Preserves Fresh from the Field to Your Family
Stephanie Sibley has always enjoyed creating with food. Growing up, she taught herself to make glorious mud pies using only the best dirt and leaves in her family’s huge garden.
As a young wife and mother, she tapped the alphabet for inspiration to make fun dishes for her kids like Suzy Seal’s Six-Spoon Salad and Dinosaur Dawn’s Delightfully Delicious Dip. She even paired complementary fruits to craft her own jams and jellies, packaging them in baby food jars and gifting them to friends and family for the holidays.
Yet her most successful culinary experiment began when a girlfriend told her about the strawberries in their hometown of Carlsbad, California. Turns out that 13 million pounds of the luscious, red berries were grown and shipped each year. Intrigued by the idea of showcasing the abundance of fresh, locally grown fruit in their area, the two women launched the Charter Oak Preserving Company.
They rented a kitchen and began cooking up a variety of jelly and jam recipes, which they hand-packed and sold at local shops and events. As the business grew, Stephanie became the sole owner and expanded the product lineup to include preserves, jellies, chutneys, butters, curds, dips and spreads. She also added exciting new flavors like Summer Berry Preserves, Hot Pepper Jelly, and Sun-dried Tomato Smokey Cheese Spread.
Today, more than 30 years later, Stephanie continues to use the freshest, purest, all-natural ingredients with no preservatives. Each original recipe is cooked in small batches to deliver the best flavor and highest quality for a taste the San Diego Home & Garden Magazine described as capturing “the warmth and sun of San Diego in a jar.”
Over the years, Stephanie’s preserves have attracted fruit lovers of all ages—from a two-year-old toddler to a 15-year-old teen chef to a 100-year-old woman.
“I love Charter Oak because the products are delicious and go with any occasion,” said Rachel Corell of Costa Mesa, California. “Whether hosting people at my house or giving Charter Oak items for gifts, they always hit the right note.”
Corporations and small businesses have also sought out Stephanie’s wares. A hospital foundation in Southern California gifted their donors with Charter Oak products and a quaint coastal restaurant in Rhode Island regularly features Charter Oak condiments in their restaurant.
Running her own business also gives Stephanie the opportunity to give back to her community. You’ll find her donating her time and money as well as Charter Oak products to causes that help improve people’s lives like the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation. Her other charitable causes include The Junior League, The Assistance League, and The Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, creating and eating desserts, and making memories with her family and friends. And now that she’s a grandma, she plans on teaching her grandkids how to be creative with their food too.
