Galena Canning is a must stop! Their store is split between both sides of Main Street in Downtown Galena. One shop focus more on Hot and Spicy while the other focuses on Sweet and Savory so be sure to check out both locations! Hot and Spicy: Mostly hot sauces and spiced jams but SO MANY OPTIONS! Sweet and Savory: Spices, Rubs, Stuffed Olives, Preserves, Salsas, Dips, Cocktail Mixers, Pickled Items. Tip: They offer a lot of samples on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-3pm! read more

There are two Galena Canning locations (106 & 107 S Main St.) that are basically across the street from one another. I skipped one, but the one with the hot and BBQ sauces... This is a MUST STOP at location if you are a chilihead! Hundreds of different sauces included their own "Fire in the hole" (FITH) brand. I absolutely loved how they displayed the sauces, the information posted, and the free samples! The ghost pepper and reaper jars of their FITH salsas are very good, but need to be approached with caution! I torched my taste buds on a sample of the reaper version. It took a while to come back. Lol The FITH pepper sauces are good too. A nice mix to searve as a dip with a bottom layer of cream cheese... We have a Pepper Palace here in the Des Moines IA metro that I enjoy hitting up every now and then with a pretty good variety of sauces. Galena Canning was right up there with it...if not slightly better. Awesome selection and fair prices! read more

A huge selection of jams, salsa, sauces, sauces, dressings etc. They do offer samples, and they are controlled. They state their ingredients are locally sourced and used in their products and they are family owned. Prices are decent, and they have a variety of items that are unique. Service was a bit slow, but there were alot of customers! A nice place to browse and of course sample and buy. read more

Galena Canning - a variety of sauces and condiments - Grocery Near Me - Galena, Illinois

The service was marginal. Walked in at 4:15 pm. They close at 5 pm. I wanted to purchase a gift basket to be sent out. The person working there kept looking at her watch and was not really interested in helping. She clearly wanted to leave at the stroke of 5 and was concerned the transaction would require her to stay a minute longer! She kept checking her watch. It made me so uncomfortable. When I left, which was at least 15-20 minutes before 5, there were several other customers who came in after me. Not sure she actually got to leave before 5. . . . read more

Very unique place for hot and spicy lovers. You can spend hours looking at all the tasteful products in here. I bought this because it's one of their hottest sauces. My son loves super hot sauces. read more

Galena Canning - Galena'mite Blasting Sauce. - Grocery Near Me - Galena, Illinois

This is my must stop shop when we visit Galena. I always buy the lemon caper sauce as well as pick up some Jelly or jam. I found the lemon caper and of course look for the expiration date on the bottle. You couldn't read it on any of the bottles. Some of the other bottles of other sauces had a sticker on the bottom of the bottle with the date on it. I asked a woman who works there if she could read it and she said no. She said a recent shipment came in so maybe those are it. I said i really hate to buy something in which i don't know the shelf life. With that she kind of shrugged her shoulders and dismissed me. Nope, never again. read more

Poor discriminatory service. My wife and I entered this establishment with our 15 yo son with severe autism and intellectual disability. Our son was refused service and was asked to leave because he could not wear a mask. My wife and I were wearing masks. I tried to explain to the manager about the ADA accommodations/exceptions and CDC guidance for special needs individuals . We were still asked to leave and he was not offered any accommodations. My wife was in tears when we left and my son was clearly upset. He can't speak but he fully understands what was happening. The manager lacked understanding and was rude. We filed an ADA complaint as well. read more

You're walking down the sidewalk, and suddenly you hear the power jams. A few seconds later, the smell of cooking meat hits your nostrils! And you float on in the door, expecting awesomeness. You are not disappointed! This place is so fun! Samples, samples, samples! Fun music, a great, friendly vibe, and then you leave with a bag full of paradise to take home and sprinkle over your food! We loved it, and I'd personally love to open a similar business in my area! (I'm just gonna say, maybe not for kids or old folks. There are some racy items for sale, and you don't want a baby getting into the sauces.) read more

