What started as a hobby for Amanda and Dustin Clouse has blossomed into a thriving small business. Atomic Squirrel Peppers, their homegrown hot pepper project, has found a welcoming home at the Holt Farmer’s Market, delighting spice enthusiasts with their array of fiery products.
“We started gardening about six years ago,” Amanda explains. “My fiancé, Dustin, likes hot peppers but couldn’t find super hot stuff that tasted good.” What began with just 10 plants has since exploded into a pepper paradise, with over 100 plants spread across their gardens and a recently added 10’x20’ greenhouse.
The Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly fueled their passion. Amanda, who worked at a hospital, found solace in her garden. “I’d come home from work and spend hours in the garden trying to destress,” she recalls. “The garden got really big that year, and each year we keep expanding.”
Atomic Squirrel Peppers boasts an impressive 42 varieties of peppers, including the infamous ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper. “We prefer the peach ghost,” Amanda notes. “Lemon drop is one of our favorites, along with the Bulgarian carrot pepper.” These peppers find their way into an array of cottage food products, from dried seasonings and jams to more unexpected treats like cookies, muffins, brownies, hard candies, chocolates, spicy pretzels, and peanuts. Amanda’s latest creation? Peanut brittle with a kick.
The couple’s dedication to their craft is evident in every aspect of their operation. Dustin creates compost and nutrient-rich teas to feed their plants, ensuring top-quality peppers. “We start buying seeds in December and start growing in mid-February,” Amanda shares. “Dustin even built a room for the plants in our garage where they stay until we can maintain a good temperature in the greenhouse.”
Atomic Squirrel Peppers made their debut at the Holt Farmer’s Market in February of this year. “It’s been fun,” Amanda says. “We got to meet a whole different set of people who like hot things and are willing to try hot things. The different vendors are so nice and willing to help you.”
Their approach to flavor is thoughtful and strategic. “We try to let you get the flavor first, then a little heat, then the hotter heat at the end of it,” Amanda explains. For context, she adds, “Fifteen varieties of our peppers are over 1 million Scoville units – a jalapeño is about 5,000.”
Despite the intensity of their products, Amanda remains open to customer suggestions. “I do take suggestions,” she says. “I have people asking me to make a peach mango habanero jam.”
As Atomic Squirrel Peppers continues to grow, Amanda and Dustin Clouse are proving that with passion, hard work, and a lot of heat, a backyard hobby can transform into so much more.
Find Atomic Squirrel Peppers at the Holt Farmer’s Market on select Saturdays. For more information, visit Facebook.com/AtomicSquirrelPeppers