And a story of how not to make money…

Jam is a treat and although made from fresh berries it’s hard to argue that it is “healthy” as sugar is an important ingredient. If you are going to indulge yourself a bit, jam made from organic berries picked at their peak, pure cane sugar, freshly-squeezed lemon juice and fruit pectin is better for you than store-bought brands and you sure as heck can taste the difference.
Do you ever get a chemical after taste from store-bought jam or a gummy, overly sweet taste?
Fruit, never mind the raspberries you think you are buying, is often not even the first ingredient in store-bought jam. Look out for ingredients such fruit syrup (concentrated juices from less expensive fruit such as apples, pears or pineapples), high fructose corn syrup which is cheaper than pure cane sugar (now this is an ingredient you should avoid at all costs), natural flavours (which can be a whole lot of things that have nothing to do with raspberries) and citric acid which is made in a lab to substitute for lemon juice.

I will let you in a little secret. I make absolutely no profit and do not even cover my costs when making jam with raspberries from our farm and selling it for $7 (Canadian) a jar. Hence…spreading the love.

The jars, lids and rings cost about $1 each although to find that price now I have to search for sales as these prices go up every year.

My labels, not including the one-time design cost, are about 25 cents each. (They would be slightly cheaper if I ordered in larger quantities.)
Each jar has a pint of fresh-picked organic raspberries from our farm which I would sell for $5.

The fresh lemon juice is also an expensive ingredient.

So with the cost of the ingredients, jars and labels adding up to my sale price I have not yet added in labour which includes sterilizing everything, meticulously cleaning work surfaces, making multiple small batches to control the quality and electricity to make the jam and boil the water in the canner. In addition time is spent marketing and distributing the jam which I often deliver.


Why do I make and sell jam? I love making jam. The smell of a simmering pan of raspberry jam is my favourite scent in the world. I like it that we have developed a bit of a following (and a wait list) and local bed and breakfasts, lodges and neighbours appreciate how great it tastes and have an inkling of what goes into making it. As cheesy as it sounds, it truly feels like spreading the love.


September 20, 2020 at 5:39 pm
Looks delicious. I am so lucky to have some. Miss you
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September 24, 2020 at 3:31 am
Hi Elaine,
My packing job seems to grow every time that I think I have it beat!?! Might Friday or Saturday, morning or afternoon work to meet you for coffee, perhaps at the Bench or some other such location?
Angela
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November 18, 2020 at 3:28 pm
We have a plum and cherry tree. My wife Susan is a wonderful cook and I love her jams, canned cherries, relishes, chutneys and more. I think our family and friends love the gifts that are homemade that come from our kitchen. I would love to get some jam as a special gift for myself and a friend. – David
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November 19, 2020 at 4:29 am
Sadly sold out for this year. I will put you on the list for next season!
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