This place is a sampling fun house. Jam, jelly, spreads, dips, salsa, dressings and they sample all of them! The have such great quality items here, was impressed with the dozens of items I tried....Yes I had to try almost all of them or why else be there? Of coarse you will end up spending over $50 like I did. Galena lived up to the hype for me, this was the second stop and it was the best by far. Awesome town all around and this is one great shop! If you are hungry, just pop in for 10 min and that may solve that issue :) read more

I like my food hot or spicy and lately I've built up a tolerance. I was in Galena for my friend's wedding and when my friend and I checked into the resort, it was recommended we go see Galena Canning Company. Galena Canning Company has a whole assortment of products ranging from pesto, BBQ and hot sauces. When we went in, there were shelves of hot sauces imaginable and tables lined up at the front of the store and in the middle to sample many of the creations by Chef Ivo. I tried the Granny Smith Jalapenos Jelly served with cream cheese. I was expecting a bit of a kick but it tasted more sweet. However, the store associates recommended the Ghost Pepper sauce and several people were in the store sampling the product and nearly choking at the intensity. There was also a sign warning people to eat with responsibility. Two of my friends tried it and said to just have a slight pinch on the tortilla chip since they said their mouths were on fire. I slightly dipped mine in but was teased by a gentleman next to me who said I should dip the whole thing. I was watched him eat his chip first and his companion laughed at him when his face turned red and he choked as well. Then I ate mine and it definitely was hot but didn't choke. It does have a slow burn so be careful if you're not used to the intensity. According to the description on www.galenacanning.com, it's made with bhut jolokia which are the hottest pepppers on the planet. I fell in love with Ghost Pepper sauce and wanted to buy it but I didn't have checked bags to pass through security. Luckily, they have a website where you can order online and they can ship to your destination. However, the experience is much more fulfilling if you actually go visit and sample his products. read more

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What a place! First, the store became so popular in Galena that they needed to open another store across the street ( so, you can have an idea how cool this business is..) Well, one big and super cool thing is : You can basically taste everything you may want to buy. They have an extensive station of samples, you just go around trying them and getting the product that you like. They have from hot sauces, to dip mix, jelly, preserves, spices...e much more! We came back home with a bag full of these yumi things, for us and also to give as holiday presents to people. This is a must go if you are passing through Galena! Such a wonderful experience! Try the Spinach Artichoke dip. We bought one can, but I have the feeling that we should have bought at least 10 of them! lol So easy to make party platters, or appetizers for any event! read more

Galena Canning - Grocery Near Me - Galena, Illinois

We only had the opportunity to spend time in the hot sauce branch of the shops, but wow, what a comprehensive collection of mouth-numbing mayhem packed into a couple of precariously narrow aisles! My aunt and I snuck in here (she to look for a gift, me to taste-test and see if I would find anything that had to come home with me). We didn't have a lot of time since the rest of our crowd gets restless fast. There was a huge array of items to sample: salsas, spicy fruit spreads with cream cheese, dips and more. Shelves of hot sauce in every color that hot peppers come in stretch the length of the shop, sending you into a sort of Tabasco tailspin: WHAT DO I CHOOSE? MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Gladly, before you slip into a pepper-induced panic, one of the helpful -- and knowledgeable -- staff members will jump in and assist you. With their help we were able to find what we wanted and be on our way before our crowd got too crabby. So if you're crazy for capsaicin, check out the spicy side of Galena Canning Co. There's definitely something for everyone. read more

Never had a bad thing here. They offer samples of some of their most popular sauces & salsas. Such a wide variety, has definitely helped to enhance flavors in my cooking. Staff is so/so but it's a pretty busy store read more

