There are few things happier in life than those that begin as an experiment and end up as a great success. In my way of thinking, such a situation describes the nut butters offered by Tierra Farm. This small privately-owned company is a certified organic producer with a roasting company and an actual farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, where they grow vegetables of many kinds. So how does this translate into nut butters, you’re wondering?
The short answer is that it doesn’t. Given the finite growing season for vegetables in New York State, Tierra Farm was seeking a source of income for the cold weather months. From that came the nut, seed, and dried fruit segments of their business. They deal with and sell only certified organic produce, and roasting, mixing, and flavoring is done in-house, all of which indicates a strong concern for their products.
I will admit that I have not yet tried any of the dried fruits, raw nuts/seeds, or dry roasted products available from Tierra Farm. I’m here to tell you solely about their amazing nut butters, because they’re worth talking about. I’m just finishing my current jar of their Maple Cashew Butter; I had to restrict myself to a small quantity daily so the jar contents wouldn’t be gone in three days. This is a wonderful combination! Cashews have a great flavor all by themselves, but here you get an added sweetness from (organic) maple syrup. The sweetness level is subtle; it won’t hit you over the head, nor does it detract from the cashew flavor.
I hope you didn’t labor under the delusion that this business manufactured just one kind of nut butter? Excellent, because in addition to their maple nut butters (they also have a Maple Almond variety), there are unsalted nut butters (Cashew, Almond, and Hazelnut; I like the delicate flavor of the latter). But if you’re looking for something with a little more oomph, Tierra Farm offers (are you sitting down?) chocolate nut butters. With their Chocolate Honey Cashew Butter and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (not to mention their chocolate-covered fruits and nuts), they obviously have their finger on the collective pulse of chocoholics everywhere.
Now, all of the butters I’ve mentioned so far are made from roasted nuts, and a company spokesperson tells me that they do not need refrigeration; at room temperature, their countertop shelf-life should be up to one year. For you raw fooders, Tierra Farm will soon introduce a raw almond butter on their website; this should be kept under refrigeration. Visit Tierra Farm’s website for complete information or to place orders.