How to Pickle Hot Peppers

With my crop of hot banana and jalapeno peppers from my containers on the balcony in full force I was looking for a simple solution to pickle the peppers for enjoyment in the months ahead.

I found an incredibly simple recipe for pickling peppers on the blog Blue Willow Journal. 

The recipe calls for only three ingredients plus a canning jar.  Read the full post on Easy Pickled Hot Peppers.

Using this method I have pickled three jars of hot peppers so far and will likely have enough for a fourth!  Not bad for an urban container garden!

Sustainable Sourcing HimalaSalt

HimalaSalt is a product line of primordial Himalayan sea salt produced and distributed by Massachusetts-based Sustainable Sourcing LLC.  The line features the "purest salt on earth," pink Himalayan sea salt with no additives.  The company focuses on what it calls "ethical sourcing" and prides itself on its sustainable packaging.

Sustainable Sourcing's founder Melissa Kushi has focused a great deal of attention on the packaging for the line that includes coarse salt, two different filled salt grinders and pre-ground finer table salt among others.  "All packaging is either 100% recycled, recyclable, refillable or reusable," said Kushi.

The company's operations run off 100% Green-e certified wind power and all the product's packaging carry the Green-e certified logo.

The products are of high quality there is no question.  Kushi has gone to great lengths to source free trade ethically sourced products like the Himalayan salt.  We had the opportunity to try several forms of salt from Sustainable Sourcing and found them to be fantastic.  Their signature Himalayan sea salt is more subtle and delicate in flavor compared to other sea salts on the market.  It provides a wonderfully soft burst of flavor - we love it on salads or with tomatoes.

The company sells two sizes of grinders with its coarse salt, both are refillable and will remain in the buyer's kitchen for years of use. 

The larger salt grinder uses ceramic blades and according to the company is, "100% climate-neutral made by wind power and Green-e certified through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation."  It is this focus on reuseability and responsible production that makes the product and packaging appealing to a wide segment of the market.

Himalasalt is available at Whole Foods Market (WFMI) and other retailers. 

Wal-Mart Fair Trade Coffee

Wal-Mart has launched six new coffees under its exclusive Sam's Choice brand. The new coffees include Organic, Fair Trade Certified and Rain Forest Alliance Certified blends.  The new Sam's Choice brand coffees hit store shelves earlier this month and are part of an Earth Month expansion of eco-friendly products at Wal-Mart that help consumers live better without compromising budget.

The initial Sam's Choice gourmet coffees include Fair Trade Certified ™ House Blend, Espresso Roast and French Roast; Rainforest Alliance™ Certified Breakfast Blend whole bean and ground coffee; and USDA Organic, Swiss Water® Process Decaffeinated.

All Sam's Choice coffees are 100 percent Arabica beans.

In addition, the six Sam's Choice gourmet coffees are roasted by Café Bom Dia, a Brazil-based company that measured, reduced and offset its emissions to become the world's first CarbonNeutral roaster.

"We recognize our customers' desire to buy products that have a positive environmental and social impact, and we are proud to offer an affordable line of coffee that is sourced and roasted with sustainability in mind," said DeDe Priest, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Wal-Mart.

"Wal-Mart is an innovative partner in offering high quality, Fair Trade Certified coffee in a manner that both expands the marketplace and delivers value back down the supply chain to the farmer. A year from now we will be able to trace Sam's Choice coffee sales directly to improved environmental management at Fair Trade coffee farms and higher quality of life in farm communities," said Paul Rice, TransFair USA president and CEO.

"Certification requires farms to meet environmental, social and economic standards that protect soils and waterways and provide workers with dignified working and living conditions," said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. "Wal-Mart's offering of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee nationwide will make it easier than ever for shoppers to do the right thing by choosing coffee that comes from farms where wildlife habitat is protected and communities are supported."

The coffee blends will sell for $5.88 for 10-12 oz. bags and are initially available at Wal-Mart Supercenter stores.  The coffees will be available at all Wal-Mart stores by the end of month.

Taylor Maid Farms Coffee

Taylor Maid Farms is a small California-based company specializing in organic Fair Trade coffees and tea.  The company's products are available locally in the Bay Area and are sold nationwide.

Taylor Maid Farms coffees are sold to consumers in 10oz steel cans as opposed to foil plastic bags like most coffee companies these days are using. 

The company feels steel is one of the most easily recycled metals and since all steel has some recycled content to it believes its packaging is the best environmental option. 

At stores selling Taylor Maid Farms coffee the company encourages consumers to reuse their steel coffee cans.

Sustainable is Good Products tested several Taylor Maid Coffee blends. 

The Rise and Shine blend is the perfect morning cup of coffee, soft and mellow -just ideal.  Rise and Shine is a blend of Guatemala Huehuetenango and Sumatra Gayoland Organic coffees and delivers a full-flavored cup that is vibrant, rich and floral.

The second coffee we tried was Goat Rock Roast, named after the gigantic flat-topped rock on the coast in Jenner, California. Fans of Goat Rock Roast enjoy its big, bold flavors, with the sweet, rich tones that are too often lost in such dark roasts. It's a full-bodied cup with hints of dark chocolate and a bit of spice at the finish.   

Goat Rock Roast is a complex coffee blend and a real winner.  If you like a darker coffee with layers of complexity this roast is an ideal choice.

Over all we found Taylor Maid Farms coffees to be of high quality with responsible eco-friendly packaging.  The combination of quality and the attention to detail from this small coffee company make make their products hard to beat.

Eggology First Certified Humane Egg Product

California-based Eggology has become the only liquid egg brand to be Certified Humane by Virginia-based animal welfare       auditing organization U.S. Humane Farm Animal Care. 

The company was the first to offer 100% organic and cage-free egg white products.

The Certified Humane logo will be added to the company's packaging.  Eggology products bearing the new label should begin appearing in grocery stores in the coming weeks. 

Eggology focuses a great deal of attention on its treatment of its hens.  The company says its hens live and move freely in large community open-air hen houses, have no cages and unlimited access to feed, water and dirt for bathing.  Eggology hens are fed a 100% certified organic diet comprised mainly of organic corn, alfalfa, soy, salt and limestone.  Hens are never de-beaked and receive immediate on site medical attention in the event of injury.

Eggology's products are available at grocery stores nationwide.