It's true--there are dozens of products sampled. Who wants to drop five or six bucks on a jar of sauce blindly? They must invest a lot in corn chips and pretzels (and meatballs), but I'm sure that it drives sales. It definitely did in my case--I bought a phenomenal cracked black pepper mustard on Saturday and a jar of pickled garlic on Sunday. I could have bought much more, but my fridge and cupboard are already near maximum capacity of condiments. Salsas, marinades, barbecue sauces, and the like are available in a wide variety in this location; across the street in the newer shop they have dips, oils, jams/jellies, etc, with some slight overlap. Based on the sampling, a great deal are top-notch or at least "very good" and most of them are Galena Canning's own brand. Hot sauces seem to be a specialty at this address, with numerous racks and literally hundreds of different brands. Some labels are quite risqué and a few are downright offensive. But if you like hot sauces (which I don't), this seems like some kind of mecca. The north-side storefront is much more spacious and family-friendly. And tempting too. I left a lot of tough decisions behind, including espresso chocolate sauce and a brandied cranberry-cherry topping which was actually too good to bring home. I'll just go and visit it every so often at the GCC store. read more

I stumbled into this place on a whim. I really wasn't looking for any sauces, dips or condomints, but I ended up leaving with some. They have a lot of sauces on display, some that I had never heard of with some clever, if not a bit racy, names. They also have samples of many of their own sauces. There is a large variety to choose from. I will say that they have some dang good fruit butters and toppings, their spinach artichoke dip was fantastic. They also have some very hot items. If they have a sign on their sample warning it's hot, they aren't kidding. I love hot and spicy food so I tried just about everyone. Their Ghost Pepper sauce is fantastic, good flavor, long burn. Some of their dips are just hot to be hot and have little to no flavor to them. So I would recommend trying something before buying. My only complaint about the store is that it is very small. The sampling area is very crowded, and it's hard to get around and past people that are sampling items you may not want. I'm looking forward to using some of the sauces I bought! read more

I remember the first time I was in this store...I would like to live here. Chef Ivo was serving up meatballs as samples in one of the Marinara sauces. I fell in love with that man on that day. I think he is my hero. I walked into the store the other day and realized it was a lot less crowded (as far as inventory) and asked why all I could find was spicy stuff and hot sauces?? The guy behind the counter informed me that earlier this year, they purchased the store front across the street and expanded!! How awesome for them. They deserve it. Now, I could not walk in and not buy anything at this store, so I got my favorites!! Corn and Black bean salsa, Chef Ivo's Ultimate All-Purpose BBQ Rub and of course, Pesto!! I am really looking forward to making pasta with with chicken and pesto. I intend on rubbing some meat this weekend with the All-purpose BBQ Rub and grilling it up! I can't wait to crack open that salsa and sit in a corner with some tortilla strips and feast. I also picked up a chocolate croissant for breakfast the next morning. Please trust me when I tell you this....this croissant was the most delicious thing I have eaten in months. It was soft and fresh and packed with chocolate. I'm actually debating the 3 hour drive back to Galena to pick up another one. SERIOUSLY!! These guys really know what good food is and know how to make your everyday foods taste better. They are truly gourmet and the ingredients are the best of the best. I know this because everything I have eaten from here tastes stupendous! I could sit and write all day about how much I love Galena Canning company but I don't really have time, I need to get cooking dinner and using up my pesto he just made the day before I was in to pick it up. read more

A MUST stop if in Galena scouring the shops. Plus tons of everything you can sample before you buy. Warning. Make sure you buy or have water or a drink on-hand before or after you leave here. Especially if you love the hot stuff like myself. You havent had hot until you've been here. It is more fun to sit back and watch everyone's facial expressions when they sample things and are like "OMG, this is awesome" or "OMG this is Freakin Hot". Also a HUGE array of hot sauces with the most hilarious names to comb over and buy. Where else can you buy the world's hottest sauces. Or spend $200 for a .5oz of tongue/face/body/arse numbing sauce. Got to simply try the various sauces, salsas, mustards, seasonings, etc. I always leave with a bag full of goodies, tears in my eyes, and a numb face. read more

