Vermont Harvest Apple Rum Walnut Conserve Warms the Hearts & Palates of the Peachy's Pantry Panel: We Highly Recommend It!
If you miss the brisk fall weather on the sweltering dog days of the concrete jungle, we found a product that has taste that will evoke that weather, that flavor, and with any luck & skill, some winning upcoming Boston College Football games. The Vermont Harvest Hit Parade Continues with their fantastic Apple Rum Walnut Conserve...
Break out the jam dots recipe and make up a batch with a jar of Apple Rum Walnut Conserve from Vermont Harvest. It’s a gourmet touch to your grandmother’s favorite recipes, and I’m willing to bet it would be perfect in an apple pie. Absolutely serve it for that special brunch, or include it in a get-well basket of goodies for your favorite person. Be liberal, and happy in your tastebuds with this smooth conserve. In the oven it doesn’t wilt, and the walnuts are not chunks, but blended with the tang of the rum. Sophisticated apple turnovers, anyone?
I can’t think of many things more enticing than apple and rum! This delicious conserve is delicious on anything breakfast-related! I tried it on my French toast this morning and it was fantastic. French toast doesn’t usually need a lot of additional flavoring, but the apple-rum-walnut combination added a savory sweetness to my breakfast. This is also great for dipping apple wedges… you really can’t go wrong!
We came up with an original summer dessert that is super easy but sure to please. Horizontally split a fresh cider donut. Slather the middle with Apple Rum Walnut Conserve. Close and cut like a sandwich. Serve with coffee. Smile!
Whip Burks, owner of Vermont Harvest tells us:
Vermont Harvest is celebrating its 31st year in business this year. Our tradition of amazing gourmet condiments are consistent with those that were created 31 years ago. I purchased the business in 2007; at the time I was working for Ben & Jerry’s in Waterbury, Vermont. My main focus was managing the scoop shop at the factory and on the side I was asked to participate on the quality control of the products that the plant was producing. I was asked to join this team because of my background with food. Not just because I had attended culinary school in Vermont, but more from what was discovered while I was in school. The fact of the matter was, I was a super taster, which is allows me to taste with far great intensity than the average person. I really enjoyed this aspect of my job, so much that I was trying to find away to get into the field. And so when I was playing golf one weekend at a local golf club, and I was approached by a husband, whose wife was trying to retire from a jam business, I said I would take a look.
When I went into the meeting at first I was a complete greenhorn, in fact I rarely ever ate jam or jelly and really just figured they were all the same. How wrong was I. As I took some time to investigate the field, I started to understand that there were many things that I didn’t know about the whole field. And when I tasted the 16 or so products I was amazed. I was not only amazed but truly humbled. As an average person growing up I had my fair share of grape jelly and strawberry preserves that my grandmother made from going picking at a local fruit farm, but those flavors were pretty basic, one flavor, one purpose. When I began tasting the products by Vermont harvest I was amazed at the numerous flavors that were in each mouthful, and the fireworks that were set off when different textures were added to each flavor. I was intrigued and this was just the beginning. As I tasted all of these products, I was amazed that not only did they taste great but they all were complex with flavor and balanced. So it wasn't really a surprise to my coworkers and my family that we decided to purchase this business.
Since buying the business it has been our goal to further their development as well as introduce them to farther reaching heights. The original business was more of a hobby than a business set on reaching international customers. The first several years I really concentrated on learning the ropes and trying to figure out the best way to approach my international goals. I quickly learned that our products are like minnows in an ocean. There are literally thousands of brands out there and we have to be better than the average one. With that in mind it is hard to distinguish your products in a very competitive market. We do so through our flavor profiles.
Our product line currently sits at 21. We are committed to conning to produce products that ignite the fireworks in peoples taste buds. We hope to be in more countries in the next year. In a matter of a couple of months are products will be available nationwide in Canada. We are in discussions with Sweden and have just started to investigate a new export market in Korea. Our products are natural, gluten free and non gmo. We have a simple motto here at Vermont Harvest. “If it doesn't taste good….Why eat it”.
I attended Lake Forest College and earned a BA in Economics.
I also attended New England Culinary Institute and received an associates degree in culinary arts and a BA in Food & Beverage Management. I've been a
Board Member of the Vermont Specialty Food Association 2011 to present.
