Got peppers? Batavia gardeners can contribute to community hot sauce for good cause

Batavia community members who grow their own produce are invited to donate any extra sweet or spicy peppers to be used in the third edition of the Fire on the Fox community hot sauce.

The hot sauce will be made by Gindo’s Spice of Life, of St. Charles, in collaboration with the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, with 100% of proceeds from the sauce going to the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry.

“We’re blending a sauce that’s by Batavia, for Batavia, to help Batavia,” Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry board member Joe Hunt said. “That’s what I love about this hot sauce. I really do feel that it’s kind of like the essence of this community.“

Peppers can be dropped off from Sept. 9 to Oct. 1 at Gindo’s, at 2002 W. Main St., during store hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. An additional drop-off location will be at the food pantry tent at the Batavia Farmers Market on Sept. 13.

Peppers should be de-stemmed and stored in large, labeled ziplock bags. Peppers picked early should be frozen until drop-off to preserve freshness.

The hot sauce will be available for purchase by mid-October at the food pantry or from the Batavia Chamber.

Batavia resident Mary Ginder and her husband Chris founded Gindo’s Spice of Life in 2011. This is the company’s third collaboration with the food pantry to create the community hot sauce.

“It has an extra special place in our hearts, to be a part of something like this for the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, because it is very much our community,” Ginder said. “It’s really about celebrating and giving back in a way that we are able to every year.”

Ginder said last year’s batch yielded about 20 cases, or 250 bottles, of the hot sauce. In the first year, the sauce raised $1,280 for the food pantry, and last year’s batch has raised roughly $2,000 and is still selling.

Ginder said anyone from Batavia or other communities can get involved, and they will accept as few or as many peppers as people want to donate.

Hunt has been with the pantry for a decade and came up with the idea for the community hot sauce three years ago.

Hunt said the sauce started as a small fundraiser for the pantry but has grown into a much larger project. He said this year, the hot sauce will be a key source of funding to help the pantry as it prepares to move into a new home on 916 First St.

“Selling the hot sauce really just helps us continue to support local families and make sure that our shelves can remain stocked,” Hunt said.

The proceeds will be used to help with the move and final touches at the new location, and to stock the pantry’s new, more spacious shelves, he said. The pantry is aiming to open its doors at the new location on Oct. 1.

Hunt said he’s proud of the fact that the initiative has had so much success making a hot sauce using only peppers grown by community members.

Hunt said there are about five remaining boxes of the 2024 edition of the hot sauce yet, which he hopes to have sold by the time the new sauce is available. He said the yield doubled from year one to two, and organizers hope to see that trend continue with this year’s donations.

“We’ve been very blessed to live in such a giving community,” Hunt said. “This community constantly steps up to help the food pantry and make sure that local families have access to food and clothing.”