about + FAQ

Hi! I’m Dafna, the founder of INNA. This whole thing started one Thanksgiving years ago when I came across something I’ve never seen before. Some friends were serving these amazing little appetizers – crackers topped with cream cheese and jalapeño jam. Well, I thought those little appetizers were just the best thing ever and proceeded to eat so many of them that I couldn’t really eat the Thanksgiving meal that followed.

I thought to myself, “self, I’ve got to get some of that jalapeño jam,” and checked every store I could think of, but alas, no jalapeño jam to be found anywhere. I finally gave up on finding it at a local store, and decided to just make it myself from scratch. I developed a recipe, made a batch of jam, kept a jar for myself and gave the rest away to friends and neighbors. Everyone who tasted the jalapeño jam got hooked, much like I did, and asked for more. Before I knew it, I was making batch after batch of jalapeño jam, and INNA was born. 

A look at the earliest INNA days through the ~ INNA time machine ~

The Plot Thickens

We make fresh, seasonal jams from organic fruit sourced within 200 miles of our Emeryville kitchen. By sourcing produce directly from local organic farmers we're able to get the best possible fruit - fruit that’s picked ripe and is absolutely fresh. 

Our single-varietal jams are crafted so that each fruit varietal's unique essence and natural subtleties shine through in bright flavors.  A jar of jam contains fruit from a single source! We don't mix fruit, we don't add herbs, spices or flavorings - INNA jam tastes like the freshly picked fruit from which it was made, each jar a time capsule of flavor. 

Want some help choosing jam? check out our the INNA jam guide.
Want some help choosing shrub? check out our the INNA shrub guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce INNA?
It's pronounced like "I'm in a jam" - inn-ah.
Since "in a pickle" means pretty much the same thing as "in a jam" (essentially, stuck), I thought it would be great (and punny)! 

Local?
Nearly all the produce that becomes INNA jam is grown organically within a 200-mile radius of our kitchen in Emeryville. Our peppers come from Santa Rosa, our berries come from Watsonville, Aromas, and Healdsburg, our stone fruit come from Linden, Gilroy, and Parlier, our lemons and limes come from San Juan Bautista and Corralitos, our figs come from Corning, our quince come from Watsonville. Our organic apple cider vinegar comes from Sebastopol and our organic wine vinegar comes from Ceres. The only exception to our 200-mile rule is our organic marsh ruby grapefruit (grown in Southern California), organic rhubarb (grown in Oregon), and organic ginger (grown in Peru).

Seasonal?
Because we only use fresh and local produce, we are limited by the seasons. For example, even though jalapeños are available year-round at the supermarket, local jalapeños are only in season August-October, so that’s when we make our jalapeño jam.

Organic?
We always use organic and sustainably-grown fruit and organic sugar. Not all the fruit we use is certified organic (the high cost of certification is too expensive for some farmers), but it's always grown using organic methods.

Gluten-Free? Allergen-Free?
All INNA products are free of nuts or gluten ingredients and are made on equipment that is not shared with nut or gluten ingredients. In fact, our kitchen is completely allergen free - we only use our kitchen to make jams and shrubs! There is no trace of gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, or meat in our kitchen. 

Do the shrubs have any alcohol content?
There's no alcohol in our shrubs. While the residual ABV of vinegar is at most 0.4% (after alcohol is converted to acetic acid), in the process of making and bottling our shrub, the shrub is heated to a minimum temperature of 212º. Since alcohol's evaporation point is 172º, all trace alcohol that might have been present in the vinegar ingredient is evaporated through heat in the production and bottling process.

How long will INNA jam last?
Check the "best by" date on the bottom of the jar! But really as long as the jar is sealed it won't spoil and can last indefinitely (although for brightest, freshest flavor we recommend eating it by that "best by" date). Once you open your jar of jam it must be refrigerated. The pepper jams will keep for up to 1 year in your fridge, the fruit jams we recommend eating within a month or two after opening for best flavors and quality. Because INNA fruit jams are a natural product with no artificial preservatives and lower sugar content, they are more perishable than your typical store-bought jams. If you waited a long time to open your jar of jam and found that the "best by" date has passed don't worry - the jam hasn't spoiled, it just isn't at its peak. Go on, open it and enjoy it today!

How long will INNA shrub last?
Indefinitely! The vinegar has incredible preserving properties, so our shrubs will never spoil. The color might fade over time, but it will never go bad. Refrigeration isn't necessary for our shrubs, but it definitely won't hurt!

How long will INNA pickle salt-preserved lemons last?
Indefinitely! The acidity of the lemons plus the preserving properties of the salt will ensure that these pickles will keep indefinitely. I think these get better with age - the older the tastier! Be sure to refrigerate after opening.

How long does shipping take?
We make an effort to ship out orders as promptly as possible, which means we often ship out orders within a day of receiving them. Sometimes, especially during the busy summer fruit season (when we are hard at work in the kitchen), as well as during the busy holiday season (when we are hard at work shipping out an influx of orders), it could take us 2-3 days to ship out orders. Once shipped, orders can take up to a week in transit (especially to the East Coast). So, the short answer is: you will receive your package up to two weeks after placing your order, but usually much much sooner.

Can I get expedited shipping?
Yes! email us at orders.inna@gmail.com or call us at 510-214-6620 and we'll see what's possible and offer you pricing for different expedited shipping options.

Can you ship to Alaska, Hawaii, and military bases? How much will it cost?
Yes! However, at this time shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and military bases is not available through our website. Instead, please place an order over the phone (510-214-6620) or via email (orders.inna@gmail.com) and we will calculate the shipping costs for you (If you're ordering 6 jars of jam or less we can fit it in a USPS medium flat rate box, so we can ship it for $16). 

Can you ship Internationally?
Unfortunately at this time we are unable to ship internationally.

Can I pick up my order?
Yes! When checking out on our website, you can choose "Pick up" or "Ship". Your order confirmation email will include a a link to schedule your pick up appointment.

I got a package from INNA jam in the mail, what's up with these packing peanuts?

To cushion our fragile glass jars of jam in transit, we use packing peanuts that are made from corn starch. They are 100% compostable, biodegradable, and in fact are water soluble. They are not styrofoam! You can dispose of them in your green bin or your compost pile or wash them down your sink. 

Do you accept returns of empty glass jars / bottles? 
We aren't able to reuse containers, but we have often found homes for used containers amongst our community. Maybe there are folks in your community who would find these glass jars and bottles useful? You could try posting them online, here are a few suggestions:
https://www.craigslist.org - has a free section
https://www.freecycle.org/ - is all about reusing items
https://nextdoor.com/ - has been a great way for us to give away things lately
https://buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/ - I recently heard about this community group (there are local groups through facebook, I believe) that might be a great place to find folks who want to reuse things.

site photo credits:
home page jam slide show photos by Kimberley Hasselbrink
shrub cocktails and shrub soda photos by Molly DeCoudreaux
all other photos by Dafna Kory