|
By Jess Thomson
As spring begets summer and summer begets fruit, the Seattle area is blessed with juicy orbs of all varieties. But in January? We eat jam. When we can’t eat our editor’s Hood strawberry jam (face it, Jill, it’s the best out there), here are some of our local favorites. [ed. note: Jill says that 95% of the credit goes to the Thulen Farm for growing such outstanding Hood berries, and the other 5% goes to her willingness to cook down an entire half flat of berries into just a couple pints of jam.]
Rhubarb
Made with only as much sugar as absolutely necessary, Redmond’s Blue Cottage Jams’ rhubarb spread is chunky without being stringy. A bit of butter balances the acid, and adds an underlying creaminess. www.bluecottagjams.com; Hancock Bakery, Minea Farm (Redmond), online; $5.25.
Strawberry
Blue Cottage Jams’ strawberry jam is made from Collins Family Orchard’s Seascape berries and Duris Farm’s Rainiers. It’s not completely pureed, but the strawberry pieces aren’t so big they’d topple off a piece of buttered toast—herego, the perfect texture for just about any application. www.bluecottagjams.com; Hancock Bakery, Minea Farm (Redmond), online; $5.25
Tart Cherry
At first glance, Maury Island Farm’s tart cherry jam is awkwardly thick, almost like canned pie filling—but warm it up, and it makes the ultimate gooey-sweet ice cream topper. www.goodjam.com; Metropolitan Markets, QFC, Whole Foods; $6.
Blueberry
Deluxe Foods owner and jam enthusiast Rebecca Staffel produces her jams and chutneys in the kitchen (in season) at Picnic, on Greenwood Avenue, on the days it’s closed. Her blueberry jam is loose and runny, so sandwiches are out, but the berry flavor is intense—perfect for stirring into yogurt. www.deluxe-foods.com; Picnic, $12.
Apricot
We like the loose, sweet, lemony apricot jam from Deluxe Foods because the huge chunks of fruit perch so well atop a slice of cake. www.deluxe-foods.com; Picnic, $12.
Tayberry
Gorgeously plum-colored and packed with real fruit, Woodring’s tayberry jam is not for the seed-averse. Tayberries are a tart, magenta-hued cross between loganberries and black raspberries—the tough core stays in them when you pick them, which means jam is the best way to enjoy them. www.woodringnorthwest.com; Pike Place Market, Seattle-area farmers’ markets; $8.75.
Peach
Oregon Growers and Shippers’ peach jam, made in Hood River, OR, was this taster’s favorite jam on the binge—perhaps because it has all the flavor of warm, in-season peaches, but none of the fuzz. Smooth, low in sugar, and unabashedly peachy, we’d give it to any homesick Georgian. www.oregongrowers.com; QFC, Metropolitan Markets, Town & Country Markets, PCC, Savour; $6.95.
Nectarine
Because a fruit spread has to have a certain percentage of sugar to be called “jam,” Pipitone Farms calls their fruit spreads “yums,” instead of jams. Sold under the Rock Island Red label, their nectarine yum is smooth and infinitely spreadable. Seattle-area farmers’ markets, Picnic; $8.
Gooseberry
Made in Granite Falls since 1959, Deer Mountain Berry Farms’ gooseberry jam is as old-school as its packaging. Thick, seedy, and tart, with a strongly tannic finish from the berries’ skins, it makes us want to snuggle under a blanket with a book, a cup of tea, and a good biscuit. www.deermountainpreserves.com; Metropolitan Markets, QFC; $6.99.
Blackberry
If you need a jam that’s both delicious and kid-friendly, try Cascadian Farm’s blackberry spread, which is sweet and silky, without too many seeds. Pairs well with peanut butter. www.cascadianfarm.com; Metropolitan Markets, PCC; $3.99.
Huckleberry
Although Woodring makes almost every flavor we can think of, we covet their huckleberry jam most. With whole berries, a loose texture, and a deep, finger-staining purple hue, we think it’s best to serve huckleberry jam where it gets noticed—on a spoon, for example. www.woodringnorthwest.com; Pike Place Market, Seattle-area farmers’ markets; $9.75.
Note: Technically, because of their lower sugar contents, most of the jams above are not actually jams, but fruit spreads. We hope you’ll pardon the generalization.
 |
