Transparent Sizing & Pricing

Combined with the practice of working in micro-batches (producing 6-12 6oz jars at a time) this makes for a super fresh, intense and fruit forward flavor. In other words, a little V Smiley Preserves goes a long way. 

Size

Are you wondering why Nectarine Lemon Bee Balm Lemongrass Marmalade isn’t available in 6 oz, but Sour Bergamot Orange Marmalade only comes in 6 oz? 

A number of factors go into deciding what flavors gets jarred in what size. Here are some examples. 

• Super chunky flavors like Nectarine Fig Rum Star Anise Conserve and Nectarine Plum Cherry Conserve don’t make sense in the small quarters of a 2 oz jar. 

• Approachable, beloved flavors like Lavender Blackberry Rhubarb Jam or Cherry Rosehip Hibiscus Jam are ideal candidate for both 2 and 6 oz sizings. 

• Because the traditional marmalades (Seville Oranges and Bergamot Oranges) keep so well while open in the fridge AND marmalade fans tend to be a bit more of a diehard, niche crowd, it makes sense to keep inventory simple and streamlined to just 6 oz. Extra costly to produce, these marmalades are a smidge more economical in the larger format jar. 

• A kid and family friendly flavor, something dipped into for sandwiches, toast and yogurt (disappearing fast) like Raspberry Jam, is a 6 oz exclusive. 

• Something delicious and unusual made from a lesser known fruit or combination of flavors, like a single variety Gooseberry Jam with candied Bergamot and Yuzu citrus is a 2 oz exclusive. 

• Super seasonal, finicky items in short supply like Haskaps or Damson Plums stay in a 6 oz size with a write-on label because it doesn’t make sense to invest graphic design time and printing costs into something only available for a single week of the year every 1-3 years. 

• Occasionally something a little odd, Apricot Yarrow Plum Elderflower Jam hits the sweet spot; cute, quirky and bestselling means it ends up in 2 and 6 oz sizings. 

What’s up with the pricing?

You might notice that marmalades are priced differently than jams and conserves and that random flavors are priced higher than others. 

Marmalades are honey and time intensive. The extra honey helps achieve that delightful jelly set (remember, we are cooking a combo of fruit flavored water plus a tiny bit of fruit texture) and most marmalades uses the entire citrus; pith, peel and segments. The increased honey quantity balances out the high voltage citrus intensity creating a balanced flavor. Marmalade takes a couple days to prepare and cook. To give you an idea, the Pear Quince Orange Ginger Marmalade involves five textual elements: pear/quince jelly, our candied ginger (honey, water, ginger), poached quince pieces, pear chunks, and poached orange slices. We’re talking soaking, blanching, overnight drips & drains, plenty of knife work and finally, a long cook time as all that fruit and pectin loaded water condenses into 7-12 6oz jars. You might ask, is it really worth the trouble? Yes. All these pieces come together in a marmalade to produce a depth of flavor and intensity beyond what’s achievable via the rustic nature of the jam process.

With fruit work, there is a fine line between straight up sugar-work (a food industry term for candy-making) and preservation. Marmalades fall more along the lines of candy and sugar work, whereas jams, fruit butters, and conserves tend to be more straightforward in their preparation. 

Jam and Conserves are prepped fruit combined with honey and lemon juice (and in the case of conserves some doodads like booze, dried fruit, and extra aromatics) cooked quickly with a focus on showcasing the fruit’s textural tendencies and fresh flavor. 

Weeks of the spring, summer and fall at V Smiley Preserves are spent pitting plums, hulling strawberries, grinding through currant and gooseberry stems, tops and tails. Crates of apples, pears and quince are peeled and diced. You get the idea. This stuff is made by hand. 

For the most part, all jams and conserves are priced the same. Occasionally, you’ll see a premium item like Haskaps (slow to pick, variable harvest year-toyear, very high price/lb) or the late season Damson Plum (cherry sized plums that, though beastly to pit, make the world’s best plum jam) and pricing reflects their diva qualities. 

Deals
At the store when I first encountered a 6 oz jar of small batch preserves made by my jam-teacher Rachel Saunders, my mouth dropped open. Holy shit this stuff is expensive. Sounds yummy, but damn! That memory always sits on my shoulder even as I’m body-deep in understanding why handmade food costs what it does. People who work in food are constantly evaluating how to balance food cost, perceived value and pricing accordingly. We want to take care of the worker, make delicious, nutritious food, pay the farmer more and be accessible to you. 

Every month, V Smiley Preserves selects a flavor to discount. It’s called the featured flavor. It’s always the 6 oz size and priced at $11! Sign up for our newsletter for a monthly alert on this option. 

Purchase in packs, bundles, or by subscription and save. Anytime we sell more than one jar together like you see in Collections, we drop the price/jar.

Curating your flavors in a bulk purchase - 6 oz Seasonal Bundles + Marmalade Bundles + Subscriptions - gives us the flexibility to soften the price point.

V Smiley Preserves is a small enough company that allergies, preferences and requests are happily honored to create bundles and subscriptions that work for you. Just drop a note as you check out.