Skip to main content

The Story Behind Burnin' Beak

First we eat, then we do everything else.

- M.F.K. Fisher

Howdy! I'm Tori Kormanik, creator, owner and maker of Burnin' Beak Pepper Jelly.  Burnin' Beak Pepper Jellies are a tribute to my childhood memories of San Antonio, Texas where large family gatherings always centered around the kitchen. Fun, laughter, the exchange of recipes, preparing and enjoying delicious meals was front and center to my everyday life. Growing up in a family full of cooks, I had peppers, spices and seasonings ingrained in my palate from a young age. My mom especially was a stickler for seasoning. The dish had to have just the right amount of salt, seasonings and spices. It had to be brimming with flavor or it didn't get served.

Despite my family's deep history with cooking in the kitchen, I was side-tracked by a 25 year career in the fitness industry teaching and coordinating exercise programs in several different states. Helping people attain their health and fitness goals was my focus and my passion. When I decided to hang up my teaching shoes, the pots and pans and utensils lured me back into the kitchen. What before was just a hobby turned into a single-minded obsession.


It was 2011 when my roots began to reemerge. Combining my grandmother's love for making jams with an extensive knowledge of pepper varieties, I began to solidify my vision. I developed a recipe too good to keep to myself, tried and true pepper jelly but kicked up a notch. The Burnin' Beak Hot Habanero Pepper Jelly was born!


As I began to gift jars to my family and friends, their response was unanimous. They all encouraged me to start my own business because the flavor was that good!


For some, the Hot Habanero was a bit too hot so I created the Mild Habanero having the same flavor but meant for a more delicate palate. For others, the Hot was too tame. So, the Super Hot Habanero made its appearance. Again, the same flavor profile but with a heat level that grabs your attention and demands to keep it for awhile.


My Golden Ghost Pepper Jelly idea came next after a light-bulb moment noticing how lemon can be such a delightful, perky addition to so many dishes. Most recently, I became intrigued by the cooling, refreshing flavor of mint and decided to balance it with the citrus, tanginess of lime and the Green Ghost made it to the line up. And now, we have a new (hottest yet) combo, the Orange Stinger. With flavors of orange and grapefruit and both habanero and ghost peppers, this one packs in the citrus flavors and heat.


10 plus years and thousands of "WOW"s from all over the globe keep me loving what I do. Each batch is precisely measured and hand-made, not commercially manufactured, with care to ensure the highest quality, consistency and freshness so it arrives at your door step ready to enhance any meal.

 

Though I will always call San Antonio my home town, Morro Bay, CA is now my residence and it's where I make all my pepper jellies. I invite you to try my pepper jellies to spice up your breakfast, lunch, appetizers, snacks, dinner entrees and even cocktails! I'm sure you will be saying "Wow" too.

 

Check out my Recipes page for more taste-tantalizing ideas. 

 

Special note: We feel strongly about giving back. Food and community are important to us. So, each month we donate a portion of our proceeds to Food Finders, a local non-profit who's mission is to reduce hunger by rescuing food and redistributing it daily. For more about Food Finders, click here.


 


Your Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Click here to continue shopping.
Thanks for contacting us! We'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for subscribing Thanks! We will notify you when it becomes available! The max number of items have already been added There is only one item left to add to the cart There are only [num_items] items left to add to the cart