The Underwoods Get Saucy

When farmer Craig Underwood of Underwood Ranches and Underwood Family Farms says “we know the pepper business very well,” it’s a bit of an understatement. For over 30 years, Underwood grew the red jalapeños for Huy Fong Foods’ ubiquitous sriracha.

When the arrangement ended after the 2016 growing season, Underwood and his team decided to create their own sriracha recipe using their sustainably grown peppers from Kern and Ventura counties.

This sriracha is part of a brand-new line of six Underwood Ranches products using their peppers. All are produced and bottled at the Underwood Ranches facility in Camarillo.

In August, the crisp pickled whole cascabellas (hot) and jalapeño pepper slices hit the shelves; sriracha and barbecue sauces are targeted for September. Look for the verde and roja hot sauces in late fall.

“It’s mostly peppers [in the sauces] and we experimented with different levels of vinegar, salt and sugar, so we could have the minimum of what was necessary to give them a good flavor and shelf life,” says Underwood, adding that they don’t use any preservatives in the sauces. “There was a fair amount of testing and experimenting before we got what we wanted.”

The sauces are flavorful without being scorching and are nicely balanced. Roja gets its inspiration from cayenne and jalapeño peppers; verde from Anaheim peppers and jalapeños.

Going with a pepper-forward approach also made its way into the barbecue sauce, which casts aside the typical tomato base. “There are quite a few cooks in our family so we’ve used it a lot,” he says. With a bit of a kick, this garlicky sauce isn’t too sweet. We could see grabbing it whenever chicken or burgers are headed for the grill.

The products are available at Underwood Family Farms’ Somis and Moorpark farm stand locations and their farmers’ market booths, as well as online.

Underwood Ranches
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