"Simply Homemade" Jams And Jellies

"Simply Homemade" Jams And Jellies 34-2-8 Apple butter. Gooseberry jam. Triple berry hot pepper jelly. Those are just three of the 22 flavors of jams and jellies Sandy Kuhlers makes and sells under her Simply Homemade label. "There's a lot of nostalgia with homemade jam," says the Fairmont, Minn., entrepreneur, who sells about 10,000 jars a year. "People like the homemade flavor versus what you buy in stores." Kuhlers uses real sugar and makes large batches of tried-and-true recipes in a commercial kitchen. Some of the fruit - gooseberries, rhubarb and raspberries - comes from her garden. Other fruit is purchased locally from individuals and a company that sells flash frozen foods. Kuhlers sells her jams and jellies in hexagon jars with simple, old-fashioned labels reminiscent of the early 1900's. She sold her first jams and jellies in 2003 at a friend's garage sale. She made $100 in two days, and since she was unemployed at the time, decided to test the market at local craft fairs and farmers markets. Simply Homemade products are also sold through Kuhlers' website and in about 20 stores in southern Minnesota, Iowa and one in Nebraska. Customers vary from an elderly homebound woman who does all her shopping on the Internet to people in their 20's who love hot pepper jelly. "Raspberry hot pepper jelly is the most popular," Kuhlers says. An old-fashioned favorite is ground cherry jam. It was sold out before Kuhlers even made it last fall. She plans to add more ground cherry plants and recruit her children in the tedious task of husking them. She sells her jams and jellies in 8-oz. jars for $6. She also sells 2-oz. jars for $2.75 with discounts for multiple case orders. They make great wedding favors, hostess gifts and stocking stuffers, Kuhlers notes. Her goal is to keep her product "homemade" and find more wholesale markets. Customers in the U.S. and Canada can order directly through her website. "I will always enjoy making food and making people happy through it," Kuhlers says. "I like hearing positive responses. It's very gratifying." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sandy Kuhlers, Simply Homemade, 1496 230th Ave., Fairmont, Minn. 56031 (ph 507 236-1519; www.simplyhomemadefoods.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.