Summer’s Pepper Jams Review (Part 3)

This is the third post in a 3-part series where I featured Summer from www.SummersSecret.com. Over the last while I’ve had the opportunity to talk with Summer and take some of her products for a spin. You can read the initial interview here, and the review of her seasoning mix, Summer’s Secret Seasoning, here.

In today’s post we’re going to take a look at two of her pepper jams, the Hot Mango Pepper Jam and the Spicy Green Pepper Jam. Before we start though, here’s the required disclaimer: These jams were provided free of charge by Summer for the purpose of this review; no other compensation is being received. All right, let’s dive in.

Initial Impressions

Summer’s Pepper Jams have great color. The Hot Mango Pepper Jam is a deep yet vibrant orange. The Spicy Green Pepper Jam is a clear-ish jalapeño green, fun colors for jam. Both jams come in a sturdy 6oz (318g) glass bottle with a gold-colored metal lid. On each lid is a gold sticker which reads:

“Summer moved to the USVI (U.S. Virgin Islands) in ’96. Her passions are cooking, the sea, travel, champagne, and her husband. Influenced by flavors from the US, Italy, Spain and Caribbean, she created her pepper jams and hot sauces to share the exotic flavors and heat of the tropics with you and yours.”

Exciting! I like the words exotic flavors, heat, and tropics. Those words are especially exciting when the most exotic flavor on my neighborhood grocery shelf is grape. Buy the sugar-free grape and you’re really living on the edge. Thank you Summer for livening up my jam experience.

There is a soft blue label wrapped around each jar of jam with each jam’s logo front and center. To the left of each logo is a short blurb prepping you for what’s in the bottle. To the right is a heat meter. On the far right are the nutrition facts and ingredients. Opening these jams is simple and doesn’t require any special ninja training.

Pepper Jam Label Info

Both Jams are made in the US Virgin Islands by Thin Man Products.

Looking at the stats above, you can see that the Hot Mango Jam has a few more servings per container, and overall is slightly healthier than the Spicy Green Pepper Jam. However, if you’re into vitamin C, then the Spicy Green Pepper Jam has quite a bit more than the mango jam.

Engaging the Pepper Jam Senses

This is the section that makes me the most excited. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. I’ve had pepper jams that were delicious and some that completely missed the mark. In a nutshell, these were fantastic.

When first opening the Hot Mango Pepper Jam jar, the spiciness immediately peaks your nostrils which is soon followed by the sweet aroma of mangos. Delicious. There is not grape jelly. The Spicy Green Pepper Jam has a little bit different of an aroma. Without the added addition of fruit the pepper scent reigns supreme, which in and of itself is spicy, a little sweet, but mostly just… peppery. If I were picking which one to use by smell alone, I would pick the Hot Mango one.

Both jams need to be stirred when first opened as the seeds and other additions have migrated a little to the top. This was a little surprising, but overall not a big deal; it can be kind of fun listening to the galooping sound that stirring jam makes.

Because both jams are pepper based, they’ve got a little bit of the kick to them (remember the heat meter?). The Hot Mango Jam upon first taste is very sweet; the Mango adds a delicious flavor and compliment to the pepperiness. The spiciness kicks in a few seconds after the sweetness. The balance seems to be just right for my tastes. Something I think that’s worth noting is that mangoes and chili peppers are well known for being an amazing flavor combination.

The mango jam is definitely spicy, though not quite as hot as I expected with the heat meter being at the top. I had my wife try it, and my kids (who are spicy food fans) demanded on trying a bite as well. For all of them, it was definitely the hottest thing on sliced bread they’ve ever had. I suppose I’m just a lot more used to the heat. The heat of this jam after eating just one piece of toast with a serving size lasts for nearly 1/2 hour. For me, that’s one of my favorite parts—the lingering heat.

The Spicy Green Pepper Jam is not nearly as hot as the last jam, though it’s still delicious to the taste. Actually, if you eat the mango jam first and then take a bite of the green pepper jam, you will hardly taste its heat. The Spicy Green Pepper Jam is jalapeño based but has a mild sweetness to it. It’s neither overly hot nor overly sweet. The heat lingers for a couple minutes afterwards, but nothing too intense. I actually think that the smell does not quite give an accurate reflection of how this jam tastes. While the smell is primarily peppery, the taste reveals a well-balanced mixture.

Final Thoughts & Ratings

I grew up eating homemade raspberry huckleberry jam and strawberry jam, etc. After moving away from home I’ve looked around for a good jam but most that I have tried in the grocery stores are too sweet, processed, or gelatinous. I had almost given up on finding a jam I would like. Enter Summer’s Pepper Jams. I love these jams and would rank them right up there with my favorite jams of all-time. They get bonus points for spreading easily on top of bread and toast.

Rating:
Summer’s Hot Mango Pepper Jam: 9/10
Summer’s Spicy Green Pepper Jam: 8/10

Both jams are great choices in my opinion, and honestly are hard to beat with the market’s current jam offerings. The spicy mango jam has become one of my all-time favorites. It has a sweet bite to it which keeps me coming back for more, and the spicy green jam is a close runner up.

That’s all folks! Thanks for taking the time to read through this three-post review series about Summer’s Secret Seasoning and Pepper Jams. You can read part 1 (the interview) here and part 2 (the seasoning review) here.