Liz Biro: 5 award-winning Indiana foods

Artisan pickles brined in local beer and spirits. A way to season boring ketchup. Peanut butter choc-a-block with chocolate chips, pretzels, coconut and toffee.

These are just some of the new Indiana-made artisan foods that have just hit or are on their way to store shelves. They were all competitors at the June 24 Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge at Ivy Tech Community College. Winners took home cash, equipment and business support prizes to get their ideas moving.

Their products are not the only delicious things that have won accolades this year. Here's the dish on winning Indiana eats.

1. Indiana Pickle Company

This business won the Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge grand prize for a start-up food company. Owner Robert Carmack of Indianapolis pickles local vegetables in local beer and spirits. He plans to start selling the pickles this year. When he does, look for cucumbers pickled in Sun King Wee Mac Scottish-style ale and sweet pickles in a brine containing Indiana maple syrup and Hotel Tango moonshine. Follow the company's progress at www.indianapickle.com.

2. UFlavor Ketchup Boosters

Ashton Chaffee of Indianapolis was a Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge finalist for ketchup seasonings. I hate ketchup — until I tasted the version seasoned with Chaffee's bacon black pepper blend. A little smoke and a little bite replaced ketchup's sugar-sweet flavor. Chaffee plans to debut the seasoning packets sometime this year. Sriracha, garlic herb and cilantro chipotle are other flavors. They also work in mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and as seasonings for meat, seafood and vegetables.

3. B. Happy Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is not my thing, unless it's in Thai peanut sauce, but if you could peer into my kitchen some late nights, you'd see me eating B. Happy right out of the jar. In fact, the label instructs you to "Eat it with a spoon." Crunchy, coarsely ground, honey-roasted peanuts anchor various flavors. The Go Lucky chocolate toffee with milk chocolate, toffee bits and Rice Krispies is in my refrigerator right now (yes, I just ate some off a spoon). My next stop is Don't Worry with coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate (on a spoon with vanilla ice cream). Zionsville-based B. Happy won the Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge prize for an early stage start-up food company. Find it as various Indianapolis markets. For a list of locations and peanut butter flavors, visit www.bhappypeanutbutter.com.

4. Salsa Me Krazy

Greenwood-based salsa maker Brenda Gay took second and third place honors in this year's Scovie Awards salsa category. The awards recognize spicy foods. Judges blind tasted 790 entries across various categories. Competitors came from five countries including 31 U.S. states. Salsa Me Krazy, based on Gay's mother's recipe, won for its consistency, texture and distinctive flavor. The sweet-leaning medium-heat variety has a noticeable bite thanks to jalapenos and habaneros. The salsa is moderately chunky with chopped onions and bell peppers. Find it at Marsh supermarkets. Also visit www.salsamekrazy.com.

5. South Cider Salame

The Indy meat market Smoking Goose this winter took a Good Food Award for its South Cider Salame made with Indiana persimmons and hard cider from Indy's New Day Craft meadery. The prestigious San Francisco-based Good Food Awards program recognizes "people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment and connected to communities and cultural traditions." Meantime, Food & Wine magazine's website highlighted Smoking Goose as one of the country's "cutting-edge" butcher shops. Find Smoking Goose products at various markets and at Goose the Market, 2503 N. Delaware St.

Call Liz Biro at (317) 444-6264. Follow her on Twitter @lizbiro, Instagram @lizbirodish, Facebook and Pinterest.