Datil Pepper Festival

04/17/2021

Keeping you informed

10/10/2018

09/11/2015

06/11/2015

Datil Pepper Festival 2015- Attention All Restaurants

Now accepting Restaurants wishing to compete in the 2015 Datil Pepper Contest, Saturday October 3rd.
If you are interest in the heat and wish to compete, please contact Joanne Cooper at the St. Johns County Extension Office (904) 209-0430 ext. 4787

10/09/2013

We have some updates of the Datil Pepper Festival contests. We have TWO ties in the People's Choice awards and the Winner of the Amateur Datil Pepper Hoy Sauce contest.

Forms for all the 2014 contests and events are also up on the web site so you can plan early.

2013 Results

SATURDAY COOK-OFF RESULTS

Winners of the Coveted

BLUE APRON

Professional Award Winners

Appetizer - The Black Molly Grill - Datil Shrimp Snaps

Entree - Sunset Grille - Shrimp & Grits

People's Choice Winners

A TIE for People's Choice Appetizer

Appetizer - Hurricane Patty's - Datil Crab Cake with Minorcan Datil Tartar Sauce

Appetizer - South Beach Grill - Shrimp with Datil Cheese Grits + Relish

A TIE for People's Choice Entree

Entree - The Reef - Seared Scalllops wIth Grits

Entree - Hurricane Patty's - Grilled Salmon with Datil Chutney

2013 AMATEUR DATIL PEPPER SAUCE RESULTS

Winner of the Coveted Blue Apron of Triumph and First Place $50

Scott Bennett - Vintage Gold with pulp

Congrats, again, to all!

10/05/2013

Another fabulous Datil Pepper Festival has produced our winners in the Datil Pepper Cook-Off Contest. The Winners are:

2013 Results

SATURDAY COOK-OFF RESULTS

Winners of the Coveted BLUE APRON

Professional Award Winners

Appetizer - The Black Molly Grill - Datil Shrimp Snaps

Entree - Sunset Grille - Shrimp & Grits

People's Choice Winners

Appetizer - Hurricane Patty's - Datil Crab Cake with Minorcan Datil Tartar Sauce

A TIE for People's Choice Entree

Entree - The Reef - Seared Scalllops wIth Grits

Entree - Hurricane Patty's - Grilled Salmon with Datil Chutney

2013 AMATEUR DATIL PEPPER SAUCE RESULTS

Winners of the Coveted Blue Apron of Triumph and First Place $50

Pending!

TBA

We want to thank all of you who tasted and voted for the People's Choice Awards and we congratulate our winners. Please make a point of visiting our winners at their restaurants and the rest of our competitors to show your support for their efforts.

Thanks. We'll see you next year on Datil Pepper Day in St. Johns County, the First Saturday in October, October 4, 2014. Mark your calendar, now!

10/04/2013

This is a reminder for those of you planning to enter our Amateur Datil Pepper Hot Sauce Contest tomorrow. ALL entries must be turned into the AgCenter by 4pm today [Friday]. Entries must be FRESH and refrigerated [NOT CANNED OR PRESERVED]. You may enter as many versions as you wish and you must provide an entry form with each one. Forms may be downloaded from our web site and entry in the contest is free. The winner receives $50 cash, bragging rights for a year, and the coveted Blue Apron of Triumph. NO entries will be accepted after the deadline so don't be late. Good luck!

09/28/2013

Just a reminder that the 6th Annual Datil Pepper Festival is only a week away at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center in St. Augustine, Florida, October 5, 2013, from 11 am to 3 pm. It's a free event featuring the Official Plant of St. Johns County on Datil Pepper Day.

The Datil Pepper Cook-Off Contest is the highlight of the Festival and you and your families are the judges for the People's Choice Awards to our competing, area restaurants. You vote by buying Tasting Tickets for $1 each and then sampling their entrees and appetizers. You then mark your ballots for tallying and the winners are announced along with the Professional categories after 2 pm.

Here is the list of local restaurants sending their chefs into the field with Datil Pepper specialties:

A1A Ale Works
The Black Molly Grill
The Reef
The Manatee Café
Hurricane Patty's
Hot Shot Bakery & Cafe
Ninety-Five Cordova
South Beach Grill
First Coast Technical College
Kyle's Seafood
The Spot Café
Sunset Grille
Fratelli's.

Come and cheer on and sample your favorites and get acquainted with places you haven't tried before. Come EARLY for the best selections. Tasting samples go fast!

There's still time to enter our own Datil Pepper Sauce in our Amateur Sauce Contest. That winner get's $50 cash, bragging rights for a year, and the coveted Blue Apron for 2013! Details and entry form are on the Datil Pepper Festival web site. Entry is free and you may enter as many recipes [FRESH ONLY] as you wish.

Tell your friends. We'll see you there!

09/19/2013

Hope everyone got a chance to watch the official proclamation of the Datil Pepper as St. Johns own unique and spicy fruit and the First Saturday of October as Datil Pepper Day from Tuesday forward into the future!

Speaking of the special taste and status of our Datil Pepper, the St. Johns Master Gardeners are continuing their Datil Pepper Recipe Swap project. If you'd like to share your family Datil Pepper recipes with the rest of the world, instructions on how to participate and our current Datil Pepper Recipe file are up for download on our Datil Pepper Festival web site's Recipes page. Come and get 'em!

http://datilpepperfestival.com/recipes.html

You'll be glad you did. Mmmmm, HOT & tasty!

09/13/2013

SEPTEMBER 17th DATIL PEPPER PROCLAMATION DAY

On Tuesday, September 17th, at 9:00 am, you are invited to attend the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners’ meeting. They will declare the Datil Pepper as the Official Plant for St. Johns County and declare the first Saturday in October as Datil Pepper Day in St. Johns County. There will be a presentation regarding historical and cultural significance of the Datil Pepper in St. Johns County.

The meeting will be held at the St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View.

A short history/introduction of the Datil Pepper by Dr. Dan Cantliffe, SJC CED. He will introduce each of the guests. In order they are: Chris Barnes - owner Deep Creek Farm in Hastings and world’s largest Datil Pepper grower; Scott Martin, President Endorphin Farm St. Augustine, world’s largest Datil Pepper processor; Steve Lowe, Firehouse Subs, world’s largest user of Datil Pepper products.

Also present will be Grace Paaso who will be appropriately dressed as the human Datil Pepper to promote Datil Pepper products.

We will have two restaurants represented, The Black Molly Grill and Sunset Grille to present their award winning foods from our past Datil Pepper Festivals. Scott Martin will present Datil Pepper sauce products.

For those who cannot attend, you may watch the proceedings on your local government cable channels or via the web at:

http://www.sjcfl.us/GTV/WatchGTV.aspx

where you will also find the links for other viewing sources including rebroadcast of the meeting.

Don't miss this piece of living history. Mark your calendar NOW!

Welcome to the St. Johns County, Florida web site. A directory of information for residents and visitors to St. Johns County and surrounding areas.

09/10/2013

Gotta fix a couple of link errors in that last post:

for the Amateur Datil Pepper Hot Sauce Contest rules and entry form:

http://datilpepperfestival.com/2013%20Amateur%20Datil%20Pepper%20Cooking%20Contest%20Entry.pdf

for the Datil Pepper Festival Professional Cook-Off Conest Guidelines and entry form:

http://datilpepperfestival.com/2013%20Datil%20Cook-Off%20Guidelines.pdf

And if you or anyone you know would like to be a vendor and have a booth at the Home Show, here's that application form:

http://datilpepperfestival.com/2013%20Home%20&%20Garden%20Vendor%20Form.pdf

Thanks!