Blount County, TN, Entrepreneur Janice Hullett Crafts Flavorful Jams
What started as a hobby for Janice Hullett and her family has evolved into a full-time jam – literally.
Jammin Jams was born out of a love for sharing their homemade jams with friends and family. Since moving to Maryville from Colorado in 2018, Jammin Jams has earned a special place in the stomachs of many, becoming an anchor in Blount County’s culture and business community.
In This Article
Can you share a bit about your background and how it prepared you for running this business?
My grandparents had farms in Virginia. Making jam and canning fresh fruits and vegetables were part of my childhood. We canned everything in the summers.
Professionally, I have a background in construction management, and I was a kindergarten teacher for 10 years. Both careers taught me relationship management and how to collaborate with outside agencies and entities. I also learned a lot about food allergies as a teacher.
Why did you choose to establish your business in Blount County?
My husband’s job transferred us to the area in 2018 after living in Colorado for 30 years. It was timed well with our daughter going to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
We wanted a hometown community, and we’ve certainly found that in Maryville. We love being part of this community and working with Blount Partnership. They have really encouraged us to keep growing.
Tell us about the process of creating your jams. Where do you source your ingredients and what kind of care goes into the production?
All of our jams are gluten-free, dairy-free, low sugar and vegan-friendly. We’re able to reduce the sugar in our recipes by 50% by using fully ripened fruit, which contains more natural sugars and is packed with flavor.
We aim to use as much in-season as we can. We source as many of our ingredients locally as possible by collaborating with local farmers and berry patches. The Edible Arrangements store in Knoxville also sends us their overripe fruit so we can repurpose it into our jams.
Out of season, we buy frozen organic produce. This lets us limit the preservatives in our final products. We take extensive time and care with our processes and ingredients to ensure a high-quality product.
What are some of your most popular or signature jam flavors?
We rotate through about 60 flavors throughout the year – fan favorites, seasonal flavors and new creations. It keeps customers coming back because they want to see what we come up with next.
Our signature flavors include classics like blackberry, peach, strawberry and triple berry (made with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries). We also have a line of jalapeño pepper jams.
We released some new flavors this summer: mango hibiscus and mango berry. We also collaborated with Ancient Lore Village, a fantasy-themed village in Knoxville, on an exclusive Firefly jam made with orange, mango and peach.
We’re not afraid to experiment with our flavors. It’s really fun to be creative in the kitchen.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur and running your own business?
Being able to share what we create with our family, friends and beyond. Our family loves to show hospitality, especially by gathering friends and family over food. When my kids were growing up, we were always the house where friends came to play. Jammin Jams feels like an extension of that hospitality. We want others to love and enjoy our creations as much as we do!
What opportunities do you see for growth and development within the Blount County business landscape?
Our region is exploding with growth, and small businesses are absolutely vital to that growth. Being able to hire great local talent is a big plus in Blount County.
There are a ton of opportunities for all of us to partner together, help each other grow and give back to the community. Everything we do helps bring growth to all of Blount County.
To learn more about the jams or place an order, visit jamminjamstn.com.
Jammin Jams Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 bag flame-broiled meatballs (approx. 24 count)
1 jar Jammin Jams Pineapple Jalapeño jam
Directions:
1. Take your bag of frozen flame-broiled meatballs (turkey or chicken meatballs) and pop them into the crock pot.
2. Pour a jar of Jammin Jams Pineapple Jalapeño jam over the top and give it a stir.
3. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours to fully heat up your frozen meatballs.
4. Once they are fully heated, serve them in a decorative dish and take them to your gathering.
Notes:
The frozen meatballs are previously fully cooked, so you are only cooking them to heat them up and get fully flavored with the jam.
Try different flavored jams for sweet and savory options or try an apricot or pineapple apricot and triple berry jam on your meatball appetizers.