Tell me what to do

[rhubarbodendron]

Oooh, now I'm curious! May I have the jam link please?

My mom invents new jams just for the fun of it. Just in case you run out of ideas:
combinations I really can recommend are prune & grated/desiccated coconut or prune & walnuts. These have a shorter shelf-life, though, because the oils in the nuts get rancid after a few months.
Peach & gooseberry is also very good (honey-coloured like Vulkan's landscape, so you might name it pon-farr-jam or somesuch). In Wales I tried an excellent raspberry& rhubarb (50/50 is best) and over here in Bavaria rhubarb & strawberry (approx. 40/60) or pear & elderberries (75/25) are absolute classics.
Instead of mixing the fruits in the jam you can also make single-fruit jams and put several into jars, layer-wise. It's quite an eye catcher and very popular as a gift. As you have to wait till a layer is cold before you add the new layer this sort of jam won't keep that long (it's impossible to keep it 100% sterile). If you pop the jars up against something you can make diagonal layers which looks pretty awesome.

(blackberry & peach)
and here's a very pretty gooseberry/strawberry:
http://oetker.blob.core.windows.net...ept-Erdbeer-Stachelbeer-Schichtkonfituere.jpg
(pic is too wide for the thread's layout)

 

[mari]

Oooh, now I'm curious! May I have the jam link please?

My mom invents new jams just for the fun of it. Just in case you run out of ideas:
combinations I really can recommend are prune & grated/desiccated coconut or prune & walnuts. These have a shorter shelf-life, though, because the oils in the nuts get rancid after a few months.
Peach & gooseberry is also very good (honey-coloured like Vulkan's landscape, so you might name it pon-farr-jam or somesuch). In Wales I tried an excellent raspberry& rhubarb (50/50 is best) and over here in Bavaria rhubarb & strawberry (approx. 40/60) or pear & elderberries (75/25) are absolute classics.
Instead of mixing the fruits in the jam you can also make single-fruit jams and put several into jars, layer-wise. It's quite an eye catcher and very popular as a gift. As you have to wait till a layer is cold before you add the new layer this sort of jam won't keep that long (it's impossible to keep it 100% sterile). If you pop the jars up against something you can make diagonal layers which looks pretty awesome.

(blackberry & peach)
and here's a very pretty gooseberry/strawberry:
http://oetker.blob.core.windows.net...ept-Erdbeer-Stachelbeer-Schichtkonfituere.jpg
(pic is too wide for the thread's layout)

The gooseberry/strawberry almost looks like a candle! Very pretty. We couldn't do layers because of the need to cool between layers - very tight sanitation rules about processing and sealing, and we do follow them.

I added the site to my sig. Unfortunately, can't ship overseas, but do feel free to ogle!

And so this doesn't become a promotional thread for my business... the job search continues, and is now complicated by my husband's job possibly moving cross-country this summer. Ugh. Don't work in IT, it's a giant pain.

 

[galleywest]

Blueberry lemon! Hee hee, I just ordered it. And the blood orange marmalade, and the vanilla pear jam. I told you I liked delicious jams! (I'm not an addict, I can stop any time I want, I swear).

Ahem. Anyway, your site looks awesome and your selection is wonderful. I would stick with the online business, as it can move wherever you go. You seem to really enjoy it--is it feasible as a replacement for your job in IT? Also, as you've pointed out that IT can make you work crazy hours and move across the country, it seems like having only one person in the household that has that kind of work commitment might be a good idea, at least for the moment. I'm not in IT so I don't really know, I'm just going off of what you've said and what some of my friends in IT have told me.

 

[HIjol]

Try and build your Jam and Jelly business. That will give you more experience and ability in Marketing and Web Development than school classes ever could, and it sounds like interacting with the tech and learning curve would be better for you than interacting with people at school. I stayed home with our kids and took in other kids, and it was the best experience of my life, no exaggeration, but then it was time to get out in the real world. Get out there, replicate that Jam and Jelly, and try not to look back! Good Luck!

 

[rhubarbodendron]

argh! I followed that link and now I'm hungry!
I totally understand about the strict hygienical rules. It's the same here.

I agree, it's perhaps the best to try and expand your current business. If you happen to get a chance to speak with Nana Visitor, ask her for some insider tips. She used to have an excellent bakery. She's a very good cook and businesswoman and might also be able to promote your products by recommending them to her former business partners.
She's really nice and perfectly down to earth - no airs and graces at all Don't be afraid to ask her.