Jam World: Honomu Jams and Jellies

February 12, 2013

Lesa Griffith,

If you’ve ever made jam, you know that it usually contains a boatload of sugar. What may seem like a relatively healthy condiment due to all that luscious fruit is actually a calorie-counter’s nightmare. And it explains why so many jams taste like candy (there’s a reason kids love PB+Js). But there is an alternative. Available at farmers’ markets on Oahu and by mail order are Hawaii Island-made, preservative-free Honomu Jams and Jellies. They’ve got a “sugar-free” version that’s made with agave nectar, and the result is a jar of fruit essence. The sugar-free guava jam is like pure mashed fruit (without the seeds). They also have jams made with island-grown sugar, as well as butters, jellies and syrups.

Honomu Jams is part of family-owned Akaka Falls Farm, which is where the organic ingredients are grown. And they go way beyond guava, with flavors such as Waimea strawberry, Tahitian lime ginger, lychee, and dragonfruit—depending on the season, of course.