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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Locating Our Products
We are a proudly Canadian company! All of our products are made Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.
Depending where you live in Canada, our retail-sized products (Gourmet Red Chili, Gourmet Jalapeno, Gourmet Pomegranate, Gourmet Cranberry Sauce) can be found at various grocery retailers across the country. We would be happy to assist you locating our products. Please email us anytime at talktous@somethingspecialdeli.com or call us for up-to-date availability information during regular office hours (8 am to 4 pm MT) Monday to Friday. 1-800-461-5892.
Depending where you live, our Gourmet Antipasto (940 g) and Red Chili Pepper Spread (925 g/ 32.6 oz) are seasonal, holiday items available exclusively at Costco. Availability can certainly change so please call us for up-to-date information during regular office hours Monday to Friday. 1-800-461-5892. We’d love to keep you in the loop:
sign up for our newsletter to be advised of Costco in and out dates!
Customers with a continental US mailing address can buy our shelf-stable products
online via this website.
Costco is the exclusive distributor of our Red Chili Pepper Spread (item # 1367121): Costco typically carries it seasonally in select warehouses in the fall for the holidays. There are no other grocers currently carrying this item.
We’d love to keep you in the loop:
sign up for our newsletter to be advised of Costco in and out dates!
In Canada, our retail-sized products are widely distributed at grocery stores across the country. We don’t want to compete with our retail partners … we hope you understand!
We are a wholesale manufacturer only and we do not sell directly to customers. We aren’t set up as a retail outlet; our grocery partners are ready to help! Thank you for your support!
For a variety of logistical reasons, we are unfortunately unable to offer our Red Chili Pepper Spread for sale from our online store. Regrettably, we cannot accommodate this request.
Best Before Date
The best before date is an ink-jet code that is found on the side or on the top of the lid. It is in the format BB DD. MM. YYYY. For example, an ink-jet code that reads BB 09. JN. 2023 means that the unopened product is best consumed before June 9, 2023.
After the best before date, we can’t recommend customers eat our products. In general, we recommend that customers use the best before date as a guide to help determine the freshness and flavour of the product. Consuming our products before the best before date helps to ensure that you enjoy a delicious product that meets our quality standards. After this date has passed, only the consumer can determine whether or not to consume the product. As with any food product, you should always use your best judgment and check the product’s look and smell before consuming it.
For the best quality and keeping good food handling practices in mind, it is recommended that all products be refrigerated after opening and consumed within 90 days. This is assuming, of course, that the product is within the best before date stamped on the lid/jar.
Essentially, the perishability of the opened product will vary depending on variety of factors including the temperature of the of the refrigerator, and how it is handled at home. You should always use your best judgment and check the product’s look and smell before consuming it. Of course, the sooner our products are enjoyed … the better!
Storage Information
Refrigeration
Yes. The Red Chili Pepper Spread is a refrigerated, Deli item that requires refrigeration at all times. We maintain the cold chain throughout the transportation, storage and distribution of our product.
Unopened antipasto, Gourmet Red Chili, Gourmet Jalapeno, Gourmet Pomegranate, Gourmet Cranberry can be stored at room or cool-room temperature. After they are opened, they must be stored in the refrigerator.
Red Chili Pepper Spread is a refrigerated, deli item that requires refrigeration at all times (before and after opening).
Freezing
Yes: our antipasto can be safely frozen for later use; however, the texture will not stay the same (the vegetables may lose their crisp texture).
Yes: our Red Chili Pepper Spread freezes well. We suggest you put it in a freezer-safe container and it can be frozen for up to 6 months, with minimal changes in quality. When you’re ready to enjoy some more Red Chili Pepper Spread, It is best to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator overnight.
After opening, our Red Chili Pepper Spread maintains its quality for up to 90 days (assuming it has been kept properly refrigerated during that time). Of course, the sooner our Red Chili Pepper Spread is enjoyed … the better!
Room Temperature Storage
The lid should be concave by the vacuum created from hot product being filled into the jars. The 940g/33oz jars use a lid that will pop up when unsealed. For other lids, a popping noise will be heard the first time the lid is open. All jars undergo a seal inspection before being labeled and shipped from our facility to preserve the product quality and consumer safety.
Nutrition / Ingredient Information
Ingredients
Although we don’t add any additives directly as part of our recipes, some of the ingredients (such as dill pickles and olives) have had additives (sub ingredients) added during processing. Please review the other ingredient FAQ’s and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions! 1-800-461-5892
In the past, tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5) was a “sub-ingredient” in some of the dill pickles we bought which is why it was listed on our older labels. We have sourced pickles made with turmeric extract instead.
We are continuing to work hard to source 100 % of our high-quality pickles from suppliers that don’t add tartrazine. We are happy to say our pickles are now tartrazine free!
