The Toad & The Butterfly, a Blog
I accidentally made three new hot sauces
A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak in the Fermentation Tent at the Vermont Brewfest. I spoke there last year and had a great time, but this year we'd already sold out of our only fermented hot sauce, Rum Barrel Fermented Smoked Jalapeño. I needed something new to bring with me.
How many uses can you get from one jar?
Most folks buy a jar with one idea in mind. Then they discover three or four more before the jar is empty.
I Finally Started Telling My Story
Word of mouth built this company one bottle, one jar, and one customer at a time. It worked - for over 20 years. But over the last year I realized that nobody can tell our story the way I can.
Your Next Caramel Perfection Starts with Granola
The caramel mixes into the yogurt while the granola stays crunchy, giving you creamy, crunchy, sweet, and toasty all in the same bite.
The Onions Are Almost Ready
Walking those fields last week reminded me that every bottle starts long before we light the smoker or pour the sauce. It starts with choosing the right varieties, healthy soil, and months of tending a crop that we'll eventually turn into hot sauce.
The farmers market mistake I never minded making
I was positive that I'd figured out the best possible ice cream sandwich.
Turns out I hadn't bought a caramel company yet.
Three new hot sauces walk into a kitchen...
My favorite thing about making new micros every month is that we're pushed to be creative on demand. Sometimes creativity comes in a flash of insight, but there is a special earned feeling to creativity that you have to build as a skill.
Your taste in caramel probably changed
These days, I still love caramel (I mean, why else would I buy a whole caramel company?). But what I want out of my caramel has changed.
Pepper Patrons is becoming exactly what I hoped it would
This is exactly what I want Pepper Patrons to feel like. A chance for connection and learning, understanding why ingredients taste the way they do, and share in the experiments happening around our kitchen.
Peak Season Strawberries Are Perfection
Peak season strawberries are perfect. I know that. You know that. The people standing in line at the farmers market know that. But...
A Day In The Dirt
Last week about half of the Butterfly Bakery crew headed down to Honey Field Farm in Norwich for our annual Farm Day. Once a year we trade sauce making for farm chores.
The Sweet Summer Evening
Sticky fingers. Toasted marshmallows. Melted chocolate. And a drizzle of caramel before the closing graham cracker.
The most unusual microbatch hot sauce drop yet!
This month we went into the freezer and pulled out some peppers that don't always get the spotlight. Boldog Hungarian peppers. Velociraptors. Beautiful, classic cayennes.
Join the hottest club
Today we're officially launching Pepper Patrons, which means you can now join the farms, peppers, experiments, and flavor obsession behind this year’s sauces.
Just a little caramel
It starts with a spoon and a jar. Maybe you tell yourself you are just checking the texture. Just making sure it is still as smooth as you remember.
