This is where it tends to go downhill

It's been almost a month. This is the sentence that ends it all. Next thing you know it will be October, and my next post will be "Wow, has it been a year already?"

So let's get updated. the DIY/FFASF went just swimmingly. It was intense trying to get production done and get everything ready, but it was absolutely worth it. I like to think there was a lot of advertisement if not actual sales. This is what helps me sleep at night and not think I'm wasting my mid twenties with seventy-hour work weeks. Still though, sales were really good; Rust Belt was packed (with vendors and customers), and it was an amazing weekend. My only regret is that I was unable to actually make the Funky Ferndale Art Street Fair at all and barely made the DIY Fest due to being at Rust Belt all day.

The weeks since have been full of attempting to take care of the business side of things. You know, actually figuring out how much money I owe myself and then promptly trying to put it out of my mind. I've been doing a fair amount of test batches of new jams as well as fresh batches of old ones.

I do have (or hope to have) two new jellies for next weekend. As always, I need help naming them, and a free jar of your choice to the winners. First up is a cinnamon/ginger apple jelly that's been sweetened with a bit of honey. I'm thinking now that Black Cinn (a blackberry cinnamon jelly) is sold out, I might add this to the Cinn line (Red Cinn, Ginger Cinn) or perhaps take the pun a little deeper and just call it Forbidden Fruit. It is fantastic on a salt bagel. FAN TAS TIC. Let me tell you!

The other jelly actually needs a little work. Long story short, I think I miscalculated or mismeasured my test batch and then expected to need way less pectin than I ended up needing. I used everything I had (which I thought would be more than plenty), and still came up short. I prayed to the jam gods, but they - not being the jelly gods - denied my request and I'm left with a very thin jelly. I'm hoping to reprocess it this week and end up with a good product. All that said, it's a cran-apple jelly that tastes very similar to cranberry sauce; just in time for the holidays. Yes, I could call it Crapp, but I like to think you can think of something better.

So feel free to think of awesome names and leave *a* comment here or *a* comment over on the facebook page (and "like" it if you haven't already!)

Current lineup:
8oz
24 Carrot
All-American
Blimey!
Chip Off the Ol' Berry (only a couple jars left!)
Cham-WOW
Fuzz Buzz
Thank RhuBerry Much
Unnamed cran-apple jelly
Unnamed cinnamon ginger apple jelly

4oz
24 Carrot
All-American
Blimey!
Fuzz Buzz
Unnamed cran-apple jelly

Unnamed cinnamon ginger apple jelly

Contest winners and new names

Quick and dirty style

peach rum becomes Fuzz Buzz courtesy of Marti Carlson
apple pie becomes All-American courtesy of Margaret Yellin
carrot cake becomes 24 Carrots thanks to a namer who wishes to remain anonymous.

I'll try to get in touch soon about your free jars.

Current lineup:
8oz
24 Carrot
All-American
Blimey
Chip Off the Ol' Berry
Cham-WOW
Fuzz Buzz
Thank RhuBerry Much
Black Cinn

4oz
24 Carrot
All-American
Fuzz Buzz

It will all be worth it

I don't think I've gotten to bed before 1 AM this week. Normally that's not an issue for me, but this is my first week back on the day shift. I should be out the door at 8:15.

I've been busy trying to get everything in order for this weekend. "What's this weekend?" you might ask. Ferndale is hosting two fairs: the DIY Street Fair and the Funky Ferndale Art Fair. If they're set up like last year, they're both on Nine Mile Road, one on the East side of Woodward and the other on the West side. The building I have a booth in (the Rust Belt Market) happens to be on the corner of Nine Mile and Woodward, so you can bet we'll get a lot of foot traffic flowing in. Rust Belt even has a booth at the DIY Fair showcasing items from market vendors, including a jar each of Cinnply Sublime and Cham-WOW. As such, the market has extra hours opening the doors on Friday evening and pushing back closing time on Saturday.

So I go from a admittedly slow Sunday last week, to three days that promise to be very busy. I'm trying to finish up the things I didn't get ready last week, and I'm not even doing that. I did paint a banner, though, and I have spent tonight making jam. A fresh batch of Carrot Cake is done and a new Apple Pie jam is currently processing. On top of that, I have a peach-rum jam that I wasn't able to label in time for market last week. I'm excited to bring new things for people to sample! With two new jams, I need two new names. Also, the name for Carrot Cake is up for review. That's three names, and if you don't know what that means, well, you're missing out. Submit a name here (or go ahead and like Gunder Goods on Facebook and leave a comment in the appropriate post), and if I choose your name, you'll get a free jar of jam on the house. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Stepping back a little, I didn't share much of last weekend at the market. We got up late, and were rushed to get in and set up on time, but barely made it. It was a long day, with it being as slow as it was. Friends were made with the vendors around us, and they promised things would be busier. Aside from the sales, it was a fantastic day to experience the market, get proverbial feet wet and sort out the "little things" like how to organize the booth. The only major problem came at the very end of the day when, on the way out the door, last items in hand, my favorite coffee mug fell to the ground and shattered. I've had the thing since high school (sophomore year?). A gift from my parents - probably due to my perpetual singleness. Alas, I'm going to try to glue it when I have fewer projects. Otherwise, I'll just have to find a new favorite mug. Rust Belt needs a mug vendor.

Maybe I'll do that next.

P.S. you have about 16 hours to submit suggestions for names. I'm behind on the contest and need the labels printed by tomorrow night. Have at it!

So it's five in the morning

Just a reminder, I'm going to be at market tomorrow. Have some details.

"When?" you might ask.

