FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

You bet!  We use natural ingredients including fruits, berries, vegetables and tomatoes as our primary ingredients.  Our sugar is pure cane sugar, our lemon juice is fresh squeezed, and when we use pectin it is a citrus pectin.  We use pure vanilla extract, which is expensive but so worth it!

• We absolutely do not include high fructose corn syrup in our products!
• We do not add chemicals for preserving.
• We do not add food coloring!

Some products include Kentucky bourbon and spirits.  A small percentage of those products may contain coloring or preservatives.

Friends Drift Inn strives to create products with fruit as the primary ingredient; not sugar.  We want the natural fruit goodness to shine through.

Jam contains fruit that is cooked down, pureed or chopped into chunks.   Sugar, spices, flavorings and pectin may be added.

Jelly is made from juice it is nearly clear.  The texture is smooth and uniform apart from pepper jelly which has pepper confetti strips suspended in the mix.  Jelly contains juices, sugar, and pectin.

Preserves are made from whole fruit.  Preserves generally contain the most sugar and are quite thick.

We talk about “What is the Difference Between Jam and Jelly” in an article I wrote.

Marmalade is like a jam, yet is made with citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or grapefruits.  In addition to crushed fruit, marmalade generally has ribbons of peels included imparting a flavor tension between sweet and bitter.

Conserves are fruit spreads that contain nuts.

Fruit butters do not contain dairy products.  Butter refers to the spreadable nature of the product.  Fruit butters are made by slowly cooking down fruit to reduce moisture and concentrate flavors.  Sugar and spices are added to bring complexity to the fruit butter.

In my article What is Apple Butter and How Do You Use It, you will find more info.

We do not use any added preservatives.  Sealed jarred products are good for at least one-year from the date of production.  Once opened, products must be refrigerated and used within three weeks.

Our product is labeled with a “use by” date in accordance with government guidelines.

We are proud to say most of our fruit jams, jellies, and butters contains more fruit than sugar.  We believe you should taste the fruit first!

To assure food safety, vegetable items including pepper jellies may contain a bit more sugar to help maintain the integrity of the product.

Check our nutritional labels and compare them with our competitors.  We think we are on the right track!

Jam, jellies, and all our specialty foods are currently produced at CANE (Community Agricultural Nutritional Enterprises) a kitchen incubator space in Whitesburg, KY near Pine Mountain.

The facility, and our own production practices, are regularly inspected by a myriad of government entities and oversight organizations.

Appalachian farmers are just learning to “scale-up” production.  We source raw product from Kentucky farmers, Virginia farmers, and from a variety of commercial sources.  We also grow a portion of the raw product at Friends Drift Inn farm.

Allergies are no laughing matter. We understand your concern.

We include spirits like bourbon, brandy and moonshine, in some of our products, which contains wheat and grain products.

We list ingredients on our labels which will help guide your choices. 

We produce in a shared-use kitchen, along with many other food entrepreneurs.  We follow a prescribed process for sanitation and list all ingredients on our labels.   The kitchen houses bakers, cosmetic makers, and caterers.  We all cooperate to keep our products safe.

Charlie and I are co-founders of the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Swap, one of the largest gatherings of seed savers east of the Mississippi.  We are very conscious about preserving genetic diversity.

Our intent is to use as much non-GMO products as possible.  We choose to use Pure Cane Sugar to avoid GMO Beet Sugar.  

However, we do include Kentucky spirits in some products which contain corn, wheat and rye. 

While sealed products should last about 11 months.

Once seal is broken, products should be refrigerated and used with three weeks.  

Orders of 4 packs and 6 packs are hand placed in packing materials inside a sturdy gift box.  The gift box is then placed inside a standard shipping box.