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Sandi Huish, of Sandi’s Kitchen, said she has wondered if she should retire at some point, but plans to keep working for now. She has a commercial, government-inspected, kitchen in her home, and says she spends a lot of time there.

“I never did it to make money,” Huish said. “I did it because of my love for food. People loved the food, they loved the ideas, and that’s how my business grew.”

Huish believes in old-fashioned values, community support and building relationships. She also just loves her jams and preserves, made from the best and freshest local ingredients.

She said her harvest pear jam is “an out-of-body experience” and she recently sold out of her apple pie at a London market. She makes different varieties and mixtures, like almond-peach, strawberry-banana, cherry-rhubarb, cranberry-raspberry, peach-mango and more. Her red pepper jelly is popular, the second creation she made, and her personal favourite is pickled beets. What she is most known for is her zucchini relish that she nicknamed “Christmas in a jar,” and she recently sold more pineapple salsa than even her relish.

“You can tell there’s an energy about what people are gravitating to, so that was really eye-opening for me,” said Huish. “When I was in Markham, I sold out of my entire display. I have never, ever done that. I’ve been in business for 28 years, so I was just blown away.”

Sometimes people order cases of items, come to try her new recipes, or just return for the tried-and-true ones they have loved for years. Huish also has some holiday baskets available for folks to buy as gifts.

Huish said she first created her zucchini relish after finishing school for horticulture, and the product “just took off.” When she heard a radio newscaster talking about her on CBC, she thought she was dreaming. She said they called her relish “the best in Ontario.”

An artist, cook and businesswoman, she said she was able to combine all her experience and passion into one craft.

“I didn’t know I was going to do this, but I get very strong gut feelings sometimes and listen to them,” she said.

She said for several years she sold her preserves in stores and at the ���߲ݴ�ýFarmers’ Market. Now she travels around to smaller markets and sells from home.

“Everything I do is very simple,” she said.

The recipes she shares, and the fusion of savoury and sweet ingredients, are unique. She recommended having harvest pear jam on top of chive cream cheese on fresh bread or crackers, for example. She also uses jams as a glaze on meats, to add a touch of sweetness to her omelettes, and uses her zucchini relish on fish. Since she doesn’t like to waste anything, she even made a chickpea salad recently using her beet brine and fresh vegetables.

Increasing food prices have affected Huish, too, especially this past year, she said.

“I try to grow as much as I can myself, and I have growers that I buy from regularly,” she said. “I don’t use chemicals; everything is all organic.”

She said even when she travels she cooks homemade meals to take with her and plans them ahead. As busy as she is, she still takes time to relax and enjoy the little things in life. She said she never expected to be making preserves and running a business for this long.

“I’m still growing and going strong,” said Huish.

Sandi’s Kitchen can be found on , and can also be written to directly on Messenger.