Oh, in about six hours. Rather, the market opens in six hours at 11AM. I have to be set up by 10:45. I'll get a few quick hours of sleep and then head on over. Nearly everything's already packed up in the car, so I just have to grab a couple things and head two miles down the road to Rust Belt Market and set up shop. I and/or someone resembling/representing me will be there the entire time the market is open from 11AM until 7PM.

If you're unfamiliar with Rust Belt, check the link above, but, really, all you need to know is that it's like a super awesome weekly indoor art fair.

So if you like jam, or you like me, or you like just being generally awesome, stop by, hang out, get some samples and browse the market. You'll find something you want, unless you don't like cool things. Then you won't.

Wish me sleep.

Too much to do

It looks like I'm officially going to be at a market tomorrow! I'll be at Rust Belt Market Sunday; it's open from 11-7. I have way too many things to do to be blogging, but here I am, letting you know where you can buy my jam without creepily stalking me to my house.

I was hoping to offer sandwiches tomorrow in some form, but it just doesn't look like I'll have the time to get it done. Hopefully next week. Or, hopefully not because I will have sold out of jam and can't reasonably make enough in the next week while working my traditional job. If I do offer them, I think I'm going to have to offer them as a DIY project - a 2oz Dixie cup of peanut butter, one of jelly, a couple slices of bread and a knife. But, hey, that's the law.

So, in the next two hours, I have to get everything else squared away. Then about twelve hours of work before crashing for a few and heading to the market. Wish me luck!

That was quick.

I just sold the last Mulled in Michigan, so that's off the block. I learned a little bit about mulberries when I made this jam. First off, they're a pain to pick, but I've heard of a different way I'll try next season. The funniest thing about them is that the seeds don't suspend in the jam like other berries. They all floated to the top! Next time around I'll probably strain off the seeds. I like them, but if I can't evenly distribute them, the jam isn't how I want it to be. Other than the seeds, I really enjoyed the jam and will definitely plan on making more next season. If you didn't get a jar, you'll just have to wait!

No more summer fruits :(

It's been a slow couple weeks in the jam kitchen - mostly because it's been a busy couple weeks in every other aspect of my life. I settled on a name for the blueberry jam. I had a user submitted "Cinnply Sublime" that I *really* like. I thought I was going to a farmer's market and had to run off some labels, so I have a few of the Cinnply Sublime labels. Unfortunately, when I opened a jar to taste it for myself the spices were a lot more subtle and the lime more on the forefront. It's a great jam, and I love it. The flavor, though, didn't match the flavor, so I am falling back on my own "Blimey!" once I get some new labels in.

I also ran across about fifty pounds of peaches from a farm outside Brighton. They were... awful to work with. I will never underestimate a peach again. The flavor of the peaches if phenomenal and really comes through in the jam I made which is hinted with rum and sweetened partially with brown sugar. It's a pretty simple, straightforward jam, but the flavors come through very well. The rum might be a little lighter than I'd like, but it really lets the peaches shine. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd do it differently because I love these peaches so much.

Unfortunately, these peaches were probably the last of my summer fruits. I have a few ideas in my back pocket to use produce that is just coming to season, but the overabundance of amazing fresh fruit is coming to an end. On the bright side, that means apples are coming in, and I can't wait to play with them.

I'm hoping to be in a market this Sunday. I'll be sure to get word out if it happens, but I"m keeping everything crossed at this point.

I've sold out of Carrot Cake and Jam Beam in 8oz jars, so here's an updated list of varieties.

8oz
Peach - yet to be named
Cinnply Sublime/Blimey
Chip Off the Ol' Berry
Cham-WOW
Mulled in Michigan
Thank RhuBerry Much
Black Cinn

4oz
Carrot Cake Jam - 3 jars left

Jam Beam - 1 jar left

A new jam for a new month

Well, after many, many test batches I finally have a jam made out of my blueberries (handpicked at Bowerman's in Holland). I looked over recipes and flavor combinations and just had *too* many things I wanted to try out, so what did I do? I tried them all. There were a lot of good samples to be had, but one stood above the rest on my testers' palates: blueberry with cinnamon and nutmeg. I ran a few more tests with this trying out acids, sweeteners and spice quantities and ended up with the following ingredient list: blueberries, cane sugar, honey (from Owosso), pectin, lime juice and zest, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and nutmeg. I have yet to crack open a jar of the final batch, but if it's anything like the test batches or what I tested as it was cooking, it might be your favorite yet! It has a subtle but distinct lime bite and a powerful spice aroma, and yet the blueberry never gets lost. As always, free jar if you submit a name and I like it the best. Right now I'm working with Blimey and Christmas in Bluly.

Current lineup

Chip Off the Ol' Berry: a raspberry jam that fades into a chipotle spice
Cham-WOW: a raspberry infused champagne jelly
Mulled in Michigan: a mulberry jam sweetened with Michigan honey
Thank RhuBerry Much: a strawberry rhubarb jam sweetened with a little orange juice and brown sugar Carrot Cake Jam: pineapple, organic pears and carrots, seasoned with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg
Jam Beam: a blackberry bourbon (Jim Beam) jam. It's a little chunky (almost more of a preserve) and a bit heavy on the vanilla. It works very well on a heavier bread.
Black Cinn: a blackberry jelly with hints of cinnamon and sweetened with honey. I used more honey than I'd like, so it overpowers some of the other flavors. It makes a great peanut butter and jelly sandwich however.

Prices $6 for an 8oz jar except the last two aren't quite right (too much vanilla/honey respectively) so they're $5. The Carrot Cake, though I only have 4oz jars left; they're $3.50.