Mississippi-made espresso vodka, jalapeño ‘candy’ and 10 other Southern food products to try this month

This spoonable spread from Woodhill Cottage in Birmingham highlights the essence of our favorite spring fruit. Conserves have less sugar than jam and that lets the strawberry flavor shine through brightly. Serve it on biscuits, ice cream, in yogurt or atop pimento cheese on a cracker.

$15.95 for a 13-ounce jar. Available at woodhillcottage.com.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Jalapeño candy

Jay Gleaton was growing peppers in Atlanta’s Riverside neighborhood, and when he harvested a bounty of habaneros, a business was born — Powerful Pepper Co. One of his bestsellers is jalapeño candy — thin slices combining heat, sweetness and spice in just the right proportions.

$11.99 for a 16-ounce jar. Available at Frazie’s Meat & Market, Grant Park Market, Local Exchange and powerfulpepper.co.

Credit: Lisa Killorin

Credit: Lisa Killorin

Onion mustard

We think a variety of mustards is a must in your refrigerator, and our latest find is a version from Columbus-based Sassy Mustard that is flavored with Georgia sweet onions. Founder Lisa Killorin stirs up saucy mustards that can be used in so many ways, including dressing a potato and in pasta salads. Spoon over grilled sausages or hot dogs for a perfect summer treat.

$11 for an 8-ounce jar. Available at Casa Bella, West Paces Ferry Hardware, the White Rabbit Cottage and with a minimum order of three jars at sassymustard.com.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Barbecue sauce

County Smoak in Lynchburg, Virginia, makes six barbecue sauces to serve alongside its smoked meats. New to us was a central Virginia favorite — mahogany sauce. The recipe dates from the 1940s. Brown sugar and molasses make it sweet while a Worcestershire sauce base makes it tangy.

$10.50 for a 19-ounce bottle. Available at countysmoak.com.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Biscuit crackers

The team at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits makes thousands of tender, fluffy buttermilk biscuits every month. And when there’s biscuit dough left over, they make biscuit crackers. It’s a crunchy cracker that tastes like a buttery biscuit and is available in sea salt, sharp cheddar and everything flavors. We think you’ll want all three.

$14.95 for two 4.6-ounce bags. Available at Star Provisions, the Fresh Market, Total Wine & More, some locations of Whole Foods and calliesbiscuits.com.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Coffee-flavored vodka

Cathead Distillery in Jackson, Mississippi, long has offered Hoodoo liqueur made with roasted chicory. Now, Atlanta area shoppers can pick up a bottle of Hoodoo Espresso, a blend of single-estate coffee, vodka and demerara sugar. It’s like an espresso martini in a bottle. Just pour it in a glass, or mix with soda for an espresso high ball.

$39.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle. Available at Corks & Caps, Decatur Package, Mac’s Beer and Wine. Information: catheaddistillery.com

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Apple spice simple syrup

The co-founders of Crescent Simples met as bartenders in New Orleans. Now living in Richmond, Virginia, they produce 11 simple syrups as appealing for home bars as they are for professional bartenders. We have a bottle of their apple spice syrup, perfect to sweeten tea (hot or cold) or mix with an aged rum.

$15 for an 8-ounce bottle. Available at crescentsimples.com.

Credit: Kevin Chelko

Credit: Kevin Chelko

Sea-salt truffle peanuts

Fans of truffles need to try this interesting combination: peanuts flavored with truffle salt from Bear Foods in Matthews, North Carolina. Named for the Mercer University Bears, the company offers 11 varieties of flavored peanuts, as well as pecans, popcorn and honey.

$10.95 for a 6.5-ounce pouch. Available at bearfood.biz.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Granola

We’ve developed the habit of keeping a bag of granola around for snacking, and a variety from Atlanta-based Dandelion Food & Goods is our new favorite. Made with oats, almonds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds and dried fruit — and sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup — it’s supremely satisfying and not too sweet.

$14 for a 1-pound package. Available at the Morningside and Grant Park farmers markets and for delivery and pickup in Decatur. Order under “Pantry” on the menu page at dandelionfood.store.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Ice cream sandwiches

Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, based in Richmond, Virginia, ships its luscious products nationwide. They’re not your grade-school ice cream sandwich. Each chunky cube is made with chewy cookies and high-butterfat ice cream. Fun flavors include banana pudding, strawberry shortcake and chocolate blackout.

$2.50 for a single serving, $6.99 for a package of four. Available at Whole Foods, Kroger, Savi Provisions and nightingaleicecream.com.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Satsuma-passion fruit jam

Sara Levasseur of New Orleans-based Jamboree Jams offers a line of 16 jams, in such flavors as blood orange hibiscus and peach rose geranium. We’re enjoying the tail end of citrus season with Levasseur’s satsuma-passion fruit jam, which offers the honey-like sweetness of satsumas along with passion fruit seeds for a bright, tropical crunch.

$14 for a 9.5-ounce jar. Available at jamboreejams.co.

Credit: handout

Credit: handout

Cookies

Atlanta-based nonprofit Wonderfully Made Bakery offers four varieties of buttery, chewy 4-inch cookies, made with the help of adults who have intellectual disabilities. You can get chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, gluten-free oatmeal butterscotch and white chocolate macadamia nut. We can’t resist macadamia nut cookies and these did not disappoint.

$12 for a half dozen, $23 for a dozen. Order at order.toasttab.com/online/wonderfully-made and pick up Tuesdays-Thursdays at 3417 Roswell Road, Atlanta.

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