From Farm to Jar: The Story Behind J’ellen Preserves

A Trunk Full of Fruit and a Kitchen Full of Possibility

It started innocently enough. One summer afternoon, Ellen went out for a u-pick adventure — the kind that gets you out in the sun, barefoot in the grass, basket in hand. But somewhere between the bushes and the checkout scale, the simple outing turned into something else. She returned with a trunk full of fresh-picked blueberries, peaches, and even figs!

“I started experimenting,” she recalls. “I made jam. I gave it to friends. Then people started asking for more.”

From Overflowing Fruit to Overflowing Heart: The Story Behind J’ellen

There’s something special about the moment a fruit reaches its peak — that window when it's perfectly ripe, bursting with flavor, and holding the full memory of a season. It doesn’t last long, but if you’re lucky, you catch it. And if you’re Ellen, you learn how to preserve it.

And from the beginning, that heart was what drove everything.

Back home, surrounded by more fruit than one family could possibly eat, she did what any resourceful woman with a Southern soul would do: she started making jam. Big pots, clinking jars, the alchemy of sugar and citrus, and the subtle satisfaction of a good seal — it all came rushing in like a song she hadn’t heard in a long time.

At first, it was just for fun — sharing jars with friends, a few gifts here and there. But the reactions were bigger than expected.

A 90-year-old man told her it was better than his mama’s. 

In that moment, Ellen realized she wasn’t just preserving fruit. She was preserving stories, memories, and something soulful people long for but rarely find on a shelf.

 

Preserving the Abundance

That phrase — preserving the abundance — became her guiding light. It meant honoring the earth’s gifts, savoring fleeting moments, and creating something real in a world that moves too fast. Each jar carries a sense of place and season — from the hot peppers of North Carolina to the peaches picked under summer skies.

Ellen’s flavors are bold, bright, and sometimes surprising — just like her. From cherry lime to hot pepper honey, each small batch tells a story of sweetness and spice. And behind every label is the same quiet belief: that love, when preserved, can be tasted.

Shop the Collection and bring a little heart, history, and handmade goodness to your table.