A little habanero jam is kicking up the flavor in Glen Carney’s Plainville kitchen.
“I realized there’s more to jam than just toast,” said Carney, who owns Uncle Carney’s Bootleg Habanero Jam.
For Carney, there’s more to jam than just a growing business. It’s a labor of love that he learned from his grandmother.
“It actually started by accident. A lot of friends, family enjoyed the first flavor, so with the knowledge I had to make it, I started to make other flavors,” said Carney.
Those other flavors were customers favorites, too.
“My jam is very unique. We use it on a lot of different foods. It’s smooth, flavorful, all non-GMO products, gluten free, dairy free, fat free, nut free, cholesterol free,” he said.
Glen started selling the jams in stores and online. At first, he was producing them out of his kitchen. Then he moved his operation to a manufacturing facility in Vermont.
“Didn’t realize it can’t just be cooked in your kitchen, it needs to be a commercial kitchen. Since the commercial kitchen, I ended up getting my manufacturing certification this past February of last year,” said Carney.
He’s learned a lot in his nearly two years in business. The most important lesson is the importance of family. Glen started his business to have something to share with his two sons.
“My honest goal is that my kids never have to work for somebody else, they’ll just work for their business and make it grow,” said Carney.
For more information on Uncle Carney’s Bootleg Habanero Jam, visit: https://www.ucbootlegjams.com/