About Silda's Jam

Silda's Jam offers a handcrafted assortment of bright and flavorful preserves. Silda Wall Spitzer, former First Lady of New York State and co-founder of New York Makers, grew up in North Carolina before moving to New York. Her parents and grandparents — hard-working, resourceful, and close-knit — would spend time together harvesting and canning. Later in life, Silda echoed this tradition with her own family, making delicious homemade jams with berries or peaches from her orchard or neighboring farms in the Hudson Valley to give to loved ones during the holidays. One major difference: Silda replaced granulated sugar with New York State maple syrup. She also used natural fruit pectin, making the jam vegan. Then Amanda DiRobella came along. As the former Editor in Chief of New York Makers, the online platform where every product has a New York story, Amanda was always looking for ways to connect more with the maker community. Upon visiting Silda during the holidays, Amanda was intrigued by the hundreds of jars of "Silda's Jam" being prepped to send as gifts to friends and family, one of which she received as a gift. Upon tasting it, Amanda declared, "This is the best jam I've ever had!" Silda let her in on the special ingredients — locally sourced fruit, New York State maple syrup, and fruit pectin. Amanda exclaimed, "We need to be making and selling this! It's delicious!" Here we are years later.Read their story