As it stands… you can usually earn $2 to $4 a jar for homemade jam without much of a problem! You can even give it away to help market your product. Put a fancy label on it, set up a website, and start drumming up business!

The most effective way to promote and market a jam business is through samples. Whether given out at a farmers market or grocery store, people love free samples — and many customers won’t purchase a jam, jelly, or preserve unless they know what it tastes like.

Jams are rich in sugar and a great source of Energy and Fiber. They curb hunger, helping us to eat less and be satisfied without cravings (please note this is not the case when consuming Jam made with High Fructose Corn Syrup). By doing so they also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The label for jams and similar products must include the two following statements:

1. ‘prepared with X g fruit per 100 g’, where X is the amount of fruit used in 100 g of finished product.
2. ‘total sugar content: X g per 100 g’, where X is the amount of sugar in 100 g of finished product determined by a refractometer at 20 °C.

How to Create a Home-Based Business

1. Research your industry to evaluate the competition.
2. Check zoning requirements to ensure you can legally operate your business from home.
3. Incorporate and register your business’s name with the city or county clerk.
4. Apply and obtain a business license from your local government office.

Before you prepare to can your preserves, you must get the jars and lids prepared. Jars should be sterilized by keeping them in simmering water (higher than 180 degrees F, but not boiling) for no less than 10 minutes; this is most easily done in your canning pot.

The Upside Down Method

1. Pour the tomatoes (squash, pumpkin, etc) directly into the canning jars.
2. Fill them leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches free headspace in each jar.
3. Once filled you will place the lid around each of the jars.
4. Now, tighten the lid and seal sufficiently to prevent spillage.

How to Turn Ordinary Jars into Airtight Glass Containers

1. Before we began working on the pantry, a hodgepodge of containers purchased over the years held all our staples.
2. Enter Sugru !
3. Press the Surgu string into the lid where the top meets the side.
4. Take the lid off, set it aside for 24 hours and you’re done!
5. So simple!

Don’t put the labels on until the jam is cold – otherwise the heat will prevent them sticking properly and they’ll fall off for sure. Store in a cool, dry and preferably dark place. Too much light is not good for storage, while a damp or steamy atmosphere can cause mould to develop on the surface of the jam.

Seal the jars with a disc of waxed or greaseproof paper that you have cut earlier. The transparent jam covers that can be bought in kitchenware shops and supermarkets should be applied whilst the jam is still warm so that they shrink over the top of the jar and create an air-tight seal.

Lining the tops of your jars with a wax disc helps guarantee an airtight seal, keeping the contents fresh until you eat them. Simply fill your jam jars with your choice of jam, chutney, pickle or preserve, and, while the contents are still warm, line the top of the jar with a wax circle.