Hot Carribbean pickle from top Northern Irish broadcaster

Totally Hot, a new Caribbean pickle, has been created and launched by one of Northern Ireland's leading DJs and music presenters.

Carolyn Stewart, a top presenter on u105 FM, one of Northern Ireland's most successful radio stations, has developed the Totally Hot pickle as the first in a series of products reflecting her interest in food and especially Caribbean dishes.

Totally Hot features strips of peppers, onions and chilli in a spicy liquor. The product is now on sale in 190g double-filled jars at £4.50. The product is being produced by award winning Erin Grove in Enniskillen in county Fermanagh, to Carolyn's recipe. Erin Grove has won a string of UK Great Taste Awards including three-stars for its Blackcurrant Preserve in this year's competition.

The new pickle is available in a double filled jar and is made by Mark & Jayne Paget of Erin Grove Preserves.

Carolyn Stewart, commenting on the new pickle, her first venture in food production, says: "I first enjoyed Caribbean pickles during a visit to Jamaica in 1991 but couldn't find these on my return home. Pickling, of course, has long been a feature of Caribbean cuisine because it was how food was preserved before the development of refrigeration.

"I loved the flavours and decided to see if I could create my own version of the Caribbean pickle. I found that family and friends who experienced my version genuinely enjoyed them and encouraged me to think about commercialising the pickles. I subsequently visited Jamaica again to find out more about ingredients and the whole pickling process," she adds.

The broadcaster started turning knowledge gained in Jamaica into her own recipe about two years ago. "I have to admit that it was a steep learning curve. I was encouraged by Food NI and found Erin Grove keen to advise and then to undertake processing of the pickle which involves double-jarring. They also assisted with labelling and branding," Carolyn continues.

The new pickle, which Carolyn described as being "hot but not fiery" is now on sale in leading delis in Belfast. "While the pickle is hot and ideal for a range of dishes, I've focused on creating strong and rich flavours."

One of Northern Ireland's most well-known broadcasters and club DJ's, Carolyn Stewart, from Holywood in county Down, has also worked in television.