real food, made by real people

The origin

Founder and CEO Laena McCarthy started Anarchy in a Jar in 2009, cooking in the wee hours of the morning, making jam in restaurant kitchens, borrowed through the kindness and generosity of her community. Anarchy in a Jar is not a commodity, it's built around people growing, making, and sustaining real food ecosystems.

An international career in science support and academia ignited her interest in food, and she learned creative recipes from people she met around the world for preserved foods that were both tasty and healing. Laena landed back in NYC and decided to make her passion for preservation into a business.

With help from her team of tasters, fellow food makers and fans, she grew the business into a food experience powerhouse, where she teaches people to stir their eclectic experience and passion for eating into elixirs of the jar.

The revolution starts in your mouth.

Word on the Street

Our mantra is “the revolution starts in your mouth.” And we spread it wherever we go.

We used to sell our products nationwide, but we re-scaled our vision as supply chains became untenable. You can find the jam, chutney, and mustard at a few small grocery stores and cheese shops in the New York region, and online. You can find our sauce and fermentation kits online and with live classes through many different organizations, from TeamClass to ClassBento.

Anarchy in a Jar has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Times T Style Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Martha Stewart Show, Saveur, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, New York Magazine, Tasting Table, Serious Eats, and Time Out New York.

We’re happy to talk food and food systems anytime! See our Press page for more info.

the future is edible

We are more than a commodity. Food is essential, and the more people learn to grow, cook, and preserve their own food, the more our communities thrive.

We teach classes and ship kits that allow anyone to learn how to grow their own food and transform it in to delicious and safe staples, from pickles and hot sauce to kombucha and medicinal tinctures.

Check out our Edible Microgarden Kits, our Hot Sauce Kits, and more in our shop.