Corey Carolina loves jelly – so much so that he makes his own and distributes it to grocery stores. Inspired by his grandmother, Carolina’s ultimate goal is to make a jelly that would make her proud.
The jelly business, however, is competitive; Carolina knew that his product needed to be different to stand out. Since he had also been recently involved in wine tasting, it seemed natural to combine the two. In 2011, he launched Toasted, and in 2012, he began selling his jellies, which can be found in several stores around Tulsa, including Petty’s Fine Foods, Akin’s Natural Foods, Reasor’s, Whole Foods and GreenAcres Market in Jenks. Now available in at least 54 stores, Carolina hopes to have his jellies in more than 100 locations by the end of this year.
When he began, Carolina made his jelly locally in a commercial kitchen, but because the business has grown so much, his jelly is now made in Lawton by Pepper Creek Farms.
Carolina recently expanded his brand to include flavors beyond fruit. He hopes his red pepper jelly and red pepper sauce will play to those who are looking for a little savory among the sweet.
“The pepper sauce…makes a great marinade for grilling,” says Carolina. “Made with red wine vinegar, it’s a versatile sauce that could be used with tacos, fish and pork chops.”
Carolina is currently working on new products, including coffee syrups and sorbets.
Though Toasted Wine Fruit Spread is great to cook with, Carolina also suggests serving the spread simply with crackers and cheese.
Toasted-topped Salmon
1/4 c. Toasted Wine Fruit Spread (any flavor will do)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 (4 oz.) salmon fillets
Lemon wedges for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together Toasted Wine Fruit Spread and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour over salmon and marinate at least 30 minutes. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.
