Moms Put Flavorful Twist on Fruity Jam
“Within months, we knew that the demand just exceeded what we could make [with] just the two of us,” Stephanie Magilow said.
Magilow and Andrea Chatterji, the Park Cities tastemakers behind alcohol-infused Jammit Jam, have quickly turned their hobby for the savory jams into a full-blown business in less than a year of sales. Now, their jams are being sold in Dallas’ nine Central Market locations.
How to Enjoy
- Use Apple Cinnamon Bourbon as a glaze for pork
- Place dollops of any flavor in mini pie crusts for fruit-filled pie tarts
- Brush Strawberry Chili Shiraz over grilled salmon
The jams first came from Chatterji’s vacation home in Sauvie Island, Ore., where she picked berries on her land and made over 200 jars during the summer of 2012, after learning to can jam that year. She invited friends over to taste her infused jams when she arrived home, which is when Magilow stepped in.
“I just kind of wanted to cover the cost of shipping them back to Dallas. I wasn’t really looking for a profit. I didn’t want anyone to pat me on the back and say, ‘Oh, that’s a nice little hobby, I’ll buy a jar,’” Chatterji said. “I opened them up and I was sold out in a week.”
From there, the two moms worked together to solidify the recipes, as Chatterji usually experiments with quantities and ingredients rather than sticking to formal measurements.
“We finally knew they were ready when we wanted to eat them straight out of the jar,” Magilow said.
Even though both never ate jam before this endeavor, as neither has a sweet tooth, the Highland Park residents now happily eat the jams plain. The six flavors of jams, thicker than jelly, are made of three main ingredients: an herb, a fruit, and an alcohol. The alcohol is cooked out in the process, so the jams are edible for all ages. Flavors range from Raspberry Ginger Stout to Peach Thyme Prosecco.
Magilow, who had never made jam before, spent the first few weeks of recipe testing calling the product jelly. Chatterji knew she had to find a way to make the name stick.
“I just shouted in the kitchen, ‘It’s not jelly, it’s jammit, damn it!’ And from there we just knew,” she said.
Magilow and Chatterji, who became friends after cooking family dinners together, find that working with each other is simple.
“Our tastes are so similar, but we really complement each other; we balance each other’s weaknesses.” Magilow said. “She’s more adventurous, and I’m more organized. You need both.”
Since starting to sell the jams at St. Michael’s Farmers Market in August, to cooking out of the Hospitality Sweet kitchen on the weekends, to using a distributor to cook the same small batches of jams on a larger scale, their original goal of being sold in Central Market is finally coming true, just over a year after the two began talking about the business. The jams are also available at PK’s Liquor Store and Mozzarella Company.
Now, they’re looking to give Jammit Jams national exposure and are headed to the New York Fancy Food show in June.
“We’re still moms first, but to have something we’re passionate about, that is growing, it’s just great,” Magilow said.
