INNA jam: tasty treats in glass
Where one finds inspiration is always a fascinating story. This is especially true of Dafna Kory, the crafty jam-maker behind INNA Jam. It came to her on Thanksgiving day a few years back, when Dafna had embarked on one of life’s guilty pleasures for the first time—a simple appetizer consisting of nothing more than a block of cream cheese smothered in jalapeño jam… (read more)
Most of us have had this tasty treat and whether we admit it or not, we love it too! Dafna did too. After practically consuming the whole appetizer herself, Dayna was too full to even begin the holiday meal placed in front of her.
Shortly after, she hunted for jalapeño throughout San Francisco but alas came up empty handed. Oddly enough, even though she was never much of a jam eater (or maker for that matter), Dafna decided to make it herself from scratch. Having made jam with Dafna myself, you’d never believe it. She’s such a pro to watch in the kitchen!
“I developed a recipe and made a single batch of jam that I gave away to friends and neighbors. But I kept one for myself, of course,” says Dafna, “Everyone who tasted the jalapeño jam got hooked, much like I did, and asked for more.”
So she began making jam on the weekends, or at night, and thanks to the economic downturn, a lot more regularly when she was laid off. Living in the Bay Area’s East Bay, Dafna was able to harvest fruit from neighboring yards and continue her adventures in jam making (on the cheap).
“More and more people began asking for my jam, even some stores to my surprise, and INNA just kind of happened from there,” she says.
Dafna sources all of her organic fruit from within a 100-mile radius. And this isn’t some vanity form of food entrepreneurship. I visited the farmer’s market with her and Dafna not only knows her farmer’s by name and location, but she goes to the farm itself to make sure it is legit. A tenacity that comes through in all of her single varietal jams.
Yes, each jar only consists of a single fruit. There are no herbs, flavorings or anything artificial. It’s about celebrating everything that variety has to offer.
“I work with varieties that have a very deep flavor, can stand up to the jam process, and I just try to preserve it as simply as possible, to maintain the integrity and the nuances of those varietals,” she explains.
Of course, with such a simple recipe (fruit, sugar, pectic), it is hard to understand what the big whoop is and why everyone is buying INNA Jam. The reason is that Dafna knows how to work her fruit. Understanding how to balance roasting the fruit with added sugar is key to jam making and she is a genius. Simple as that.
INNA Jam has at least two different varietals of most fruits, like strawberry and plums. Fruits like pluots come in four different varietals. I didn’t even know such an abundance existed and when I found out, I bought 10 jars!
Dafna currently delivers her tasty jams by bicycle, a luxury I hope she can keep. I fear as she grows much like Bread SRSLY, this local perk will fall by the waste side.
Jerry James Stone has been eating and drinking his veggie way through San Francisco for the past four years where he focuses on sustainability and local as well as large-scale food issues.
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