TurboJam: the 100% organic no-nonsense low-sugar products made in a village in Malaga's Axarquía

Javier Almellones

Cútar

Wednesday, 12 June 2024, 23:02

It all started as a strategy to make their crops more profitable. The Berrino family, who are originally from Italy, turned their plans around to make more money from the fruit they grew, which included mangoes, oranges and lemons.

"The farm pays less and less and production costs are more expensive", says Antonio, the young entrepreneur who, with the unconditional support of his parents, decided to create the TurboJam brand. They started with jams made from their own produce and have already explored and sold other products such as jams using stevia, creams and even juices.

The business took off in 2021 when Antonio Berrino was just 18, he had a business idea to make something sweet but healthy. In fact, TurboJam's jams and other products aim as far as possible to provide as much flavour as possible from fruit, up to 92 per cent in many cases. And most importantly, with minimum sugar content. They only require just enough sugar to preserve the jams and creams.

They use no artificial additives and their slogan is '100% organic, 0% nonsense'. Antonio Berrino is clear that to make the healthiest jam possible, all that is needed is "fruit in its optimum state of ripeness" and sugar or 'healthy' sweeteners such as stevia.

Today TurboJam's wide range of products is available via the online shop, where there is so much variety that it is difficult to choose. Among the most common flavours of the low-sugar jams are apple, strawberry, peach, orange and fruits of the forest. However, there are also some more exotic flavours like mango and kumquat, mango with cocoa and ginger are some of the more unusual taste sensations.

Jams with stevia include plum, lemon and mango, pear, kumquat, mandarin, strawberry and peach, among others. "There, fruit represents 97% and the remaining 3% is an infusion of organic stevia leaf, which leaves a much more pleasant flavour than when prepared stevia powders are used", Antonio explains.

There is even an alcoholic version, with rum as the secret ingredient. With it they mix mango, pear and lemon and orange.

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Another original proposal from this company which is part of the Sabor a Málaga foodie brand is what Antonio Berrino calls "the savoury collection", as they are perfect for serving with canapés, cheeses, pâtés or even meat. These include mango chutney and red pepper jam.

The company also has a range of juices where the same philosophy is applied; with as much fruit as possible and no chemical additives.

Through the experience of three years of trial and error, at the age of 21 and with the encouragement of his parents, Antonio Berrino is a successful entrepreneur and has even helped to boost the economy of Cútar, where the family has a small factory.

Today, as well as selling online throughout Spain, they also distribute their products to different parts of Malaga province, including to the Al Grano bakery on Avenida de Molière, in the western part of Malaga city.

The produce, whenever possible, comes from their own farms or from farmers in the surrounding area, which gives the company an added value of sustainability and a tool to combat the much feared rural depopulation.

Cútar is a charming village situated between Comares, El Borge and Benamargosa in the Axarquía on the eastern side of Malaga province, an hour's drive from Malaga.