(Not So) Crazy Charlie

Charlie Ferguson has many talents-underwater photographer, pilot, gardener, and engineer-but for the past 6 years he and his wife Glenda have been gaining international fame for another one of his abilities-salsa making. Since 2003, "Crazy Charlie", as he likes to be called because he "stays on the edge of the envelope", has been racking up award after prestigious award for his low sodium, sugar and sweetener free salsas made with Indiana tomatoes and his own homegrown peppers.

Charlie's love for fiery foods goes back to when he was three years old. As a child, he enjoyed spending time with his Dad in their home gardens and orchards. One day a week, he and his Dad would leave early in the morning to go to the old farmers' market on South Street in Indianapolis to get fresh produce as it was being loaded off the trucks. "After we got our produce, we would go have lunch at the old Hungarian stew place. I just loved that stew. When I got older, I recreated it for myself and grew my own hot peppers so that I could get the heat and flavors just right. I used the peppers and tomatoes I grew to make salsa. At first, I just made it for our friends and family. I kept being told that it was good enough to sell, so I thought I'd try to do that."

He didn't venture into those entrepreneurial waters alone. "One of the smartest things I did when we decided to go commercial with the products was to get help from Purdue's Department of Food Science. Glenda and I couldn't have achieved this level of success without them."

The salsas, once made in the Ferguson's Hamilton County kitchen, are now produced and sold commercially. Charlie smiles when he recalls the early days of the business when he and Glenda first entered competitions. Many of the veteran entrants would laugh at him. They'd ask over and over again, "What does a guy from the Midwest know about making salsas?" Well, apparently quite a bit. Charlie credits the "Indiana tomato" with his success. "It's my secret weapon. You can't get a finer tomato than one grown in our Indiana soil and Indiana's tomato friendly summer climate. They don't laugh at us any more."

Charlie and Glenda are always working on developing new products. They recently came out with a Black Bean and Corn Salsa and an Island Mango Salsa. When I asked Charlie about his plans for the future of the business, he said that he just wanted to continue to make good products for his loyal customers, create new ones, have fun, enjoy life, and be happy. See what I mean...not so crazy.

Crazy Charlie's Salsas
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Photos: Crazy Charlie: Outstanding in his field
            Island Mango Salsa