Galena Canning - Grocery Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Holy cow. Galena is too cute. And who doesn't love samples? Jam, salsa, chocolate, popcorn, BBQ sauce, spice rubs and AN ENTIRE SEPARATE STORE OF HOT SAUCE. You don't even need to have lunch in Galena. Just come here and work your way up from jams to the "hottest hot sauce in the world." Don't start with that, or you'll wreck your taste buds for everything else. Then buy something, because... come on. You just ate a ton of delicious stuff for free. read more

There were two stores right across from each other one is the more spicy one and the other one is a sweet and savory one. The first one we went in was the spicy one. The staff was OK and not incredibly friendly at these spicy one. The guy only smiled at us when we purchase something but we felt like he was kind of watching us in a weird way. Sure I had a baby hanging off of me in a carrier I was trying to navigate the store but it was very narrow. There was somebody going through the aisle with the dolly and constantly was in the way of me navigating the store. The one across the street was a bit more spacious and the staff was more friendly. They even had Halloween candy left over to pass out. Overall I will come back they have a ton of variety and things are very tasty and they have samples of literally everything out read more

While the one store with all the spices, etc is impressive, I'm going to focus on the hot sauce store. Nirvana. Absolutely the coolest, most magnificent selection of bottled pain I've ever come across. I *love* that they have a huge variety of their inventory available for sampling, so you can get an idea of what's in store. Here's what I tried (in order) and some initial thoughts: Fire In The Hole Salsa Holy $&#$, what the hell is this stuff?! Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill! My nose feels like I've been snorting Drano. Beads of sweat immediately start welling up on my forehead. I go partially deaf in my right ear. You could stick a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a damn thing. Satan's Rage Hot Sauce Good Lord!!! Keep this out of reach of children!!! Am I supposed to taste anything besides pain?!? I had to wave off two people who rushed over to give me the Heimlich Maneuver. Sweat is running down my face in rivers at this point. The guy behind the counter seemed offended when I told him that his hot sauce gave me brain damage. Pure Death I felt something scraping across my tongue but was unable to taste it. Apparently nuclear waste is now legal to bottle and sell. My ears are ringing, and I can no longer focus. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. My intestines have become a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulphuric flames. The world sounds like it's made of rushing water. I've decided to stop breathing. It's just too damn painful. read more

If you like hot sauce, mustards, salsa, salad dressing, vinegar, oil, bbq sauce, jam or just about any other form of condiment then you better check out Galena Canning Co. Its a cornicopia of deliciousness. Check out their website for all the deets because there is nothing I can say here that will do justice to the selection. Don't pass this place up! read more

Im a sucker for jellies, dips, spreads, sauces, and most imporantly, samples. Yes, I have a weakness for freebies and samples, and Galena Canning knew exactly how to cater to me. I think I ate lunch here....don't worry I bought stuff too, I didn't just stop in to munch. Basically, when you visit the grocery store for a sauce or dip (etc.) and want to try something new you can really only rely on the label and/or the ingredients inside; at G.C. you can try just about everything they sell in the store before you make your purchasing decision. Alright, samples: check, but how does it taste? The answer is 'awesome'. Dont be surprised when you love everything you taste, otherwise I WILL drop a big 'I told you so'. My advice is to go with someone else, or a group, and separate for a bit. Then regroup and lead eachother to the things you tried and really liked. It's nice because it could take someone out of their comfort zone and let them try something unique and delicious. Items of note include: Apple Hickory BBQ Sauce, Pumpkin Butter, Tomato Jelly, BBQ Dry Rub, and the Amaretto and Espresso Chocolate Spreads. (nom nom nom) If you like hot and spicy, their location across the street has all hot sauces, salsas and the like. A word to the wise though, if you MUST try the Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce, do it last and maybe even bring, like, a gallon of milk it packs a serious punch. read more

This place is a sample paradise. There are racks upon racks of different sauces, salsas, jams, dips, and more. And they're all lined up buffet style for you to try out with pretzels, pieces of bread, and tortilla chips. You probably don't even need to eat lunch - just stop here! read more

