Now, we’ve tasted a bunch of salsa in our time…made by companies from sea to shining sea. This said, a request from a salsa company out of the state of New Hampshire caught our attention as something out of the ordinary. Also known as the Granite State, it’s in an area of the country mostly known for its beautiful topography, great places to ski, and a number of other historic sites. We figured it might be an area more conducive to maple syrup than salsa, but the folks at Better Than Freds Salsa are doing a lot to affect the way that people in the industry view this northeastern state. From the taste of their salsa itself to their label graphics to their company’s roots, this burgeoning salsa powerhouse is definitely worth taking interest in, and we asked the folks there to tell us a little about themselves and their company….

We’ve read about the humble beginnings of your company on the website, but perhaps you’d care to comment on the transition from family recipe to more mainstream production, new ownership, and a change of hometown. Tell us a story!

We purchased the company in 2003 and it was pretty scary. We had to sell our house and pretty much everything else we owned in order to buy it. We moved the kitchen from Claremont to Derry, New Hampshire, where we were living at the time. When we first began, we used one 10-gallon tabletop kettle that made five cases at a time. We filled the jars by hand, let them cool, and then labeled them by hand as well. I remember one day we made 60 cases. It took us 13 hours. We couldn’t believe how much we had done! Now, $350,000 dollars later, the kitchen is all automated and we can do 120 cases an hour with just four people running the line, all of which are our children, so when we say it’s a family run business we really mean it.

Because your products hail from NH, do you have a proverbial “chip on your company’s shoulder” about proving that salsa from NH is just as good as ones from the “salsa states” like Texas?

Well it’s funny you should ask that because we were wondering that very same thing when we bought Better Than Freds. We entered our salsa in Chile Pepper Magazine’s national Fiery Food Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, of all places. The results pretty much answered all our questions. We came in first place with our habanero salsa. There were more than 500 entries from all over the country.

Aside from financial success, what elements of critical success do you seek to attain, if any? Any industry-related goals in mind?

The response we get from our customers and hearing about how much they enjoy our products. To be considered “the best” by people to the point that they tell all their friends about us is everything we could really want!

If you were trying to convince someone how much better and different your salsa is compared to mass-produced ones, what would you tell them about your products?

We use only the freshest ingredients in our salsa. Our peppers and onions are fresh cut on the day we produce. Our salsa is 100% all-natural, no water added, and it’s very low in sodium. Look at almost any other salsa label and you will find they use a blend of one, two, or possibly three chile peppers, tops. We use a blend of seven to nine chile peppers in ours. That is where we get our unique blend of heat and flavor. The combination of these things is what makes Better Than Freds Salsa truly better than the rest.

Where did you come up with your mascot Chuk?

Chuk the Moose, or as most people call him, “What’s up, Chuk,” is just an all-natural outdoor kinda guy. Oops, I mean moose. He is actually the brainchild of the former owner and already had quite a life of his own when we bought the company. Kids love him and grownups identify with him because he is so down to earth with his flannel shirt and jeans. He’s on the labels of both our salsa and chips, and is featured on the merchandise we sell on our website. The inspiration for the shape of our chips came from his being a moose. He’s in both of our commercials and makes special appearances at expos and large tastings or events. He even has his own page on MySpace.

Do you have current or future plans to expand your line of salsas, or introduce other products?

Chuks Moose-A-Licious Antler Chips were introduced this past year. We don’t hear enough good things about them. They are actually antler shaped! They’re thick, made from white corn, and are the only chips strong enough to stand up to our chunky salsa. Some of the other products we’re working on are various hot sauces as well as our Bloody Mary mix which we will be launching later this year under the Chuk’s label.

BTF Mild: diced tomatoes, fresh green and red bell peppers, assorted fresh chili peppers, fresh onions, tomato paste, vinegar, chopped garlic (in olive oil, citric acid), salt, spices

Joe’s take: This salsa falls into the “baby food for chileheads” category, which is not an insult by any stretch. Even the most diehard of chileheads had to start somewhere small on the heatscale, and this salsa would be great for that. It has the same great flavor and chunkiness that you’ll find in all the Better Than Fred Salsas, but simply no heat. If you or yours like it mild, invest in a jar of this.

Linda’s take: I have to admit that I was skeptical about what these salsas would taste like before trying them. After all, they came from New Hampshire, for crying out loud. Well, I learned that good things come from NH. While the mild packs almost zero heat, it packs a lot of flavor. Fresh peppers, indeed.

BTF Medium: diced tomatoes, fresh green and red bell peppers, assorted fresh chili peppers, fresh onions, tomato paste, vinegar, chopped garlic (in olive oil, citric acid), salt, spices

Joe’s take: Much the same as the mild, with just the tiniest tingle of spice to it. I’ve always felt that a little heat really helps bring out the flavor in certain foods, and salsa is no exception. I liked this one better than the mild, but it merely whetted my appetite for the hotter salsas in the line. Great topping for your morning egg dishes, btw.

Linda’s take: While it would appear that as you head up the heat scale on salsas, you would simply head up the same flavor plus heat. Not so for these salsas. The medium, while being a tad more spicy also has more spice to it. So, you’ll start to see a bit more color and taste some diversity in that regard, with the same freshness as the mild.

