The 150 year Ortega tradition all started with Maria Conception Jacinta Dominguez
Ortega, or as we like to call her, Mama.
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Mama Ortega
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In the 1800's Mama and her beloved family lived in a small
three-room adobe, common to the Spanish settlements of the
time. Inside the thick adobe walls, Mama Ortega created a
loving home for her 13 children (yes, 13!) centered around
the tiny kitchen. With all those kids to feed, dinner was
a major feat indeed.
From her small charcoal-burning stove, Mama Ortega whipped
up memorable meals her family loved. Everything for each meal
was homegrown, handpicked and handmade. From the juicy red
tomatoes for her sauces, to the corn she patted into mouthwatering
tortillas, everything Mama lovingly prepared for her family
was fresh. Each dish was special. And like today, meals were
a time for Mama and her family to come together, enjoy good
food and entertain each other with stories of their day. Home
cooked meals have a way of bringing people together like that.
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Emilio C. Ortega
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Mama's memorable cooking did more than just bring her family
together. It was in Mama's kitchen that her 11th child, Emilio,
established the Ortega Chile Packing Company. Yep, the first
commercial food operation in the state of California was created
in the same place Mama created all those unforgettable meals.
It might be one hundred and fifty years later, but we're still
inspired by Mama's cooking. And we hope you will be, too.
It all started with chile peppers. Emilio's fascination with
chiles began when he moved to New Mexico in 1890. Here he
encountered the state's popular big red chiles.
Emilio discovered he preferred this chile when it was still
young and green because it was tender and mild in flavor.
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At the early
Ortega plant, green chiles were received fresh from
the growers, then placed in huge hoppers for thorough
cleaning.
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When he returned home to California a few years later, he
brought with him chile pepper seeds and many recipes for dishes
he had grown to love while in New Mexico. Back home with his
family at their abode house in Ventura, California, Emilio
planted the chile seeds. Those chiles grew extremely well
in the temperature climate of Ventura. Soon Emilio had so
many chiles he had to give them away. Everyone loved them!
That's when he knew he had something special.
Emilio learned that if the green chiles were roasted, peeled,
seeded and washed, they could be preserved in jars for some
time. But since glass was difficult to handle, Emilio worked
out a way to use cans instead. He founded the Ortega Chile
Packaging Company; the first commercial food operation in
the state of California!
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Cartons of
Ortega chiles sit ready for shipping around the world.
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Emilio worked hard to grow the highest quality chiles so
when people in the grocery store selected chiles or his salsa,
they knew they were buying the best.
In 1946, the Ortega family sold the business and the new
owners continued to build and modernize the business.
In 2003, B&G Foods purchased the Ortega brand. Like
Emilio Ortega, B&G Foods has a long tradition of commitment
to quality. So today, when a family picks up a can of chiles
or a box of taco shells, they know they are getting the very
best. This web site has been created to continue the rich
heritage of the Ortega family. By sharing our collection of
delicious Mexican recipes, we hope to help you create fond
memories of great meals shared with your family.
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