Whether you prefer just a schmear on a piping-hot English muffin fresh from the toaster, slathering it on a homemade buttermilk biscuit, or a dollop with cheese on a hunk of crunchy baguette — homemade jam is one of life’s simple pleasures. In the midst of these cold, short winter days, the intense sweetness of summer’s strawberries is a welcome treat. And for Wake County resident Ruth Taylor, it’s art. “There’s an art to making jam,” she says. “For me, it’s taking fruit and sugar and making something yummy.”
In her home kitchen in the public power community of Apex, Taylor first made a batch of her husband’s favorite jam — strawberry — just because. Soon, friends, family, and neighbors were clamoring for it, and her business Mrs. Ruth’s Jams was born. “Our jams are made with patience, not preservatives. We like to say they’re love in a jar.”
Today, Taylor spreads the love by selling more than 50 flavors of jam across the state. A jar of Mrs. Ruth’s Jams supports much more than her small local business, it also supports “the little village” it takes to make quality jam, she says, especially the regional farmers she works with. Find your favorite flavor at mrsruthsjams.com.