Silver Spring Foods launches Signature Sauce Line

Heather Graves

Staff

May 26, 2025

EAU CLAIRE – Supported by nearly a century’s worth of knowledge, Food Technologist Samantha Bibbs said Silver Spring Foods knows a thing or two about sauces.

Eau Claire-based Silver Spring Foods – a subsidiary of Huntsinger Farms, the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish – leveled up its sauce game recently with the launch of its Signature Sauce Line, a collection of four flavors designed to elevate everyday meals.

“The Signature Sauce Line truly encapsulates Silver Spring Foods – offering something for everyone – from bold and trendy to sweet and classic,” she said.

Current Signature Line options, Bibbs said, include: 

• Honey Chipotle Aioli: A smoky, creamy blend of chipotle peppers and honey. Used on wraps, burgers and crispy chicken.
• Garlic Parmesan Aioli: A rich, savory aioli packed with parmesan and garlic. For dipping fries, spreading on sandwiches or enhancing roasted vegetables.
• Horseradish Bistro Aioli: A creamy, zesty aioli with a kick of horseradish and a sweet crunch of dill pickle relish. Used on burgers, roast beef, seafood and sandwiches.
• Hot Honey Chili Sauce: A perfect balance of sweet honey and fiery chili flakes. Used for drizzling over pizza, dipping egg rolls or adding heat to dips.

“The Hot Honey Chili Sauce is Silver Spring Foods’ interpretation of the popular hot honey trend, delivering a balanced blend of sweetness and heat that enhances a wide variety of dishes with bold, flavorful complexity,” she said. “The Garlic Parmesan Aioli is a versatile, crowd-pleasing sauce made with real Parmesan cheese, offering a rich and savory flavor profile that elevates any application.”

Bibbs said the Horseradish Bistro Aioli reimagines the classic burger sauce with a creamy, slightly sweet base featuring notes of ketchup and relish – enhanced by the distinctive addition of horseradish, a signature ingredient of Silver Spring Foods.

“Lastly, the Honey Chipotle Aioli draws inspiration from the widely loved chicken sauces found in both restaurants and retail,” she said. “This aioli offers a sweet and tangy flavor complemented by a smoky chipotle kick, delivering just the right amount of spice.”

The development of these four flavors, Bibbs said, originated from the concept of establishing a Silver Spring Signature Sauce Line.

“The goal was to create a diverse product offering that would appeal to a broad range of consumers, ensuring there is an option to suit every palate,” she said.

A comprehensive process

Bibbs said the research and development process for launching a new product typically begins with comprehensive market research to identify consumer interests and assess successful trends within the industry. 

Prior to the sauce line’s release, Bibbs said Silver Spring invested significant time in conducting market research to identify trending flavor profiles that align with both the company’s brand identity and processing capabilities.

“To validate these flavor selections before product launch, we performed multiple taste tests – both internally and in collaboration with local community programs,” she said.

Once initial product concepts are established, Bibbs said formulation work commences.

“Each formulation undergoes a series of evaluations, including assessments of flavor profile, texture, food safety, final packaging and scalability for large-scale production,” she said.

Following the development of several viable formulas, Bibbs said sensory testing is conducted – which involves evaluations by a small internal team or broader, plant-wide tastings.

“During these sessions, targeted questions are posed to gauge whether the product meets consumer expectations and is deemed acceptable by potential end-users,” she said.

Upon finalization of the formula, Bibbs said label development is initiated, and large-scale production can commence.

“Following the initial production run, the product is typically entered into a shelf-life study before being introduced to the market,” she said.

Working in research and development, Bibbs said, has long been a goal of hers.

“Having the opportunity to contribute to the development process – taking a product from concept to completion – and then seeing those products on store shelves has been truly rewarding,” she said. “Being part of a company that values innovation and allows me to play an active role in bringing new ideas to life has been a dream come true.”

Bibbs said R&D requires a high level of creativity, curiosity and optimism.

“It’s a field where persistence is essential, as developing the right formula often involves multiple iterations,” she said. “Despite these challenges, I believe that maintaining a positive mindset and bringing an element of enjoyment to each day helps keep the work engaging and fulfilling.”

Zing Masters

At the helm of these processes, Bibbs said, is the company’s Zing Masters^™ – a team of horseradish experts dedicated to evaluating and protecting the “Zing” found in Silver Spring Foods’ products and researching and developing new sauces. 

Similar to sommeliers of wine or olive oil, Bibbs said Silver Spring Foods Zing Masters are heavily involved in developing and testing horseradish from root to jar. 

“The Zing Masters experts developed the Zing Factor™ Index to identify the different levels of Zing in each Silver Spring Foods product,” she said. “The index ranges from Z1 – the least amount of heat – to Z5 – the most amount of heat.”

According to silverspringfoods.com, the Zing Masters experts panel was created in early 2018 as a means to taste various formulas of prepared horseradish.

The panel, per the website, enabled Silver Spring Foods to determine flavors and characteristics that are most desirable to horseradish enthusiasts.

“We were also able to determine how specific ingredient levels and processing techniques affect flavor and quality retention over the shelf life of a product,” Bibbs said. “With the Zing Masters panel, we can continually improve our products.”

A history built on horseradish 

Silver Spring Foods’ parent company – Huntsinger Farms, Inc. – Bibbs said, was founded by Ellis Huntsinger in 1929.

“Ellis began growing horseradish and other vegetable crops on a few acres of land near a freshwater spring south of Eau Claire,” she said. “He prepared and bottled horseradish by hand in an old milk shed behind his house and sold it locally to help augment his income during Wisconsin’s cold winter months.”

During this time, Bibbs said Ellis discovered that the addition of fresh sweet dairy cream helped to enhance the flavor, heat and longevity of his prepared horseradish.

“This discovery let him expand his horseradish sales to markets throughout the country,” she said. “Today, Silver Spring Foods horseradish is the No. 1 retail brand for prepared horseradish in the United States.”

Bibbs said Huntsinger Farms now grows horseradish in a five- to seven-year rotation with corn, soybeans and other forage crops on its approximately 5,000 acres of “prime Wisconsin farmland.”

“Huntsinger Farms plants horseradish in both the spring and fall using custom-built equipment similar to potato planters,” she said. “Short sections of root trimmed from the previous year’s crop are placed in the soil, where they will sprout in the spring and grow into a new crop.”

Harvesting, Bibbs said, also occurs in both the spring and fall.

“Modified potato-diggers reach deep into the soil to remove as much of the root complex as possible,” she said. “Conveyors fitted with steel bars work to shake off the soil before the roots are loaded into trucks for transport to cold storage. They remain in cold storage until they are used to create our prepared horseradish products.”

Bibbs said Silver Spring Foods “proudly operates every step of production right here in Eau Claire” – from farm to finished product. 

“Our mission is to bring excitement and flavor to the food you eat, with a commitment to quality rooted in decades of expertise,” she said.

Currently owned by Ellis’s granddaughter and her two sons, Bibbs said Huntsinger Farms has been family owned and operated for more than 95 years and through four generations.

The company, Bibbs said, processes, packages and markets horseradish along with a variety of specialty mustards and other quality food products to retail, food service, private label and industrial customers.

As a company built on the foundation of farming, Bibbs said being good stewards of the land is a responsibility Silver Spring Foods takes very seriously.

“Since Eric Rygg became president of Silver Spring Foods, sustainability has continued to be a major focus,” she said. “Within the last few years alone, our company has implemented numerous practices and is on the cutting edge of innovations it plans to enact within the next few years. New advancements so far implemented include crop rotation, precision agriculture, a water retention pond and the installation of solar panels.”