This place always requires a traditional visit every time we are near Galena. Chef Ivo makes his own sauces and condiments, and they are fantastic! They offer a ton of samples of their products, which makes for a fun visit. They seem to specialize in hot sauces, and always have several out to try, with warning signs that they are super hot. There's always a couple that say "try at your own risk - hottest in the world", and of course, I will always take you up on a dare. Seriously, one of these sauces, and I'm talking just a little bit, was so hot that I could not think of anything else for about an hour afterwards! So of course, we now have to stop here every time and try to dare each other with the hottest sauces possible. Great fun for a Saturday afternoon, and it sure makes the inevitable beer taste great! They've also opened a new, larger store across the street in addition to this place. Chef Ivo's creations are really fabulous! read more

Young kid, rude and condescending won't be going back! First time in Galena and was excited to check this place out, won't be coming back.

Galena Canning has two stores on mainwstreet across from each other. Meat balls to try (with recipe) apple donuts, hot sauce. Bessy is the best helper in the store! read more

This place is amazing. It is one of my regular stops whenever I am in Galena. Just a couple recommendations: the pesto is fresh tasting and amazing in pasta and on freshly baked bread (pair it up with goat cheese for an incredible taste). I was told that it should last a few months in the fridge after opening the jar. I was also told that you can freeze the pesto by putting scoops of it into ice cube trays, freezing it, then popping out the squares and placing them in a freezer bag. Thaw as needed. Another suggestion is the chocolate licorice twists. Best chocolate licorice I've ever had! This place is usually bustling so plan on spending some time exploring, sampling, and working your way through the crowd. read more

Loved this place. Get to try tons of different stuff to help you decide on your purchases. (or, just to try them!) We bought the Italian Olive Salad, and the Lemon Caper sauce to take home. Both were absolutely delish! Will be stopping here every time we go thru Galena! read more

So many people review this business with enthusiasm and 4-5 star ratings, and yes they have many good and unique products ........however, they need to have much more stringent warnings on the hot sauce samples and also have them out of reach of minors! My friend tried one a couple weekends ago and ended up in the ER! He was not the first and won't be the last as the Owner and Manager don't think they do anything wrong nor do they have the slightest remorse for someone getting so sick! That is disappointing. Anyway, I can only suggest you be very very careful when sampling hit sauces (anywhere) and have plenty of milk and ice cream close by just In case. Footnote: The Chamber if Commerce, Health Dept, EMT's, Hospital and plenty of local Business Owners are aware of this practice but have no jurisdiction over them. read more

This place was really cool! They sell all kinds of sauces, dressings, preserves and condiments. The best part is they put out chips and pretzels and you can try most of them before you buy. After trying all the sauces I really didn't need to go for lunch, so I guess in that respect, they can save you money! Just make sure you plan on buying something before you start tasting everything! read more

My mother and grandmother introduced me to Galena Canning Company. "There's this shop where you can eat your way around the store! And they sell hot sauce, you'd like that." Oh, stereotypical old people. But it's true, half of the fun of going to Galena Canning Company is eating. They make hundreds of... well, everything. Mustards, jams, salsas, rubs, dip mixes, hot sauces, you name it. They also sell those types of items from other companies. And they just keep coming up with more and more stuff. This has led to the shop opening up a second storefront across the street from the original. My favorite visit ever was when they first started selling Ghost Pepper hot sauce; there are huge warning signs over the bowl telling people to only eat a teeny, tiny bit since this is one of the hottest peppers on earth. I had barely reached out my hand to grab a pretzel when two staffers descended upon me with warn me about not taking too much. I thought it was hilarious. I'm a pepper head but I'm not stupid. I can only imagine what they encounter regularly with people who act like they believe they can handle anything. On our last visit -- one of far too many over the course of a few years -- not only did I restock my Blastin' Sauce (the best hot sauce ever, I put it in everything, that is if I can get the cork out of the top without breaking it) but I also got some hot nuts, a loaf of olive bread, hot apple jam, spicy mustard... I've lost track if there was more than that. I only get to Galena Canning Company about once a year. Their online shop fills in the gaps when I'm not traveling, but the in-store experience is not to be missed. read more

