812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 21, 1991
If you always wanted to taste corn cob or red beet jellies, then John Dochter and his
wife, Betty, are the people to see. The Oochters market unusual flavors under the
name Unique Jelly and sell them at craft shows, tourist spots, and by mall.
Unique Jelly
This Fellow
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
BROWNSTOWN (Lancaster
Co.) John Dochter made 3,000
jars of jelly last year. If you ask
him for strawberry jelly, he wrink
les his nose and retorts, “Strawber
ry —anybody can make that I like
to make unique jellies.”
So John makes jellies in flavors
such as com cob, red beet, dande
lion, alfalfa, sweet potato butter,
pumpkin butter, and apple raisin
chutney.
Most of the pleasure that John
derives from jelly making is
watching others taste the jellies.
He and his wife take the jellies
to craft shows and market them
under the name Unique Jelly. Pas
scrbys may sample the jellies on
crackers.
Of course, some turn up their
noses at the mere thought of tasting
com cob jelly, but others are curi
ous and slop to sample the flavors.
About 25 percent of the passersby
are thrilled with the unique Jelly
flavors. It’s these people who
purchase the gift-size jars for
friends, neighbors, and them
selves.
John, who is 65 years old,
started his jelly'busincss about six
years ago. Before that, he bar
becued pigs and chicken for festi
vals and other large gatherings. At
some festivals, he roasted four pigs
at a time and served 3,000 pork
sandwiches a day at places like the
Bavarian Festival in Bamesville.
But all that heavy lifting took its
toll and when John had heart
bypass surgery, he had to give up
his barbecue business. Because he
doesn’t ever plan to retire and
because he had made many friends
at shows and festivals while barbe
cuing, John thought of a way to
active without heavy lifting,
-clly making does require the
long hours and heavy work that
roasting pigs require, he said.
His Unique Jelly can be made in
his home kitchen, packed in his
van and transported to the many
shows around the state.
The only drawback is that
John’s restricted diet doesn’t allow
jelly. That doesn’t mean that John
doesn’t cheat occasionally espe
cially when he is experimenting
with a new flavor.
On a sunny spring day, John can
often be found in a field of dande
lions at such spots as a cloverleaf
where he picks about 200 pounds
of dandelion. During the fall, he
wants his com cobs fresh, so he
follows the com picker to pick up
400 to 500 pounds of discarded
com cobs.
“The nice thing about my job is
that I can freeze the com cobs and
dandelion until I’m ready to make
the jelly,” John said.
In his years of cooking jelly,
John-has developed many secrets
that he isn’t about to share. He
knows what to do to keep dande
lions from developing a bitter fla
vor during cooking.
For jed beet jelly, John has one
particular brand of canned red
beets that he buys to make his jelly.
Other brands give it an entirely dif
ferent texture and flavor he said.
Where does John get his ideas
for new flavors? “I think about it a
lot,” he answers. “For instance, I
always thought alfalfa tea tastes
pretty good so I thought why can’t
I make alfalfa jelly."
He did. And now alfalfa is his
favorite jelly.
He said that dandelion jelly is
the most popular with urban peo
ple while com cob seems to be the
choice of rural people.
Sometimes people suggest ideas
for jellies. Although John is will
ing to try any flavor, he said he
Retirement Workshop Offered
CREAMERY (Montgomery
Co.) If you are retired, are
about to retire, or are just begin
ning to consider what retirement
might be like farther down the
road, a'two-part workshop called
“Retirement: A New Life, A Dif
ferent Life” can help you to make
retirement a positive and produc
tive lime.
The workshop, developed by
Penn Slate Extension Faculty Bar
bara Davis and Marilyn Furry,
offers advice on finances and
addresses other concerns about
retiring, such as planning effec
tively, taking care of your health,
finding the best place to live,
maintaining relationships and
staying actively involved in life.
In addition to discussion and
activities, the workshop includes a
video in which people who are
actively planning their retirement
share their thoughts and concerns
as well as their plans for the
future. Others, who are already
retired, talk about their new
Keeps
Busy
needs to lake into consideration the
availability of the supply. Some
one suggested violet jelly, but John
doesn’t think he would be able to
gather the amount of violets
required.
Apple raisin chutney is often
used as a flavor enhancer for meats
and is excellent on bagels, English
muffins, turkey and ham.
Next year, John plans to add a
few no-sugar jellies. According to
John, no-sugar jellies are difficult
because they must pass a lot of
government restrictions. Jelly
must be 51 percent natural or
added sugar; otherwise it must be
called a spread. Butters must be 43
percent solids.
A commercial printer designed
labels and brochures that John uses
in promoting Unique Jelly.
“My dreams are unlimited. The
business depends on how far I’m
willing to lake it,” John said.
He ships his jellies all over the
U.S. The jelly is packed in 8-ounce
jars or in three-jar gift packages.
He even offers a Jelly of the Month
Club, where members receive an
unusual jelly every month. Price: 1
jar for $2.30; three jars for $7.50
plus shipping and handling
charges. Send orders to John
Dochter, Box 191, Brownstown,
PA 17508.
experiences.
If you are interested in partici
pating in “Retirement: A New
Life, A Different Life, workshops
are being held on January 8 and
15, free of charge. For more infor
mation contact Nancy Stevens at
the Montgomery County office of
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion.
gaya<ifa:ißagat»a
Add to the Christmas spirit
with a "ready-whcn-you-are”
dessert. Roll scoops of chocolate
ice creajn in crushed peppermint
candies or roll eggnog ice cream
in crushed peanut brittle. Store
scoops in freezer and serve as
needed.
See your nearest
INEW HOLLAI\D
Dealer for Dependable
Equipment and
Dependable Service:
LVANIA
Annvllto, PA
BHM Farm
Equipment, Inc.
RDI, Rte. 934
717-867-2211
Carlialt, PA
R&W Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Davidsburg, PA
George N. Gross, Inc.
R.D. 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
Elizabethtown, PA
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc.
Rt 283 - Rheem's Exit
717-367-1319
Gettysburg, PA
Yingling Implements,
Inc.
3291 Taney town Rd.
717-359-4848
Halifax, PA
Sweigard Bros.
R.D. 3. Box 13
717-896-3414
Hamburg, PA
Sharllesville
Farm Service
R.D. 1, Box 1392
215-488-1025
Honey Brook, PA
Dependable Motor Co.
East Main Street
215-273-3131
215-273-3737
Honey Grow, PA
Norman D. Clark
& Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Hughesvllle, PA
Farnsworth Farm
Supplies, Inc.
103 Cemetery Street
717-584-2106
New Holland, PA
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Olay, PA
C.J. Woneidler Bros.
R.O. 2
215-987-6257
Pitman, PA
Schrefiler Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Quekertown, PA
C.J. Wonsidler Bros.
R.D. 1
215-536-1935
Tamaqua, PA
Charles S. Snyder, Inc.
R.O. 9
717-386-5945
West Grove, PA
S.G. Lewis & Son, Inc.
R.D. 2, Box 66
215-869-2214
MARYLAND
Churchvilla, MO
Walter G. Coale, Inc.
2849-53
Churchville Rd.
301-838-6470
Frederick, MO
Ceresville
Ford New Holland, Inc.
Rt. 26 East
301-662-4197
Outside MD,
800-331-9122
Hagerstown, MD
Antietam Ford Tractor
301-791-1200
NEW JERSEY
Bridgeton, N.J.
Leslie G. Fogg, Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek
Landing Rd.
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
Washington, NJ
Smith Tractor &
Equip., Inc.
15 Hillcrest Ave.
201-689-7900
Woodstown, NJ
Owen Supply Co.
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308