Katharine Salzberger of Oh, Wow! Gourmet Foods responds to a few questions about her business and her tips for getting started on your own.
When did you first make jam?
We began making jam in 2013 as an exercise in canning food from our own garden. When we gave it to friends and family, they all insisted we should sell it. Our business started almost immediately after. We make low sugar herbal fruit spreads, not “traditional sugar” jams. When we are doing a tasting demo, we tell customers that with the low amount of sugar and the addition of fresh herbs, our herbal fruit spreads can be used in recipes both sweet and savory, from breakfast to cocktails. They are always amazed when we suggest “cocktails.” (See Katharine's recipe for Blueberry Basil Frozen Margaritas.)
Would you like to share something about your creative process?
The herbs really are the inspiration for our flavor combinations. We grow our own herbs for our products and we are working with Colorado farmers to source fruit from as nearby as possible. It’s an important component for our customers to know where their food came from. There are quite a few “Locavores” in Colorado.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the jam-making business?
Make sure you have a pretty good sized savings account if you want to go commercial. Keep in mind all the licenses, tests, equipment, graphic design, and labels needed. Also try to get into a certified commercial kitchen with a large kettle and filling machine as soon as possible to bring down your overall costs per jar. It will also reduce the amount of time you spend making your products, thereby allowing more time to round up more business.
Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Our exquisite spreads are generously packed with at least twice as much fruit as sugar, allowing the natural sweetness and fragrance of the fruit to come through in every luscious bite. The layered flavors are achieved by leaving the fresh herbs in the spread to provide the maximum herbaceous flavor experience possible.
We were able to secure a vendor space at the Boulder County Farmers Markets, the most popular and prestigious Farmers Markets in Colorado … and we did it on our first attempt after less than a year in business with the help of Pomona Pectin!
We at Pomona's Pectin say, Congratulations Katharine -- and thanks for sharing your story!