In sourcing raw materials, we have had to explore multiple options for suppliers. For many years we only used pickled onions that were sulphite free. Currently, sulphites may or may not be present in the pickled onions that we use. For this reason, sulphites are now listed as a sub-ingredient of the pickled onions on our updated labels.
Currently, a small amount of artificial coloring is added to enrich the green color of the jelly. Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5) is the artificial colors used.
We are working hard to develop an all-natural version with no additives … stay tuned!
We use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients possible. Whenever we can we source local and Canada-grown produce.
Nut Free
Our products are completely nut free. There are no nuts added in any of our recipes nor are nuts allowed in our commercial kitchen; however, we have not officially been certified as a “nut-free” facility.
Please note: staff members may bring nut products to work and consume them in the staff lunch room. Before eating at breaks their work smocks are removed; before returning to work in the production kitchen staff must thoroughly wash their hands.
Please consult with your heath-care professional if you have any questions about whether or not our products are safe for you to enjoy.
Gluten Free
No. Our products are gluten free. The vinegar we use has been distilled to ensure that no gluten is present. In independent laboratory testing of our vinegar and finished product, gluten is undetectable at < 10 ppm.
There are no allergens (barley, wheat, rye, regular oats, or triticale) in any of our recipes nor are allergens allowed in our commercial kitchen; however, we have not officially been certified as a “gluten-free” facility.
Please note: staff members may bring gluten products to work and consume them in the staff lunch room. Before eating at breaks their work smocks are removed; before returning to work in the production kitchen staff must thoroughly wash their hands.
Please consult with your heath-care professional if you have any questions about whether or not our products are safe for your particular sensitivity.
Kosher
Something Special Red Chili Pepper Spread, Gourmet Red Chili, Gourmet Jalapeno and Gourmet Cranberry are kosher. They are certified by the OU Rabbinical council.
Our Gourmet Antipasto is not currently certified as kosher.
Spices
All About Peppers
We select a special blend of hot red Chili peppers that are grown specifically for Something Special that deliver a unique tongue tingling heat and beautiful rich red color.
A chemical called capsaicin in the peppers irritate trigeminal cells throughout the mouth, nose, and throat. These cells send messages of pain to the brain which responds by releasing endorphins throughout the body. Endorphins act as natural pain killers giving a temporary euphoric feeling. Some people can experience increased heart and salivation rate, faster gastrointestinal motions, runny nose, and perspiration.
The amount of capsaicin present in the Chili peppers determines its heat. The system for measuring the heat of a Chili pepper was developed by a chemist named William Scoville in 1912. Originally the testing was based on a form of dillution tasting. Today machines called chromatograms (like in CSI) are used to measure the amount of capsaicin present in the pepper.
|
Scoville Chile Heat Chart
|
| Pepper Variety |
Rating
|
Heat Level
|
| Bell, Sweet Banana, Pimento |
0
|
Negligible
|
| Mexi-Bells, Pepperoncini |
1
|
100-1000 Scoville Units
|
| Ancho, Pasilla, Poblano |
2
|
1000-1500 Scoville Units
|
| Sandia , Cascabel, Rocotillo |
3
|
1500-2500 Scoville Units
|
| Jalapeno, Chipotle |
4
|
2500-5000 Scoville Units
|
| Yellow wax |
5
|
5000-15000 Scoville Units
|
| Chile de arbol, Serano |
6
|
15000-30000 Scoville Units
|
| Aji, Cayenne, Tabasco |
7
|
30,000-50,000 Scoville Units
|
| Santaka, Chiltecpin (tepin), Thai |
8
|
50,000-100,000 Scoville Units
|
| Habanero, Scotch Bonnet |
9
|
100,000-350,000 Scoville Units
|
| Red Savina Habanero |
10
|
350,000-855,000 Scoville Units
|
Naga Jolokia
(Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia) |
10
|
1,000,000 – 1,500,000 Scoville Units
|
Pure Capsaicin
(origin – Chemistry Lab) |
|
16 Million |
Fun Fact:In the big picture, the objective for all living things
is to spread their seed! Capsaicin discourages animals from eating the Chilees.
But birds, which are highly effective at distributing seeds, can eat them. Birds
will not experience the burning sensation the way we mammals do. The seeds will
pass through the bird's gut intact and spread to new areas. And voila, more peppers!!
Jalapeno chili peppers are harvested when the pepper is still in the green stage. If left on the plant, the peppers would ripen until they turned bright red. It's this early harvesting that allows for the milder green chili pepper.
Policies
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Email is not recognized as a secure medium of communication. For this reason, we request that you do not send private information to us by email. Some of the information you may enter on our Web site may be transmitted securely via Secure Sockets Layer SSL, 128 bit encryption services. Pages utilizing this technology will have URLs that start with HTTPS instead of HTTP. Please contact Eric Farrell, Director of Technology, at 570-602-1885, if you have any questions or concerns.