Spicy or sweet, Lents ‘Jalm’ maker turns local fruit into tasty spreads

Take a look and find out this ‘jam chef’ started his business, and why he put the ‘L’ in JALM …

At the PDX Hot Sauce Expo, Carl Momberger of BIG JALM shows his last bottle of Thai Strawberry spicy jalm.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

This story about a Lents food manufacturer started in August with a chance meeting while covering a Woodstock-based hot sauce maker for THE BEE news at the 8th Annual PDX Hot Sauce Expo near OMSI.

Next to the “Marshall’s Haute Sauce” booth, a smiling Carl Momberger, manning his Big Jalm stand, had just sold out of their Raspberry Scotch Bonnet Jalm and other spicy products by noon.

Asked if his company was “local”, Momberger replied, “If Lents in local, then yes, we’re local!”

In their Lents Town Center commercial kitchen, more batches of ‘jalm’ are being prepared.

A few weeks after that show, Momberger invited East Portland News to visit his commercial kitchen, located on SE Woodstock Boulevard in Lents Town Center.

“Okay, I’ll answer the first question most people ask: the ‘L’ in JALM stands for ‘love’ – the love we put into making all of our products,” Momberger explained.

In the field, chef Carl Momberger examines berries that will soon be made into ‘jalm’. Company provided image

Although he started off making sweet fruit jams 2016, Momberger said that he started experimenting with spicy spreads, starting with Thai Strawberry Jam which led him to making Raspberry Scotch Bonnet Jalm that won the first place prize at Old Boney Mountain Hot Sauce Competition in the ‘Spicy Snack’ category.

“I thought if it won an award, I should go to the PDX Hot Sauce Expo – and, boy, am I glad we did. It was our best-selling weekend of the year,” recalled Momberger.

BIG JALM cook Nathan Barrie stirs a batch of fruit and sugar.

In the big steam kettle, fruit and sugar begin melding into jam as it’s cooked.

But, in the kitchen during our visit, Momberger was back to making more traditional sweet jams.

“My favorite?” the chef repeated the question. “Well, they are all my ‘children’, and I love each one of them for individual reasons. But, my longest running favorite is the Tayberry – this unique berry founded the business because of the balanced berry flavors and floral finish set Tayberry apart.”

Of all his products, Tayberry Jalm remains the chef’s favorite. Company provided image

He explained that Tayberries are a hybrid of raspberry and blackberry. Their name comes from the River Tay, which flows through Dundee, Scotland, where they were originally hybrid.

One by one, Carl Momberger fills jars with freshly made, hot ‘jalm”.

“What sets us apart from large producers is that we get the best berries and fruit from family farms in the Willamette Valley to create unique ‘jalms’ and jellies,” Momberger explained.

BIG JALM sent us this photo showing some of their best selling products.

Asked for his best “pitch” for his products, Momberger didn’t hesitate: “The three jam ‘Jalmmy Pack’ is the hottest holiday gift around, creates smiles every time they get gifted. These customizable beauties make the perfect gift for foodies, snackers, and jam-lovers around the world.”

Well said, sir!

Order your BIG JALM products, all made right here in outer East Portland, through their website: CLICK HERE.

Note: Should you be wondering, no, East Portland News has not received any compensation for creating, producing, and publishing this tasteful story.

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