BTF Hot: diced tomatoes, fresh green and red bell peppers, assorted fresh chili peppers, fresh onions, tomato paste, vinegar, chopped garlic (in olive oil, citric acid), salt, spices

Joe’s take: Now this was the first heat level that got my attention. Resembling the medium in both taste and texture, this one’s about a 5/10 for heat. For chip & dip snacking, this one’s about perfect in that regard. Judging at how quickly we demolished the jar, we’re not sure how we managed to save any for other uses. I could eat this salsa virtually every day, and not just with chips. Thumbs up!

Linda’s take: Hitting home more like a medium salsa, in my opinion, this still maintains the quality I like in these salsas the best…fresh. This salsa didn’t survive long in our house at all. In fact, Joe almost didn’t get any at all. I was looking for some salsa shortly after these arrived and we had just cleared out our fridge from several the week before. I began with this jar and had a hard time stopping. We left enough in the bottom until the time we were writing about it to remind ourselves of how good this was.

BTF Habanero Fiery Hot: diced tomatoes, fresh green and red bell peppers, assorted fresh chili peppers, fresh onions, tomato paste, vinegar, chopped garlic (in olive oil, citric acid), salt, spices

Joe’s take: As far as fiery hot goes, it took me a few tastings before I truly appreciated this salsa for what it is. Initially, I loved the taste…but didn’t think it was all that hot. With each snacking session, I felt the heat a little more, and even realized how cumulative it is. The heat’s about a 6.5/10, and really builds to about an 8/10 after a few chips full o’ salsa pass over your tastebuds. Enough about the heat, how about the taste? Out-freakin’-standing. Chunky and very fresh-tasting, this one’s a star. If you’re a traditionalist salsa eater, this one may not fit that description. However, it has enough heat and flavor for any die-hard chilehead to drool over.

Linda’s take: Joe barely left me enough of this stuff to taste. I guess he was getting even for me eating all the hot. This has a little less spice, but definitely packs a punch on the heat level. The habanero is noticeable immediately and I have the runny nose to prove it. This salsa is for the spicy salsa veterans only. What’s great…it’s still thick and chunky and fresh as can be.

BTF Just Peachy: diced tomatoes, peaches, fresh onions, fresh green and red bell peppers, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chopped garlic (in olive oil, citric acid), spices

Joe’s take: Instead of Just Peachy, this salsa may have just as easily been called Very Peachy, or even Exceedingly Peachy. More than most of the fruit salsas I’ve tried recently, this one is really centered around the peaches, with the rest of the flavor playing off the main ingredients. A bit sweet and not very spicy hot, this salsa has some possibilities. I didn’t like it as much to snack upon with chips as much as I think it would be good in recipes. Not just nachos, mind you, but fish and chicken dishes could really benefit from a light salsa like this to accentuate the taste profile. Bottom line: low on heat, high on flavor. A winner compared to many other fruit salsas.

Linda’s take: If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I like fruit salsas with habanero cheese…especially nachos. This salsa was no exception. It’s the perfect balance of peach and tomato and not too sweet. Yet, it’s sweet enough to have that wonderful combo with the hab cheese.

BTF Caribbean: diced tomatoes, crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, fresh onions, molasses, fresh red and green bell peppers, tomato paste, fresh celery, apple cider vinegar, chopped garlic, (in olive oil, citric acid), spices

Joe’s take: At first, I thought this was going to be just another sweet-ish salsa, but this one is much more than that. You taste just a hint of pineapple, and a very strong chile pepper presence. I munched on this salsa for quite a while before I started to notice the heat build a little. Then a little more. Then a little more after that. What started out at about a 2/10 in heat built up to about a 5/10, all without sacrificing one iota of flavor. Like the other salsas, it’s thick, chunky, and perfect for snacking with anytime. I liked this as a garnish to baked chicken, also. It really adds a nice complex flavor to the dish.

Linda’s take: What an interesting salsa. I’m going to go back to the fact that this stuff is from NH. How the hell they do Caribbean this good is beyond me. I tasted the molasses right away. The pineapple is subtle in comparison and so is the heat…to start. Man, you really do make it through quite a few bites of this before you realize you’ve been eating something way more spicy. This salsa was a nice compliment to fish. Serve that with some Jamaican peas and rice and you’ve got it made.

Chuk’s Moose-a-licious Antler Chips: stone ground white corn, canola or soybean oil, salt

Joe’s take: I didn’t think it would be tough to expound upon the virtue of another kind of tortilla chip, but these are a little different than your store-bought chips. They are vaguely shaped like moose antlers, assuming they didn’t break in the bag during handling. The ingredients are as simple & straightforward as they come, and so is the taste. A little more firm and crispy, they are even a little cracker-like in texture…which really helps scoop out their super-chunky salsa out of the jars. In comparison to some other similar tortilla chips, I kept coming back to these. Besides that, ya gotta love the bright yellow bag with the moose on it.

Linda’s take: I LOVE that these are shaped like antlers. How adorable is that?! But, the shape is not only cute, but functional. The shape allows you to dip deep into the salsa jars making them the perfect shape for getting all of that salsa goodness. Flavor wise, they tend to be a tad more firm than your average white corn chip, which also aids in the function of getting the salsa. I’d love to see these in blue corn.

Want to review Better Than Freds products for yourself? Go here and leave your own opinion:

www.thehotpepper.com

Don’t just take our word for it! Here are some online reviews of these salsas:

Review from thatscamping.com
Antler Chips review from taquitos.net

Give these reviewers a shout and ask them to review Better Than Freds products as well.

Any of the HSB reviewers
Carl’s Big List of Reviews
Alien Zombie
The Hot Sauce Guide
Saucerater