In response to a question from my hubby the other day where he wanted to know the top three things I look for when choosing an item to add to the JamBusters line, today I will explain the second part. For me I have to keep in mind that I am not some sort of Wonder Woman and that I don't have a staff of cooks in a giant kitchen manufacturing my products. This brings me to my second piece of criteria when choosing a JamBusters product. When I look at recipes I'm always considering the amount of time it's going to take to make a product. That doesn't mean I'm not afraid of a little extra work but I already have a full-time job and I don't normally get into the JamBusters kitchen until early afternoon. I look for recipes that are far from complicated. I have no problem with recipes that have a number of ingredients, but I need to be able to finish a batch of jars in a night or the very next day at the absolute most. In addition to my time restraints, working full-time and being basically a 'one-person show' I need to keep myself healthy and working until I pass out is not good for me or anyone else. I also look at the recipes and choose ones that will yield enough in a batch to make those extra hours worthwhile. I can't justify an eight hour day in the kitchen for just four jars of product but if I can make a dozen or more in five hours, then I'll consider that as a potential product. While I am truly loving what I do in my kitchen, my health should come first so I use that as my guide when it comes to the amount of work any recipe is going to require. That keeps me from overdoing it and keeps this fun and enjoyable for me. Since this is still very much a hobby in my mind, I can't allow it to become a chore as when that happens I may find myself no longer enjoying it. If you are looking for something different, stop by our storefront location at 226A Bridge Street in Princeton, British Columbia (in the Similkameen News Leader office) and pick up one of our unique jams, jellies, pickles, salsas, relishes or hot sauces.
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My hubby asked me a pretty good question earlier today and I thought it would make for a good subject for my blog. He asked what three things I use as criteria for a JamBusters product. Today I'd like to take a closer look at the first thing I look at. It may sound obvious to many, but I spend a lot of time looking at recipes. Not every one will work and I try very hard to find interesting and unique recipes. I won't make something that requires hard-to-find and exotic ingredients, either. What I want is a product that is a little bit different from 'normal' and can be made with at least a few ingredients that I can buy locally. I have sort of adopted the '100 Mile Diet' concept with JamBusters and can't say enough about the tremendous quality and abundance of organic and non-organic fruit and vegetables that are grown near where we live. We are in the Similkameen Valley of Southern British Columbia and within less than an hour's drive from the JamBusters kitchen is all sorts of wonderful orchards and farms. With a great supply of local produce I am able to use a lot of these items in my recipes. I have made a few standard items such as our Razz-Very-Berry Nice Jam (Raspberry Jam) and Princeton Mob Pickles (Cucumber Pickles) but what I have really enjoyed is canning items that may not be available on grocery store shelves, but can be seen in our storefront location. I am attracted to the unusual, quirky recipes. My hubby calls them 'funky' and I have to agree. My Zucchini Relish and Cherry Bomb Jelly are examples of products that may not be considered mainstream but still are accessible enough that customers will buy them to try them out and in most cases they have become repeat customers. We have heard more than one story about a family member who made something in their kitchen similar to one of our products and that's what I have been trying to achieve. I won't make something so far out in left field that it doesn't sell as that defeats the whole purpose of my business. But to answer the first part of the original question of what I look for when coming up with a new JamBusters product, the first and most important part is an interesting recipe that can include local produce and has an appeal to customers looking for something different. If you are looking for something different, stop by our storefront location at 226A Bridge Street in Princeton, British Columbia (in the Similkameen News Leader office) and pick up one of our unique jams, jellies, pickles, salsas, relishes or hot sauces.
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Brenda Engel
AuthorMy name is Brenda and I like to create things that can be sealed in a jar. I try to find unique and unusual recipes that can be for jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, hot sauces and any other type of preserve. I also like to put dried items in jars such as soups, drink and cake mixes. I hope that you find my website and the blog I've added to it interesting. Thank you for visiting with me! Archives
March 2021
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