It’s easy to believe that strawberry guava jam could bring someone a taste of joy but less typically is it known for building entrepreneurial support. MarQuita Pettis, founder and owner of That’s My Jam found joy in the process of making jams and building a business out of her homemade jam.
Pettis grew up in her grandparents’ garden and recognized the importance in the process of planting a seed and nurturing it to grow. Much like a nostalgic memory of time spent within her grandparent’s garden, Pettis has found joy in the process when she planted the seed for her company That’s My Jam, a small batch jam company she launched in October 2021.
“I’ve always kind of been like a country girl at heart,” said Pettis. “And I love to drive out to the farms and like to pick my fruit.” In the height of the pandemic ,while other people were making their sourdough starters, Pettis found her joy by going to the farms and picking fruit. I’m more of a traditional old-fashioned type of person. So it means something to me to drive out to the farm and pick my strawberries.
With a hot pandemic summer and bushels of farm fresh strawberries that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with, Pettis began learning how to make jams.
As she began to research the jam recipes, Pettis also started to question the impacts of adding sugar and pectin to jam recipes. “I recall one recipe was one cup of sugar to one cup of fruit and I just thought ‘That’s so ridiculous’. Fruit is already sweet as it is, why are we adding so much sugar?” said Pettis. “So I just went on a journey to develop recipes that were low on sugar and pectin free.”
Pectin is an acidic fiber naturally found in fruit but artificial pectin is often used as a thickener which changes the texture. While it may cut down on the amount of time it takes for cooking, it requires adding sugar to activate. “As I started to go on this lower sugar journey, I realized I really appreciate a loser texture. I don’t want it to be like jelly. I like that I can use it in other ways, and so, it just encouraged me to go further.” The looser texture change also made the jam more versatile for use.
What started out as a passion project to make low sugar, pectin free jams has grown to a business that Pettis hopes to bear successful fruit. “The biggest challenge was just starting and then understanding that every step of the way, this is going to be new, unfamiliar not comfortable and I have to be okay with understanding that”.
Pettis explained that taking the first step was the hardest but also the only way to begin a new journey. “Often times, we can get so caught up in the planning that we are over thinking and we never do,” said Pettis “There’s someone that’s reading this that wants to do something and isn’t moving forward because they feel like they need to have everything figured out you don’t.”
The challenges of learning to build a business was also the same thing that became her fuel to pace herself and ask questions of those around her with more experience in building a business. “I think a lot of times for entrepreneurs, we get caught up in this idea and mindset that we can do everything on our own,” said Pettis. “When I started this journey, I was very clear, I don’t want to get caught up in that.”
Pettis tapped into her community of other local entrepreneurs which was her greatest resource. It’s through relationships with other local businesses and entrepreneurs that Pettis is able to take her business full time.
Founder of Black Vines, Fern Stroud suggested that Pettis find ways to the jams that veered away from bread. “I struggled to even answer that question and I didn’t like that. So it encouraged me to go back and research,” said Pettis. Using the Blueberry Lavender jam and a bottle of wine, Pettis used her jam for a Blueberry Passion Cocktail.
Through a collaboration with San Francisco-based Black-owned bakery Rize Up, Pettis was able to make a connection to San Francisco specialty goods store Olive This Olive That.
Then dream came to fruition when host of podcast As Told By and fellow foodie Kahja Elliot hosted a five-course meal prepared by Chef Michelle McQueen using Pettis’ jams in unique and savory dishes such as Lobster Tail with Mango chutney using the Mango Mansala jam or Mushroom Ravioli using Spicy Strawberry fig jam. The jams are also now sold in Town Fare at Oakland Museum of California where Chef Michelle is manager and chef. Pettis asks that people find ways to expand their palettes to make That’s My Jam a jam of their own. “Ultimately what I’m asking [people] is to try a different experience with their jam,” said Pettis.
“I’m asking [my customers] to have a different experience by purchasing jam with what I describe is fresh off the vine,” said Pettis. “And by doing that, you are also buying into another experience which is to do more with your jam than just pull it out for breakfast.”
Follow That’s My Jam’s IG or YouTube for savory inspirations. That’s My Jam can be found on website, at West Oakland Farmer’s Market on Sunday, Town Fair at OMCA and in store at Olive This Olive That, 304 Vicksburg St, San Francisco, CA 94114
