It’s the Sunday mornings, spent around the dining room table breaking bread, that bind us. It’s the laughter and the well-wishing. It’s the pieces of advice cloaked in encouraging words that grant us the opportunity to paint our wildest dreams onto the canvas of what could be. It’s our families continued support even when we don’t see it, and their undeniable influence even when we don’t feel it, that makes us the people that we are today.
Family is what you make of it, and in Mombasa, Kenya, Neelma Malde is finding a way to pour all the love, support, and encouragement her family has given her into each and every one of her Jars of Goodness.
With Indian roots, Neelma’s family has called Kenya home for three generations. Beginning with her great-grandfather - who made his living farming - Neelma’s brood have always had an eye on growing fresh produce.
Be it okra, corn, or chilis, delectable foodstuffs have always been a part of Neelma’s family life. From her great-grandfather’s ability to urge the land into growth, to her grandfather’s skill and expertise during Sunday brunch - hinting and whispering endless food combinations into her mother’s ear - her family has never been far removed from all the gifts Mother Earth has to offer.
So, it only made sense, when Neelma was given her own handful of seeds that she too would try her luck, planting them carefully and waiting to see what would grow.
Needless to say, her first effort was a hit, and her family willing her to share her talent with the world. And setting herself up at cottage fairs - watching as each week her Jars of Goodness shrank from tall pyramids to single digits - Neelma did just that. Her efforts continued this way for some time, Neelma taking each opportunity as it came, always experimenting with new flavors, fruits, spices and seasonings as the seasons dictated, leading her to where she is today -the proud purveyor of award-winning marmalades and world-renowned jams.
From her jams, chutneys, and curds to her hot sauces, marmalades, and vinegars Neelma’s Jars of Goodness are the product of warmth and encouragement, with each offering inspired by family and containing the secret ingredient of love.
