Preparations Begin for the 2026 Jam Festival

Bornova Municipality has accelerated preparations for the 2026 Jam Festival, organized to preserve Türkiye’s rich culinary heritage and support local development, by providing training and production support for women producers. Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki stated that the municipality will continue to prioritize local production and women's participation in the economy.

To strengthen women's economic independence, Bornova Municipality has provided each participating woman with 50 glass jars and 15 kilograms of granulated sugar, free of charge, to support festival production.

A Mulberry-Scented Workshop in Yakaköy

As part of the festival preparations, teams from the Directorate of Agricultural Services met with women producers in Yakaköy Neighborhood for a comprehensive Black Mulberry Jam Making Workshop.

This first session of a series of hands-on workshops, which will continue until the festival, gave participants the opportunity to learn every stage of jam production directly from experts while working around the cooking pots.

Conducted in cooperation with the İzmir Branch of the Chamber of Food Engineers, the training covered the following topics:

• Jam-Making Techniques and Cooking Methods: Combining traditional recipes with modern production techniques.
• Food Hygiene and Sanitation: Essential sterilization procedures to ensure safe and high-quality products.
• Achieving the Ideal Consistency and Sugar Balance: Producing jam with the perfect texture while preserving the fruit's natural characteristics and minimizing sugar content.
• Methods for Improving Product Quality: Practical techniques to extend shelf life and enhance flavor.

The participants reinforced their theoretical knowledge through practical experience, improving their production skills while boosting their confidence ahead of the festival.

Mayor Eşki: "We Are Passing Our Mothers' Jam Recipes on to Future Generations"

Speaking about the project, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki said:

"Keeping the jam pots boiling again in our villages, preserving this unique tradition, and introducing it to future generations is one of our greatest responsibilities. Every project that empowers women through production is an investment in Bornova's future. Through the free raw material support we provide and the continuous training programs we organize, we will always stand by our women producers. Our goal is to strengthen local development while preserving and passing on the natural recipes handed down by our mothers."