Grandma’s Goodies

ALEXANDRIA — Producers are continuously pushing the boundaries set by Mother Nature, finding ways to offer market goods year-round. Cottage food producers like Jeanette West are getting creative with their products, processes and social media presences.

Finding a niche corner of the market, West is taking a different approach than some by offering fermented foods such as kombucha and sauerkraut, as well as vegan and gluten-free homemade breads, various baked goods, sweets and dog treats through Grandma’s Goodies, a business that keeps West busy at farmers markets and her self-serve shop out of her home near Alexandria. She uses social media to spread awareness of her products addressing specific health needs.

Today, West runs Grandma’s Goodies, offering fermented canned goods such as beets, spicy Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, apple vinegar, and blueberry or cherry kombu-chews, which are fruit leather. West also offers kale chips, dog treats, and a large variety of homemade breads such as cranberry wild rice bread, cinnamon raisin (vegan), garlic basil, rye, cracked wheat, nine-grain, gluten-free Italian focaccia (vegan), scones, apple fritter bread, peanut and almond clusters, organic peanut butter cups and pies. She is working on a vegan and gluten-free chocolate recipe to share later this season.

“I want to make things that taste good and be as healthy as I can,” West said. “The cinnamon raisin bread is vegan, and it will always be. … (I work) toward making something specifically for people to meet a health need.”

Attending markets in Alexandria, West noticed that other than sourdough, not many market vendors were making and selling bread. With that in mind, she started baking bread to sell then evolved her product line by canning, dehydrating and freezing, rarely letting any produce go unused.

One day, West was talking with a friend about the benefits of kefir, a fermented probiotic milk drink. West and her friend also talked about the troubles that dairy can cause some people, herself included. This sparked West’s interest in learning how to make kombucha, a fermented tea.

“I really wanted to make something like this,” West said.

After some initial research, West got a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast starter and is now bottling 10-20 bottles of kombucha a week, generally one flavor at a time. SCOBY, known as the “mother,” creates the fermentation process of the tea. Some of West’s fan-favorite kombucha flavors include blueberry mint, cranberry orange, lemon ginger and apple cinnamon. She tests her kombucha to ensure it is under 0.5% alcohol levels to be able to sell it at market.

The reason for the beverage’s popularity in the U.S., West said, is because fermented foods are extremely rich in probiotics, which support the millions of healthy bacteria found in the gut. Probiotics feed the good bacteria in one’s gut and play a major role in keeping one’s immune system operating and healthy.

Experimenting with fermented foods and baked goods is something West said she fell in love with after spending quality time in her 20s with both of her grandmothers.

“I always loved doing stuff with my Grandma Budd when we could visit,” West said.

While growing up, West’s dad was a pastor and the family frequently moved. She would spend holiday weekends throughout the year at her Grandma Budd’s house in West Plains, Missouri.

“Grandma and I would always be cooking and doing things in the kitchen,” West said.

One of the fondest memories West had while cooking with Grandma Budd is when she asked her grandma to teach her how to make her peanut brittle recipe, West said. As they were preparing the recipe, West wanted to write down the ingredients so that she could get it right down the road when she and her grandma would not be making it together.

“My grandma said,  ‘I never measure anything,’” West said. “So, it just took us forever to make. … She would measure it out in her hand, then add a bit more, set it aside … and measure that.”

Grandma Budd taught West to enjoy experimenting and trying new things.

West said it was her other grandma, Grandma Salmons, who was known as “The Pie Lady.” When West told her great-aunt, Mary, that she struggled making her pie crusts right, she received some safe advice.

“Mary told me, ‘You’re going to make a lot of bad pie crusts, but when you make it right for the first time, it’ll be fine after that,’” West said. “All of those experiences (in both grandmas’ kitchens) eventually meshed into today’s life.”

West said she has her grandmothers to thank for spending time teaching her to enjoy the creativity found in the kitchen.

In 1987, life dealt West and her family a tough challenge when Sam was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 29. West became his full-time caregiver. Moving to Minnesota in 1996 to be closer to her parents, who reside outside of Alexandria, only made sense. They built a home on the property to accommodate West and Sam, and with the support of her parents, West began helping her dad, Jim Salmons, run Fresh from the Garden, a seasonal garden business. They grew produce on a little over half an acre and trucked the produce to markets each week.

As her husband’s health deteriorated, West said the amount of energy it took caring for him was all she could manage, so the father-daughter duo gave the garden business a rest for a while. After West’s husband passed away in 2021, West joined her father again in the produce business and began to think about other products she could sell.

West is plenty busy with growing fresh produce along with numerous other tasks involved in maintaining the variety of products she offers. Her days are filled by attending farmers markets and keeping her on-site shop stocked for self-service pickup. She said she also maintains many customer connections with those who rely on her to provide products that meet their dietary needs. West said she will continue to provide Grandma’s Goodies customer favorites, but she is also trending toward providing high-quality, vegan and gluten-free specialized recipes that may not be as readily available to some customers. Continuing to learn and grow while supporting other local food producers in the area is what she enjoys, she said.

“You’ll see me at the (close) of a market with my money out shopping other vendors,” West said. “We support each other. … Sometimes, we’ll barter or trade, too. It’s great.”