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Homemade Goodness
Cooking with Paula Deen
"I Love visiting the precious condiment ship in Cashiers! there are too many delicious goodies to temp you"
Canning comes naturally to Kimberly Baldwin. Growing up in Michigan, as early as she can remember she was helping her family with the crops. “We canned everything the garden had,” she said
Today, canning remains a family affair for the Baldwins. Kimberly and her husband, Kevin, opened their first retail store in 1999, in the small town of Franklin, North Carolina, carrying just 13 lines of jams and jellies. Their customers provide loyal, though, and the Baldwins were able to come up with new recipes and keep the operation profitable.
After four years in Franklin, the couple moved the business to the small town of Cashier, North Carolina. Now Appalachian Harvest carries over 75 jams, jellies, and condiments. The Baldwins’ three daughters, Brandy, Whitney, and Trinity, help manage the store and the web site, do all the labeling, and even help with the dishes. Kevin preps, washes, and even goes out into the fields to pick. E is also the self-proclaimed “pepper jelly man” since he created the hot pepper jelly recipes that are a big hit, especially around the holidays.
There are many popular jams and jellies, like Triple Crown made of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries created with a bride in mind. Three Amigos is made of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. Perhaps one of the most unusual – Kudzu Jelly – is a seasonal treat made in late summer from kudzu blossoms. And they sell regional items like Peach Amaretto Pecan and Wild Blackberry. Kimberly’s personal favorite is the cherry preserves served on a creamy peanut butter sandwich.
But the No. 1 seller is the iced-green tomato pickles, made using local produce from Franklin farmers. The demand for these one-of-a-kind pickles is so great, it is almost impossible to keep them in stock. Typically, 700 to 800 jars are on backorder most of the time. The thinly sliced green tomatoes are soaked in solution for 24 hours. It takes four to five days to finish the canning process, and the tomatoes are best served cold on sandwiches or on crackers accompanying cheddar cheese.
Appalachian Harvest ships all over the United States, and they help customers build their own gift boxes and baskets. And the Baldwins pride themselves on simplicity – they serve everyone from the rich and famous to less fortunate children and elderly who get free products. And, Kimberly says, sometimes customers bring recipes of their grandmothers; for her to try. “We’ll make the recipes, and they’ll cry at the cash register. And out older customers enjoy seeing real canning equipment again for the first time since they were children.”
Kimberly credits her family and loyal customers for her thriving business. “I see myself doing this forever,” Kimberly says. “ We have a passion for my jams and jellies. Passion is the only way I can keep doing it 12, 14 and 16 hours on my feet a day. For us, success is putting a smile on the faces of old and new customers.” Genuine customer service is still alive and well in the little shop tucked in the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina.
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