Jammin’ with Resh and Jess | Listen

A Columbia, South Carolina jam business is fueled on friendship

Jam may be Reshma Mahadkar’s and Jessica Henry’s business, but friendship is the duo’s real jam—and an integral ingredient in the artisanal jams, jellies, and marmalades their company, Sakhar Jams, produces in Columbia, South Carolina. It all began in 2020 when Mahadkar invited Henry to join her for a therapeutic jam session. “Several not-so-great things led us to start Sakhar. I’d opened and closed a bakery. Jess had moved away, then gotten separated and moved back. I was working in education. Then Covid hit,” Mahadkar says. “We were both depressed, and I’d been making jam as a distraction.”

The process proved healing for Mahadkar, and she wanted to share that with her friend. And, while it started as a hobby, Mahadkar envisioned the business it could be, something she also wanted to share with Henry. “At that point, I was giving the jam away, but people were losing their minds over it, so I knew there was demand,” Mahadkar says. “And then, there was the explosion.”

Mahadkar laughs long and loud, recalling the kitchen fail that helped define who would do what once Sakhar was officially founded. “I made some pickles and a jar exploded. I really didn’t know how to can, but Jess, who grew up ‘putting up’ with her mom and grandmother, did,” she says. 

Once they added the “business partner” title to their relationship, they harnessed their personalities to benefit their new company. Bold and boisterous, Mahadkar is head flavor creator and the face of the company, handling most marketing and sales. Quieter and thoughtful, Henry stays a bit behind the scenes, overseeing jam making and running operations. 

They complement each other in the same way fresh South Carolina produce plays well with Mahadkar’s Indian heritage, as evidenced in Sakhar’s selection of South-meets-Southeast-Asia spreads. “I lived in Mumbai until I was 13, so those flavors remain close to my heart,” she says, “and they’re delicious, like our peach masala chia.” Tea leaves suspended in the jam infuse it with heady floral notes. The jams with nods to Mahadkar’s childhood aren’t the only way she honors her birthplace. Sakhar means sugar in her native tongue, Marathi. A commitment to sourcing local is the final piece of the puzzle and a promise that’s been easy to keep. “We have access to amazing South Carolina fruits year-round,” Henry says. 

The first jam Mahadkar made, strawberry prosecco, remains the number-one seller. Stirring a bit of booze into jam was a whim. “I thought, ‘I’ll just dump some prosecco in and see what happens,’” she says. It worked. This playful attitude still drives Sakhar, as do Mahadkar’s personal preferences. “What I love, what I want to try, the tastes that pull me back to my family’s kitchen—these things often go into our jam,” she says. 

To date, they’ve experimented with more than 100 recipes, and not all are winners. “I love the Indian influences, but every now and then, Resh overdoes it,” Henry says. 

“What? Are you talking about the cardamom!” Mahadkar quips back through a guffaw.

Henry affirms, also laughing, “Yes. It was too much!”

From the beginning, Sakhar’s distinctive blends and a rustic, chunky texture (courtesy of hand smashing the fruit) have propelled almost every new batch to sell-out status in hours, and jams continue to fly off Sakhar’s shelves (aka Henry’s dining room). But the small-batch operation is truly small, using its 15 or so hours a week in a commercial kitchen to make about 250 jars. Future plans include its own manufacturing facility and a bigger team. “I don’t ever want a machine making our jams, though,” Henry says. “I just want a slew of women working with us.”

As they chat about where Sakhar has been and where it’s heading, laughter bubbles up again, evidence of the fun and friendship anchoring their efforts. “I mean, the original name was Jammin’ with Resh and Jess, how cheesy is that?” Mahadkar says over Henry’s giggles. “To be real, though, quick growth brought hurdles. We think and communicate differently, so we’re always working to see those differences and work with them.”

But every time they sample a still-warm, just-made new jam, challenges fade away, and priorities come into focus. “We love this, and Sakhar is important, but our friendship is the real flame we want to protect and grow,” Mahadkar says.

Get Sakhar Jams

Taste bud-tantalizing flavor combos like peach/brown sugar/bourbon, raspberry jalapeño, Meyer lemon cardamon marmalade, Rangpur lime marmalade (Mahadkar’s favorite), and strawberry rhubarb (Henry’s go-to) are Sakhar’s calling card. You can find these sometimes spiced, sometimes spirited, but always sweet jams in multiple Columbia stores, including Mast General Store and Rosewood Market; at Swamp Rabbit Café in Greenville; and at Lowcountry Street Grocery in Charleston. Charleston’s Off Track Ice Cream also swirls Sakhar jams into its treats. A few popular flavors, like strawberry prosecco, stay in the rotation, while other seasonal, limited-time offerings can only be ordered through Sakhar’s website.