Homegrown Happy Valley

Want to get creative this Valentine’s Day? Talk to Janet Robinson, creator of The Piper’s Peck. Her small business makes delicious alternatives to chocolate and candy hearts: jams, jellies, salsa and fudge with a kick from her homegrown hot peppers.

I don’t even like really spicy food, but I’m hooked on Robinson’s products. Her delectable peppery fudge reminds me of Juliette Binoche’s character in Chocolat serving hot chocolate spiked with chili pepper. Her Raspberry Chipotle jam turns my PB&J into a sophisticated sandwich. And her Hot Pepper Jelly is my new favorite snack food—I prefer it on crackers, with or without cream cheese.

Robinson offers products for every eater, from those with more fortified taste buds (jellies and jams with cayenne and habanero) to the most cautious (Sweet Pepper Jelly). Each of her creations begins on her Bellefonte farm, where she grows eight varieties of hot peppers, along with tomatoes and fruits.

You can find her products at several local retailers—The Cheese Shoppe and Tait Farm Foods—or online. The custom gift baskets make perfect Valentine’s Day gifts (you have to order a least one week in advance.)

Julia Dahl studies public relations at Penn State. She hates to cook but loves to eat.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 4:27 pm and is filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.