy Mango Chutney Cashew Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

7.  Use Mango Chutney As A Dipping Sauce

Use our Spicy Summer Mango Chutney as a sweet yet tangy and spicy dipping sauce for a number of appetizers from samosas to spring rolls to chicken fingers, egg rolls and coconut shrimp.  

Pictured Below:  Coconut Shrimp with Mango Chutney Dipping Sauce and Slaw

 

Wozz! Spicy Summer Mango Chutney

 

 

 

 

Read more

Grapefruit Vinegar with Honey and Juniper | Our Newest Release!

Grapefruit Vinegar with Honey & Juniper - Our Newest Release!

Oh me oh my, this vinegar...this grapefruit vinegar is like nothing you have ever tasted.

I have always loved the combination of fresh grapefruit with a drizzle of honey over top...either for breakfast or in citrus style salads.  The flavor combination of the sweet yet bitter grapefruit with that floral fragrant honey sweetness is just a perfect union so I thought why not incorporate these flavors and create a new vinegar flavor for 2018.  It will be filled with high vibrant citrus notes and balanced honey sweetness, designed for everything from salads, to seafood to drinks.  I thought, it would be phenomenal as a drinking vinegar and not only straight up delicious but pretty darn healthy too. 

A Grapefruit Vinegar with A Deliciously Complex Flavor Profile

When we first started playing around with the grapefruit vinegar recipe, we knew we wanted to add a bit of complexity to the infusion, so we started playing around with an interesting little spice named the juniper berry.  Traditionally used in the making of gin, Juniper berries are actually not berries but the female seed cones of the juniper plant which is an evergreen coniferous plant of the cypress family.  The flavor profile of juniper is pine-like, citrusy and kind of woody.  If it were a candle, I would describe it as "a walk in the woods".  It adds a nice woody pine undertone to the vinegar which gives another dimension to the grapefruit honey infusion, rounding out all the flavors.  Almost like a earthy aged fine wine, there are vibrant fruity notes in this vinegar with mysterious undertones all intertwined which lends to a robust and interesting tasting experience.  

A Grapefruit Vinegar Made with Healthy Whole Fruit Ingredients, Non GMO Apple Cider Vinegar and Orange Blossom Honey

USA sourced non gmo apple cider vinegar that comes with the mother, is the cider vinegar we chose to use in our grapefruit vinegar making it a super healthy choice as a drink mixer or salad dressing.  We take whole fresh Texas grapefruit - the zest, skin, pith and flesh and infuse it in the cider vinegar with our Juniper spice infusion and combine it with a beautifully fragrant orange blossom honey.  The resulting vinegar is just absolutely delicious and packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.  I wasn't even really thinking about the health benefits of this vinegar while we were making it, I was focused on the flavor profile but when we were finished and I started adding it to my everyday seltzer water, I realized hey, people drink grapefruit and apple cider vinegar everyday as a health boost and this vinegar fits the bill.  Researching more on the benefits of grapefruit and apple cider vinegar, I learned it's used quite frequently as a fat burning aid, which is awesome!  It helps to burn belly fat and assists in regulating insulin levels which is directly related to decreased fat storage in the body.  With the added Vitamin C from the whole grapefruit and antioxidant packed juniper berries, this vinegar hits all the right notes from flavor to health.

Ways to use our Grapefruit Vinegar with Juniper & Honey

Drizzle our grapefruit vinegar over an arugula salad with goats cheese and walnuts

Mix 1 part Grapefruit Juniper Honey Vinegar in 3 parts seltzer water and serve over ice.  My go-to everyday cleansing drink!

Mix into your next gin and tonic for a grapefruit honey twist.

Make a grapefruit honey pan sauce by mixing our Grapefruit Juniper Honey Vinegar with a tab of butter in a sauce pan, warm up and serve over pan seared scallops on a bed of wilted spinach.

Use as a grapefruit honey glaze for salmon

Dress a salad of baby kale, roasted beets, red onion and grilled halloumi cheese

Take a grapefruit vinegar shot for the health of it!

Grapefruit Vinegar | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

 Shop:  Grapefruit Juniper & Honey Vinegar $12.00

Love vinegar?  Check out our entire line of Handcrafted Infused Vinegars

 

 

 

Read more

Drinking Vinegars aka "Shrubs" | A Refreshing Healthy Tonic

What is a Drinking Vinegar or Shrub?

Drinking flavored vinegar or what some call shrubs or tonics is not a new trend, in fact, "shrubs" which by definition is "a beverage made by adding acidulated fruit juice to water" have been around since the pre-refrigeration days of the colonial era.  Fruit was preserved in vinegar and mixed with sugar or honey, essentially creating a juice or cordial that could be used to mix in water or alcohol for a simple drink or cocktail.  

