b'SMALL BUSINESSGrumps Pepper Jelly We are expanding slowly and starting toNot a fan of the traditional Grandfather or Paw-Paw names, Curt Giving Your Food Some Attitude get more retail accounts, says Curt, aboutsays, Grumps is a name I can work with. Maybe sometimes Im a little the increased availability of Grumps Peppergrumpy, but now everyone calls me GrumpsI enjoy the name. Jelly in Valdosta, Moultrie, Tifton, and regional stores that carry Georgia Grown products.A Southern FavoriteThe perfect accompaniment to just about any meal, pepper jelly can be A homegrown business, in the most literalslathered on a sandwich or mixed in mayo for a sweet-spicy aioli. For sense of the word, the Boughners grow theSoutherners, the most popular way is to smear pepper jelly over cream authentic Scotch Bonnet peppers they use incheese and serve with crackers.making Grumps Pepper Jelly.Its easy to pop open a jar for a quick appetizer or to add some zest to The cumbersome production processthe main entre, Deane encourages people to experiment.includes traveling twice a week to a commercial kitchenlocated in Newton,Try the pineapple pepper jelly on some Kings Hawaiian rolls, says Georgia, about 40 miles from Moultrie. Deane, a retired registered nurse. Slice them in the middle, add ham, cheese, and the pineapple jelly, then brush the top with melted butter.We make the jelly in small batches to maintain optimal quality control, says Curt,Spread on hot cornbread, biscuits, or veggies for extra flavor, Deane who is retired from the hospitality industry.says the blueberry pepper jelly is perfect on pork and all the flavors There is a lot of handwork involved,make a tasty glaze on chicken wings.Pepper Success:Grumps Pepper Jelly is the perfect accompanimentincluding picking the peppers from about 60 to just about any meal. Available in original (mild, medium, and hot),I enjoy creating new flavors, Deane says. A future possibility is blueberry, pineapple, cranberry, wine, and mayhaw flavors. to 70 trees in the Boughners backyard. satsuma, which is good since we have some trees in our yard.The retirement life represents the chance to put your feet up,We hand cut all the peppers and other travel, visit grandchildren, and enjoy days with no schedulesingredients, Curt says. Deane is in charge of to keep. Thats generally the plan; however, todays retireesprocessing the jelly, and I handle the rest of also represent the second largest population of smallthe production, which involves labeling and business and franchise owners. packaging. When Curt and Deane Boughner moved from Longwood,After mastering the original pepper jellyFlorida to Moultrie, Georgia, in 2014, the idea of starting awhich comes in mild, medium, and hotpepper jelly business wasnt part of the plan.Deane started experimenting with different flavors to create blueberry, pineapple, Over the years, Deane has tweaked her pepper jelly recipe,cranberry, wine, and mayhaw.which uses Scotch Bonnet peppers to create the perfectThe uniqueness of the flavor comes from the mix of sweet and spicyall with a bit of attitude.With herA Bit of Attitude: Using spicy Scotch Bonnet peppers grown in theirScotch peppers, says Curt, about the petite pepper jelly a favorite among her family and friends, Deaneyard, Curt and Deane Boughner created a line of pepper jelly that decided to make a few dozen jars to sell at a local arts andgives your food some attitude.pepper with a mighty punch. The peppers crafts event.name is derived from the resemblance to a As the Boughners started attending other markets andScotsmans bonnet, a variety that hails from events, they gained a loyal followingit was the start oftropical Latin America and the Caribbean.Setting up a table at the Calico Arts and Craft ShowanGrumps Pepper Jelly. event that attracts thousands of people to the MoultrieJamaicans cook with Scotch Bonnet areathe Boughners werent sure of the response theyPeople started looking for us, Curt says. If we changedpeppers, Curt says. They use them to spice would receive.location from the previous year, they would find us andup rice, make jerk chicken, and other dishes tell us not to move again. that tend to be a little spicy.We just set up a table and handed out samples of the pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers, Curt says. WeWhile COVID-19 has temporarily derailed participatingWhile crafting the perfect pepper jelly has were surprised at how much people liked it. That first yearin annual fairs and market events, the Boughners havebeen credited to Deane, the Grumps name we sold about seven dozen jars.shifted to more retail and online sales. comes from Curts moniker given by his grandchildren. 10 SG MAGAZINE | FALL 2020 BUSINESS + CULTURE 11'