L’atelier de confiture Cetea – Gustul din Apuseni

“L’atelier de confiture” Cetea – Gustul din Apuseni started as a logical continuation of my professional career in order to apply the knowledge acquired during the university (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) and the Food Identity master. Another reason to begin a jam production was the necessity to add-value to the natural resources (wild berries, high quality fruits and vegetables), to sustain small farmers and to buy the raw materials from local level. The fruits are picked from the nature, bought from local producers or from my own orchard.

I use fresh fruits and in less than 24 h are transformed to jam, using a specific local “savoir-faire”, respecting the environment and the biodiversity. All the production process is artisanal and it represents a guarantee of quality and our care for the products.

The products represent the proof for farmers that their efforts to cultivate the land, to obtain tasty fruits or to preserve the natural equilibrium in Apuseni mountains are not in vain.

Since my childhood, when I grew up in my grandfather’s village, not far from Cetea (where is located the production now), I learned the respect for the nature and tasty food. So, after the master graduation, I decided to offer the possibility to other consumers to enjoy healthy and delicious products.

All the products (jam, vegetable can – zacusca – or syrup) are made on a traditional stove with wood fire according to local recipes. Regarding my portfolio, it contains both common jam from plums, wine peach, green walnuts, rosehip and more innovative recipes as pumpkin with apple and cinnamon, beetroot with apple and ginger or strawberry with lavender.

The production process is mostly handmade. The fruits are picked or bought in the morning, the healthy ones are selected, washed, cut and introduced in the pot. After it starts to boil, the sugar is added. When the jam is ready, it is introduced very hot in jars and stored in blankets for a few days. Thus it can be preserved for 2 years.