Home Grown - Homemade Raspberry Jam

by Barbara
(Kingston, MA, USA)

This is great year for my red raspberries. I made jam earlier and the fall harvest has given me two batches thus far with many more coming. I built a hoop house over my 50' row so I won't miss any!

My friends and family are telling me it is the best raspberry jam they ever had. (It darn well better be!) It's so funny, one friend, Judy likes it so much she only allows herself a spoonful at a time so it will last longer.

Another, also a Judy, sampled it, got a spoon and polished off the entire jar. End of story! So what's my problem?

I asked one of these Judys what she'd expect to pay for a jar. (I do the farmers market and am considering selling some next year if any remains.)

So Judy begins by saying "Well, I know all you put into it", then ends up saying something like "$4 for an 8 oz jar"! You might as well get it at Ocean State then, would have been my reply.

If my jam is not worth more then Ocean State, the Dollar Store, or Walmart, why bother selling it? I'll keep it...and give it to people who really appreciate it enough that they'd pay $6 a jar.

What are your thoughts - set me straight or sympathize with me.


ANSWER:

Hi Barbara,

My husband LOVES jam, and goes through a jar very quickly. When I go to a farmer's market, if I see homemade jam, I gladly pay $6 for an 8 ounce jar.

Then I try to hide the jam so that he doesn't eat it all in 2 or 3 days!

It costs a lot just for the sugar, pectin (if your recipe calls for it), and jars, not to mention all the time that it takes to grow, care for, and pick the berries. Then you have to stand over a hot stove and cook the jam.

So, my advise is to put a high enough price on it that you either sell it for what you feel like it's worth, or take it home and use it yourself.

Or give it as a special gift. Homemade jam makes the best Christmas present ever. One of my cousins makes jam every year and gives a jar to everyone in our family as a much appreciated gift!

PS. Do you think you can send a sample jar so that I can be sure of the quality?