Peppers and More

“Red Hawk Premium Peppers” has taken vine ripe strawberries and combined them with the potent and deadly Scorpion peppers to create a sauce called ‘Strawberry Scorpion Sting”. The Scorpion pepper is one of the hottest peppers in the world. ‘Red Hawk Premium Peppers’ has been growing peppers for over a decade. They use a growing technique that has minimal environmental impact resulting in an organic and exceptional quality chile pepper. ‘Red Hawk’ claims this sauce may be used for sweet and savory food and is not for beginners. We are going to sample this sauce with some candied bacon and some grilled pork chops. We brought the sauce to our local watering hole during the playoffs to let our friend’s sample this hot sauce with appetizers. Let’s see how the Scorpion stings.

 Ingredients:

Strawberries, hot peppers (Trinidad Scorpion & habanero type peppers), apple juice, sugar, sweet onion, vanilla, citric acid, salt, corn starch are the listed ingredients.  There is a nice mix of sweet and hot ingredients. I also noticed the absence of vinegar. Vanilla sounds intriguing. The ingredient list has my attention.

Aroma & Texture:

Sweet strawberries beckon your senses with an inviting aroma. Dark red paints this fairly thin sauce with color. No seeds or pulp are present.

Taste:

I was a little nervous to take my first taste. The Trinidad Scorpion pepper deserves some respect because of its potential sting. Red Hawk warns consumers to proceed with caution.  Strawberry with a little kiss of vanilla and an immediate flair of heat on the tongue greets you. This flair of heat is not a knock down clutch your throat type burn but a “Hello” I am here kick”. The Scorpion and habanero peppers have a fruit type of flavor that pairs well with strawberries. This does has a sweet/savory appeal that could have endless food applications.

Heat:

The venom of this Scorpion sting is a pleasant 2.5 stars out of 5. The non scorching score will please the masses but not the hard core heat seekers.

Food:

Did I ever mention that I love bacon? We made some bacon candy with some smoky Nueske brand bacon and Bacon Candy rub. We used the Strawberry Scorpion Sting sauce as a dipping sauce. Hot, sweet, savory, salty, what more could you ask for in a snack? I did not think bacon candy could be improved.

Grilled pork chops with the savory sweet combination of strawberries and peppers were exciting. The heat factor grabs your attention and lets you enjoy your dinner.

Football, Football, Football, do I ever need an excuse to get together with friends and have a couple of adult beverages? We shared the Strawberry Scorpion Sting at our local pub over appetizers. We did not tell people what flavor it was. Most people could identify the Strawberry flavor immediately. We got compliments about the heat level. Hot sauce novices liked that is was not overpowering. This sauce was defiantly a hit.

Overall:

Red Hawk Premium Peppers has a winning combination for a sweet/savory hot sauce. Strawberry goodness with a gentle sting of Scorpion and habanero peppers make for a sauce that has endless food possibilities. We used it as a delicous dipping sauce. It was then slathered on a savory pork chop that still has me licking my lips. Strawberry Scorpion Sting has the seal of approval from the local pub. At first I was a little intimidated by just the mention of Scorpion peppers. With Red Hawks Strawberry Scorpion Sting I am no longer afraid but in love.

Red Hawk Premium Peppers.