|
|
|
Bracken's Fire on The Ridge Farm has a hot idea
|
By WENDY MITCHELL Staff Writer
|
WILLOW -- As a college student, his first summer job was picking tomatoes for the Campbell's Soup Company in New Jersey.
After a career in non farming pursuits, John "Mac" McAlonan, has returned to the fields, now pepper fields of his own filled with a product of his own to share.
Fire on the Ridge Farm, home of Bluegrass Red pepper sauce, is where McAlonan and his family raise and process a spicy combination of habanera, cayenne and hot banana peppers into a wholly Kentucky product.
"That was one of our goals, to grow and make a product totally in Bracken County. The only part of the process out of the county is the bottling which is done at a Louisville bottling plant. They also apply the label and seal the bottles for us," said McAlonan.
Part of the mystique and unique character of the Bluegrass Red product line is the aging process which is done in the manner of another traditional Kentucky product -- bourbon.
"Once the peppers are diced we put them in oak bourbon barrels to steep, like you do with tea, for a year," said McAlonan.
 |
|
Not giving away all his ingredients, McAlonan said vinegar, about 10 gallons per barrel, added to 300 pounds of diced peppers, reacts in the same way bourbon does in the barrels, leaching in an out of the oak as the barrel breaths.
"It takes some of the vinegar bite away and with a good nose you can tell that some of the former bourbon barrel contents gets into the brew," said McAlonan.
He began making personal batches of sauce years ago, using stone crocks, said McAlonan. Only when the thought of retirement crept into his life did he think about expanding his hobby into a business-sized venture.
"We started small; experimenting with different batches to get the combination we wanted. We even lost a whole batch one year when I tried using a different type of food processor," said McAlonan.
For now Bluegrass Red, with its distinctive Bluegrass Bob character running across the label with flames chasing him, is the premier flavor. A second, yet to be named variety is expected to be in the triple X heat range.
"It is really expected to be five times hotter then Bluegrass Red," said McAlonan.
Processing hot peppers can be dangerous, a lesson the McAlonan's now adult daughter Anna learned as a child when she mimicked her father stirring the peppers, with her bare hand.
"A few minutes later she was howling, then it struck us what had happened. We called poison control for help and they said to cool her hand in milk. So we alternated cooling it in cold milk and driving around with her hanging her hand out the window of the car to cool it off for about six hours. We felt awful but she came out of it OK," said McAlonan.
Now when they are processing the peppers, protective gloves, clothing and even masks are used to keep from coming into contact with the caustic mixture in a raw state.
"Once the peppers are diced they go into a vat before they go into the barrels. You can see the gas coming off them. I have a tremendous respect for the potency of pepper spray now. It has the same effect on us if we do not take precautions," said McAlonan.
The barrels of sauce steeping in the barn this year, for 2007, are the big year crop for McAlonan.
"From the 2004 crop we had about 120 cases, about 1,400 bottles; in 2005, 2,500-3,000 bottles. From the 2006 crop we are shooting for 25,000 bottles" said McAlonan.
To achieve the volume needed to be commercially viable, McAlanon has enlisted three other farmers in Bracken County to help raise peppers for Bluegrass Red.
"That was part of the idea from the start; an alternative crop that would work with diversification incentives," said McAlonan.
Sold almost exclusively in Kentucky, even with a small volume available, Bluegrass Red has found its way into markets on the West Coast, thanks to McAlanon's son Matthew, who sells cases of the spicy Kentucky sauce in the Portland, Ore., area.
"I guess you can say we are nationwide," laughed McAlonan.
More Fire on The Ridge Farm products may be in the air.
Always thinking of an added value item, McAlonan is experimenting with using the residue, not used in the sauce itself, as a pest deterrent.
"There is something that keeps digging at the foundation of the house. We put a foot wide layer of the stuff around the foundation. If it works, maybe we can bottle that too," he said.
For more area news, go to www.bracken-online.com
Contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 564-9091, ext. 276. |
|
|
Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
P. Gibson wrote on Dec 29, 2007 9:50 PM: " Great stuff! Bought some at the Liquor Barn in Lexington. It actually has a distinct flavor in addition to being hot and spicy. It is good in just about anything, including bloody marys!Keep it up; Kentucky needs more stuff like this. I can't wait to visit you guys next year. "
Add your own comments:
|
Copyright © 2008 Maysville Newspapers, Inc., A Lee Enterprises Publication
This site is protected by applicable copyright laws and no part may be reproduced, transmitted or used in any way other than its intended purpose without the prior written permission of The Ledger Independent. Click here to view The Ledger Independent's privacy policy. |
|
|
Jobs
Homes
Cars