Whole Fruits and Aromatic Spices Infused in Non GMO Apple Cider Vinegar For A Healthy Tonic

We started making our finishing vinegars back in 2010 and we follow the same process, we slow infuse fresh whole fruit ingredients in apple cider vinegar, add a bit of sweetness, herbs and aromatic spices and then we patiently wait and allow all the flavors to combine before we bottle.  It's a labor of love but the process is worth it.  The resulting vinegars have a slightly thicker consistency, rich natural fresh flavor, vibrant color and just enough sweetness to balance the acidity.  Our vinegars are not only served as a tonic for cocktails and seltzer but can be used as a healthy salad dressing for your everyday lunch greens.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Spices in Shrubs

We use real non gmo USA sourced apple cider vinegar in our line so when you taste our vinegars or "shrubs", you will notice the difference - they have a wonderfully refreshing vinegar kick which is what you want in a shrub, you don't want it to taste like kool-aid or a sugar laden cordial.  Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have a number of health benefits including:

  • enhancing weight loss
  • stabilizing blood sugars
  • lowering cholesterol
  • maintain alkaline ph
  • promotes detoxification of the liver
  • eases digestion
  • fights free radicals to reduce aging                                      

Additional Health Benefits of Drinking Vinegar

With the infusion of whole fresh fruits, aromatics and herbs in our drinking vinegars, you are not only gaining the benefits of apple cider vinegar but you benefit from all the vitamins and antioxidant properties in the spices we use.  For example, take our Spiced Strawberry Rhubarb Vinegar - made with farm fresh strawberries, local garden rhubarb and spices including cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and orange peel.  All those wonderful herbs, spices and fresh fruit ingredients are packed with vitamins and minerals.  Mix this in your seltzer water instead of chemical flavorings for a refreshing summer mocktail and know you are getting a variety of antioxidant benefits.  Did you know cinammon has the highest antioxidant property of all the spices and that star anise is known to fight off influenza?  Bay leaf is packed with Vitamin A, C, manganese, potassium and iron and strawberries are full of anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting properties!   I say, drink up!

Simply Mix 1 Part Drinking Vinegar with 3 Parts Seltzer 

We have created a number of recipes that use our drinking vinegars in both cocktails and mocktails but they are easily enjoyed by mixing 1 part drinking vinegar to 3 parts seltzer water or adjust to your desired taste.  You can choose from a variety of seltzer flavors and just serve over ice.  Our newest addition to our vinegar line is our Grapefruit Juniper and Honey Vinegar made with whole juicy Texas grapefruit, juniper berries and orange blossom honey - it's just perfect on a hot summers day over ice with seltzer water or mixed in a tequila paloma.  For a quick health boost, you can take a shot of it!

Get Creative and Make Your Own Drinking Vinegars or Shrubs

You can make your own drinking vinegars at home quite easily but the process isn't quick. We infuse our vinegars for up to 12 weeks, but if you got time on your side, it's actually quite easy and fun, especially during the summer months when fresh fruits and berries are at their peak of ripeness.  You can cook the ingredients on the stove top by combining fresh cut fruits and spices together in a honey or sugar syrup, strain off your spices and fruit pulp and then add your apple cider vinegar.  You can also infuse the ingredients cold, let steep and keep in the refrigerator.  You don't have to use apple cider vinegar, I don't recommend white vinegar but some people use champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, etc.  You can experiment with whatever flavor combinations intrigue you and you can play around with a variety of wild herbs to create your own health benefiting tonics.  It's actually a great hobby and will put your herb garden to good use!

If you don't have the time to create your own, take a chance and try ours!  You won't be disappointed and like I said earlier, you can mix them into a variety of drinks or simply drizzle over your favorite salad greens. 

 

Our Drinking Vinegar Flavor Combinations Include:

1.  Spiced Strawberry Rhubarb Vinegar Shrub - the taste of grandma's strawberry pie in a bottle!  Fresh picked strawberries and local garden rhubarb infused in apple cider vinegar with warm aromatic spices including cinnamon, star anise and orange peel. 

2. Grapefruit Juniper & Honey Vinegar Shrub - fresh juicy Texas grapefruit packed with vitamin c infused in apple cider vinegar with floral orange blossom honey and juniper berries.  A complex refreshing and vibrant vinegar perfect over ice with seltzer water or drizzled over an arugula and goats cheese salad!

3.  Spiced Pear Ginger Vinegar Shrub - fresh handcut pears are infused in apple cider vinegar with fresh peppery ginger and spices.  This is one of my favorite drinking vinegars when mixed with vanilla seltzer!  It also makes a delicious white rum cocktail and is fantastic drizzled over a salad of spinach, grilled chicken, gorgonzola and candied walnuts.

4. Cranberry Saffron Vinegar Shrub - New England cranberries infused in apple cider vinegar with cinnamon, orange peel, bay leaf and velvety saffron.  This antioxidant packed shrub is just perfect in winter drinks and holiday sparklers.  Try with seltzer water and a splash of fresh orange juice for a cranberry orange fizz.  Drizzle over a salad of spinach, candied pecans and goats cheese for a delicious fall salad. 

 

 Grapefruit Juniper Honey Drinking Vinegar | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

 

Check out our entire line of slow infused drinking vinegars here

 Gourmet Vinegars | Drinking Vinegars | Wozz! Kitchen Creations

Read more
83 results
Left Continue shopping
Your Order

You have no items in your cart

Subtotal: $0.00
View Cart