A central Ohio woman turned her hobby into a lucrative business and found that her family members aren't the only ones who crave what she creates.
For ten hours a day, six days a week Kyla Touris makes biscotti and jams.
"We do four different farmers' markets and we do samples of our jams at each of the farmers' markets," said Touris, owner of Sweet Thing Gourmet.
Her products are now in stores, too. Sweet Thing Gourmet started with jams after her twin daughters were born. Touris and her husband, Mark, couldn't afford daycare for their three children, so she began to bake.
"I'd learned how to bake and cook and make jams from my mother and then decided to put my own creative spin on it," Touris said.
The cookie craze is catching on. Since the recession began, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has received 30-40 percent more calls from people who want to know how to start a home food business.
Terry Gearhardt, with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said cottage foods such as jams which need no refrigeration are unregulated and need only a label. Foods like cakes that need to be refrigerated require a home bakery license.
"We come out, we do an inspection," Gearhardt said. "No pets in the home, no carpet in the kitchen, a good water supply and a clean kitchen."
Homemade is a choice that has kept the Touris family afloat since Mark lost his job. Business is so good that they may expand.
"When people say, 'You have the best biscotti,' that's such a good feeling," Kyla Touris.
Sweet Thing Gourmet products can be found at Whole Foods stores and other central Ohio markets.
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