Suhey Peppers: One of Nate’s Faves
Ginger Suhey had three sons playing Penn State football in the 1970s. One of them, Matt, went on to the Chicago Bears. On game days she’d have thirty fans at the house, and she worked out a pepper recipe to put on cheese and crackers or anything off the grill. They became a thing in the PA and PSU community. The family kept asking her to write the recipe down. She finally did.
For years, the Suheys made the peppers by hand in the garage. In 2010, Ginger’s son Paul made it official — partly, he says, to make sure he’d never run out. In 2023 his niece Kara and her husband AJ took over the business. They don’t play football, but they tailgate like Division I.
We carry both the original and the hot. These aren’t what most people picture when they hear “jarred peppers” — they aren’t packed in brine, and they aren’t sweet. They’re sliced Hungarian peppers steeped in olive oil with garlic, cider vinegar, and spices. Zesty, with heat that builds. The hot is on par with most “hot” salsas. The original is milder and a good place to start.These peppers remind our co-owner Nate Plutko of the peppers he grew up eating as a kid — and now he puts Suhey peppers on everything, including DeLaurenti’s Frozen Sausage Dust & Suhey Pepper Pizza. “You need to try them,” he says, “and you will love them.” Burgers, brats, sandwiches — that’s where he started. Then tuna salad, hummus, tacos, pasta, avocado toast, skillet potatoes, cheese boards, cured meats & eggs.
The Suhey family rule of thumb: if you can still see the food underneath, you don’t have enough peppers. They recommend starting with cheese and crackers. Something about the cheese cuts the heat and lets the flavor land. After that, put them on the next thing you cook and see what happens. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself like Nate, putting them on nearly anything!
We put them on pizza too. Our new house-made frozen pizza pairs Pennsylvania sausage “dust” with the peppers Nate grew up on. You can buy everything you need to build a pizza here in the shop, but some nights you’d rather someone else did the work. This is for those nights. Ask for it by name, or just say “I’ll have what Nate is having.”
Suhey Peppers, Original. Banana peppers in olive oil with garlic, cider vinegar, and spices. Where Nate would tell you to start.
Suhey Peppers, Hot. Same recipe, more heat. Still well within “hot salsa” territory, not a punishment jar.
Come by the shop and we’ll set you up, or order from our website. We now offer same-day delivery for just $10 to most of Seattle. Order by noon and we’ll get it to you by dinner.