This is a fun little store. You know all those times you go to a restaurant and see the novelty hot sauce? They have that very bottle on sale, and tons more. If you're in Galena, check them out, they have EVERY type of sauce you'd want AND it's there to sample. Oh, and when they put a warning sign, saying something is very hot, it's generally a good idea to heed their warning. That being said, go there, try the ghost pepper sauce (made from the hottest pepper in the world). I bought that stuff, it's great on pizza. read more

Galena is such a great destination for a girls weekend! Stopped here on our tour of Galena and absolutely love all the samples - don't have lunch before you go there like we did! Their BBQ sauce is delicious. Salsas, dips, jellies were also fantastic. We purchased several items from this jem in Galena. read more

Favorite shop in Galena by far. I love that you can try all their sauces, jams, and dips, which makes the choosing hard because they are all delicious. Our favorite is the Jalapaneo BBQ sauce which goes great with meatballs. I always walk out full. read more

Loved this store. Its gourmet food so you are going to pay more for it...however, they have tastings out everywhere so you can sample before you buy which is great. I mean, if you are going to spend $6 on mustard, you want to know that you like it. I mean, if you really want to, you could eat dinner here because there are soooo many samples. Its a great place for specialty items! read more

While I was just walking with Kathy on the streets of Galena window shopping. We found this store. I had just read in the paper that they were going to open up a store in Long Grove. We decided to go in. I couldn't believe all the goodies they had to taste. We found some great stockings stuffers, some great black bean and corn salsa. We spent over an hour in the store and bought at if really cool kitchen supplies. Make a note, if you are going to buy anything in the store, go eat at ivo's BBQ first (see my review of that restaurant) because they give you a 10% discount coupon for the store. The staff was friendly and well informed. read more

Sorry but I can do without the classless vulgarity. Stopped in Nov 2019 to a display of nuts with the 'f-bomb' prominently on the label; also a disgusting message on the credit card reader. While I normally loathe online shopping, I'd rather get my hot sauces from Amazon than support a classless shop in a classy little town. Sad for the families with kids that walk in unknowingly and get assaulted by this unnecessary junk. read more

I'm not a sensative person but some of the bottle labels were truely tasteless to say the least. Yes, this is not a label shop therefore my opinion on them is off topic. The sauces and other products sold here flavor wise are pretty good. The prices are fair and the variety is amazing. The place is small and offers samples of most of their inventory. My suggestion do not read the label and just focus on the sauce or dip you're looking for. P.S. The Malinda Habanero ketchup is amazing! read more

If you are a big dipper you need to visit this store! I make a day trip out to Galena a few times a year and this is one of my stops. They have walls full of every type of sauce you can think of- hot, bbq, salsa, fresh jams, spreads, vinegars.... you can dip all your little heart desires. They have 90% of it open to sample, just beware of anything with ghost pepper it will set your mouth on fire for hours to come.... and i LOVE LOVE LOVE the blackberry preserves......... read more

They have samples for pretty much every item they have in store. You can spend a lot of time here sampling. Deciding what to take home can be tricky. I always feel like I want to take the entire store home. During this past time (Nov. 2011) I fell in love with their line of preserves that come in European glasses. My favorites in that line were the tangelo and fig preserves. My other favorite was their holiday jam. I took two of those home and ended up eating one by the spoon. The other I am saving for Thanksgiving dinner. Their line of ice cream toppings is great. I bought the black cherry chocolate butter and have been enjoying it over vanilla ice cream. The other section of the store has tons of sauces, salsas, and oil mixes. I couldn't decide on which salsa was better, but the Mediterranean olive oil is AMAZING. My husband and I have been coming to Galena on vacation once a year for the past 3 years and we've learned to stock up on our favorite items from this store. This is also where we buy gifts for our family. They sell small and big baskets that are already packed but they will let you choose your own items and make you a personalized basket if you want. read more