GIVEAWAY: JamGeek
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| made with fresh natural and organic ingredients |
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| JamGeek at West Elm Etsy Event NYC |
When did you start selling on Etsy and Why Etsy?
I started selling on Etsy in July of 2010 after hearing from a bunch of friends that they thought I'd do well. I've had my own website longer, but since Etsy has so many followers I tend to do better there than on my own site.
Is this a full time gig for you?
No.- I work two other jobs- currently I'm working as the Office Coordinator at AIDS Walk New York and moon-lighting at a coffee shop in the Lower East Side (where I used to work full time) when they need people to fill in.
I usually make my jams on weekends - which means I don't have much time to myself- especially in the summer when most of the fruit I use is in season.
Fortunately since the jams are sealed tight and non perishable, I can make big batches and store it.
As for when I decided to do this as a second (or third) gig- I never really made that decision. The jamming started as a hobby and once I had labels made the jams started to sell themselves. As interest increased I started introducing new flavors and trying to sell them in new places. Truly though they've gotten much more popular than I ever expected. I thought I'd just put up a website and put them on etsy and see what happened. I knew they were good but I thought for sure that I'd only sell to friends and family. At this point the jams are getting away from me and I'm just trying to keep up. It's getting to a place now where I'm thinking about trying to expand into gourmet stores around Brooklyn.
Which of your jams is your personal fave?
That's a really really REALLY hard one to answer. I tend to go through phases depending on the time of year. I think if I had to choose one it would have to be habanero jelly. It also happens to be one of my best sellers. It's definitely really spicy, but it's also pretty versatile. Some of my favorite ways to eat it are on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, as a glaze for sauteed green beans in the summer, or on a sandwich.
What was first item you ever made/sold?
Apple butter was the first flavor I ever made. A good friend of mine gave me a TON of apples a few years ago after going overboard while apple picking upstate. She knew I liked to bake and thought I might use them to make pie. Since there were so many I decided to experiment with apple butter. I'd never made it before and had never tried canning at home either. I taught myself how to can from reading all about it online.
I had so much apple butter that I had to give it away to friends. When I finally ran out those same friends insisted that I had to make more for them and they'd pay me for it. That's when I started looking into having labels made and playing with other flavors.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now I'm thinking expansion. I definitely need to move into a bigger space and move the jam business to the front burner. I would love to start selling at gourmet food stores in Brooklyn and do more of the food fairs and farmers markets in the area. My trademark was just approved- so now I know I'm ready to really make this happen. I would LOVE if this were the way that I made my living.
Where else can we find your goodies? (website, FB, stores etc)
Feel free to check out my website- www.thatsmyjamonline.com
Sometimes I sell at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg also- but with the price of the table it's hard to make it worth my while unless I can share the booth with another artist. Since I started on Etsy I've been selling pretty exclusively online.
Marlow and Daughters in Williamsburg carries certain flavors as well.
Cos I love brunching in Brooklyn, any Brooklyn Brunch recommendations?
I LOVE Tandem in Bushwick. If you haven't been there I'd highly recommend it!
I tend to be a homebody- and try to stick with spots in my neighborhood. With so little time to myself I try not to travel too far if I don't have to.
Tandem is a really great spot. They're a great chill neighborhood bar during the week, a bumping party spot on weekends, and a wholesome brunch spot on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Their brunch menu features a great variety of delicious, filing, affordable meals and several different specialty bloody mary's. Definitely try the ham and swiss strata with kale salad and lemon scented quinoa.
Thanks so much to Jamgeek for this giveaway. Not just a great product but a really nice guy as well.