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A Taste That Travels Home: Alexandra Foods Revives Family Recipes in Utah

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  Published in House and Home on Wednesday, December 3rd 2025 at 12:40 GMT by USA Today

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A Taste That Travels Home: How Alexandra Foods Keeps Tradition Alive

In a world where food is increasingly mass‑produced, one Utah‑based company is quietly reminding us that the most memorable meals are the ones we grew up with. The story that “USA TODAY” uncovered in its December 3, 2025 feature about Alexandra Foods is less a commercial pitch and more a love letter to the family recipes, local farms, and artisanal techniques that give food its soul. The piece, which you can read in full on the USA TODAY site, traces the company’s humble beginnings, its commitment to heritage, and the tangible ways it’s reshaping the way we think about what’s on our plates.

From a Kitchen to a Community

The founder of Alexandra Foods, Alexandra “Alex” Berman, grew up in a house that smelled of pickled cucumbers, fresh-baked rye bread, and a pot of beef stew that had been simmering for hours. The feature opens with a short anecdote: on her 12th birthday, Alex was tasked with making her first batch of kasha (a hearty buckwheat porridge) for her family. “It was my first lesson in timing, heat control, and the patience that comes with tradition,” Alex recalls. Those early lessons, she says, became the bedrock of a company that would later emphasize “the craft of tradition” as its core ethos.

Alex’s path to entrepreneurship was far from linear. After studying Food Science at the University of Michigan, she worked for several large food‑processing firms before realizing she could not reconcile the sterile, homogenized products with her memories of family‑made meals. In 2018, she returned to Utah, partnered with a local heirloom‑seed farmer, and set up a small kitchen in her grandmother’s old attic. That small space soon produced her first batch of hand‑rolled pickles, slow‑cured pepper jelly, and a line of spiced rye crackers that were so good they found their way into the local farmers’ market.

Sourcing: The Roots of Tradition

Alexandra Foods distinguishes itself by insisting that every ingredient be locally sourced. The USA TODAY article links to the Utah Department of Agriculture’s “Community Supported Agriculture” portal, which lists the farms that supply Alexandra’s products. Key partners include:

• Maple Ridge Farm – providing heirloom tomatoes, basil, and a small‑scale dairy herd.
• Sierra Valley Honey Company – offering raw, unfiltered honey that Alex blends into her sweet preserves.
• Hilltop Sprouts Cooperative – supplying fresh sprouts for the company’s salad mixes.

Each ingredient is vetted for quality and sustainability. Alex explains that “sourcing local is not only about flavor; it’s about protecting the ecological footprint of our food.” The company’s own packaging uses compostable film, and the USA TODAY piece highlights their participation in a statewide program that offsets the carbon emissions of their shipping.

The Craft of Traditional Cooking

What truly sets Alexandra Foods apart is its insistence on preserving the “craft” behind every recipe. The feature includes a behind‑the‑scenes look at the production line, where Alex and her team employ hand‑simmering, slow‑fermentation, and manual pressing techniques that might take a seasoned artisan a day to complete.

Pickling

Pickles are the company’s flagship product. Alex’s process starts with a simple, time‑tested brine made from 5% sea salt, 2% sugar, and a blend of spices that includes cloves, coriander, and bay leaves. The cucumbers are soaked for 48 hours, then pressed with a wooden board and a simple “squeeze” to remove excess liquid. The final product is left to mature for 72 hours in a temperature‑controlled chamber before it’s packaged.

Jellies and Preserves

The pepper jelly line is another nod to tradition. Alex uses fresh red peppers from Sierra Valley Honey Co. and slowly reduces them over low heat for 12 hours, preserving their natural heat and sweetness. The result is a jar of jelly that maintains the texture of fresh peppers while adding a subtle, smoky depth.

Rye Crackers

Alex’s rye crackers are a family favorite that Alex originally baked for her own children. The recipe involves a blend of whole‑grain rye flour, caraway seeds, and a touch of honey. The dough is left to ferment for 24 hours, a step that the article notes adds “complex, slightly sour notes” reminiscent of Scandinavian rye bread. The crackers are hand‑rolled, baked at a low temperature, and then brushed with a mixture of olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Community Engagement

Beyond the kitchen, Alexandra Foods plays a prominent role in Utah’s culinary community. The USA TODAY article references several initiatives:

• “Taste of Tradition” Food Festival – an annual event where local chefs collaborate to create dishes using Alexandra’s ingredients. The article links to the festival’s website, where participants can view menus, reserve tickets, and sign up for cooking workshops.
• Educational Workshops – the company offers monthly pickling and bread‑making classes at the local community center. Alex has spoken at the Utah Food Academy, where she shared her “philosophy of preserving memory through food.”
• Scholarship Program – Alexandra Foods funds a scholarship for students pursuing food‑science studies at Utah State University. The scholarship aims to encourage the next generation of artisans to carry forward the same respect for tradition.

The piece also profiles one of the scholarship recipients, Lydia Chen, a senior at UST who plans to open a small artisanal bakery in her hometown. Lydia attributes her passion for heritage baking to Alex’s emphasis on “simple, honest cooking that tells a story.”

The Bottom Line

Alexandra Foods is a case study in how a modern company can succeed by staying true to the past. By investing in local farmers, preserving time‑honed recipes, and engaging with the community, Alex and her team have turned what might have been a niche product line into a cultural touchstone. The USA TODAY article celebrates this mission, noting that, for many Utah residents, the company’s jars of pickles and jars of pepper jelly are not just food—they are a return to childhood, a reminder of family gatherings, and a tangible link to the people who grew the ingredients.

In an era where “quick fixes” dominate the grocery aisle, Alexandra Foods reminds us that food can be more than sustenance; it can be heritage, community, and art. For those looking to taste something that truly “travels home,” a stop at Alexandra Foods (or a trip to its website, which links to its online store) is a step in the right direction.