Led by their matriarch, Chicago family churns out special recipe for one of city's most beloved condiments

Family comes first, and mom leads the way for the Carusos, and their passion is Chicago’s famous signature condiment, giardiniera.

In Italian, giardiniera means “from the garden.” At Caruso Provisions, it’s pickled vegetables with a twist.

“It is a blend of four different peppers for us, spices, olive oil blend. … Carrots, celery, cauliflower,” owner Karen Caruso said. “I think what separates our product from the others that are on the shelf is the olive oil blend.”

What sparked their giardiniera passion?

“I grew up watching my grandparents in the kitchen,” Karen said. “That’s all I knew from young was jarring … and sauces, olives, condiments.”

The family giardiniera was a staple for the Caruso kids; Peter, Dominick, and Gina.

“My dad’s family, full blooded Italian. My mom’s dad, full-blooded Italian. But her mother was German Polish,” Peter said. “So, it wouldn’t be just Italian. We’d eat sauerkraut and pork chops, and whatever, but giardiniera was always on table.”

The kids got into the mix during the pandemic, deciding to turn the family tradition into a business.

Dominick hung up his chef’s coat in New York and came home to modernize the recipe. Peter took on marketing and Gina handles social media.

Their dad, Charles, is the delivery man.

The six varieties of Caruso giardiniera are now available online, and in stores in 30 states, including more than 100 stores in the Chicago area.

But it wasn’t easy.

“It took my boys, my daughter, myself, my husband almost a year to not only develop recipe, but to finalize it,” Karen said. “Even till today, we’re still tasting it and tweaking it.”

Then there was hoping people would understand what giardiniera is.

“Everybody thought we were crazy, but we feel that giardiniera belongs everywhere,” Peter said.

And he means everywhere and in everything.

“We have it breakfast, lunch, dinner; soups, salads. It’s in sauces, sandwiches, pastas, all these different dishes, pizza,” Peter said. “Ponzu, we’ve done honey mustards, we’ve done ranch dressings.”

They’ve even put it in pancakes.

“You don’t even have to say the word giardiniera. You just made a spicier version of something that you really enjoyed,” Peter said.

Their giardiniera is shipped to more than 1,000 retailers, pretty good for a creation that began in a big bowl and a rubber tub in grandma and grandpa’s kitchen.

Karen had some advice for other people who want to start a business.

“Just do it. Try it. Don’t shy away from it because you’re afraid or nervous or you think that you can’t, because you can,” she said. “If you have a support group the way I have a support group around me, anything can be done.”

Karen said she gives all the credit to her kids, and she’s very blessed to have them in her life.