FAMILY + TRADITION
Silda's Jam offers a handcrafted assortment of bright and flavorful preserves. Silda Wall Spitzer, former First Lady of New York State and co-founder of New York Makers, grew up in North Carolina before moving to New York. Her parents and grandparents — hard-working, resourceful, and close-knit — would spend time together harvesting and canning.
Later in life, Silda echoed this tradition with her own family, making delicious homemade jams with berries or peaches from her orchard or neighboring farms in the Hudson Valley to give to loved ones during the holidays. One major innovation: Silda replaced granulated sugar with New York State maple syrup. She also updated the recipe with natural fruit pectin, making the jam vegan.
Silda learning how to make jam from her mother and father.
HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY
Then Amanda DiRobella came along. As the former Editor in Chief of New York Makers, the online platform where every product has a New York story, Amanda was always looking for ways to connect more with the maker community.
Amanda, sitting under peach blossoms at one of her favorite Hudson Valley places, Rose Hill Farm
Upon visiting Silda during the holidays, Amanda was intrigued by the hundreds of jars of "Silda's Jam" being prepped to send as gifts to friends and family, one of which she received as a gift. Upon tasting it, Amanda declared, "This is the best jam I've ever had!" Silda let her in on the special ingredients, including New York State maple syrup and fruit pectin. Amanda exclaimed, "We need to be making and selling this! It's delicious!" Here we are years later.
Our flavors are distinctive, including Gingerbread Peach, Blaspberry (blackberries + raspberries), Blueberry Elderflower, Cherry Pie, and Strawberry Rhubarb.
Previous flavors include Blackberry Lemon Lavender, Lavender Peach, Black + Blue (blackberries + blueberries), Strawberry, Strawberry Lemon Lavender, and Red + Blue (strawberries + blueberries).
PARTNERS
Silda's Jam grew out of a great product, but also out of our work with New York Makers and wanting to experience being makers ourselves. We continue to give back to the statewide New York maker community, among other ways, by working with COARC Manufacturing.
COARC is the Columbia County Chapter of the Arc New York, "the largest family-based provider of services to people experiencing disabilities in the United States"; its manufacturing enterprise provides jobs and training for people with special abilities.
