The J'Ellen Story - In Ellen's words

I started canning fifteen years ago, after coming home from a bountiful u-pick strawberry patch in North Carolina with 10 pounds, a half-pound of which I put to good use in strawberry shortcakes.

What to do with the rest? I wondered.

Having a moderate level of competence and a high level of confidence in the kitchen, I set to work, teaching myself how to can strawberry jam.

Since that first batch, I have branched out and now make 11 flavors of jam — strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry jalapeño, blueberry maple, pear ginger, boozy fig and honey, cherry lime, cherry, orange marmalade with red chilies, hot pepper honey, as well as tomato salsa.

I look forward to expanding the repertoire through customer requests or the bumper crops of friends who find themselves knee-deep in plums or kumquats when the tree in the backyard explodes. 

I love the whole process: picking the fruit, prepping the fruit, making jam in small batches, and canning. I have given away hundreds of jars as hostess and holiday gifts over the years.

When people came a-calling for more, I decided it was high time to start J’ellen.

At J’ellen, we make jams, jellies, and salsas featuring local North Carolina produce.

It is my goal to preserve the abundance of the season in small batches.

My daughter once asked, “What would grow if we planted a jar of J’ellen?” A J’ellen tree? A J’ellen factory? Well, we’ve planted the jar, and now we are excited to see what grows.