Posted January 19, 2006 by clint in Reviews

Red Lion Spicy Foods Co.- 20 Pepper Jam (original)

Bottle Description: None.

Ingredients: Red peppers, chile pepper blend, sugar, water, vinegar, pectin, citric acid, butter

Container: Nice little quaint…if you will, jam jar. There are little peppers around the borders of the label and makes this look like a salsa jar.

Appearance: Purple jam. You know what it looks like. BUT there are bits of peppers in the jam that look like the pepper flakes you put on your pizza.

Smell: SHABAZAM! Heavy pepper aroma and a hint of sweetness to compliment the pepper smell. I’ve written Red Lion to see if they can make this into a car freshener or deodorant. Your damn right it’s that good.

Consistency: Thicky thicky thick. It’s jam! Break out a butter knife.

Taste: *smacks lips* There are 3 layers of taste when sit comes to the jam. First the sweet. Good. Second you get prolonged taste of tartness. Thirdly there’s a hint of pepper flavor but it’s something you have to think about in order to taste it. Then it ends with a nice warm tongue blanket of heat. Notice: yes it’s a jam but there is NO fruit flavor at all. Check the ingredients, and come back here. See? No fruit.

Heat: 6/10 (Not very hot with food.)

Field Test: PB&J sandwiches, the alpha and omega of jam use. Here’s where the tartness of the jam comes through and where the sweetness takes a back seat. Also you get more of a pepper taste. Why? Hell if I know but it’s pretty good. I haven’t tried it but I hear that it’s not so good with cheesecake, which I guess is do to the tartness of the jam. I’m sure reader Dan will comment on its use on cheesecake.

Final Word: It’s pretty good. I know refer to it as djamn. Which is a hybrid of damn+jam= Djamn. Damn jam cause it’s got a nice bite to it. Its application to food can vary because this is not the jam you’re used to. I also feel that it is a bit of a novelty food for those that don’t instantly love the taste. I doubt it would occupy a permanent place in anyone’s fridge but its spicy jam! It’s fun! I wish there was some fruit in this jam to make it a bit sweeter so it can go together with food better. I think it would be great to have strawberry or blueberry jam that can kick your ass.

Overall: 7.4/10 It’s good but it’s not practical on a lot of food. You’re more likely going to go with a regular jam.