On a perfect summer day—say 80°F, crisp blue sky, and 0% humidity—the last thing I want to do is think about winter. In fact, once I thaw out, I spend most of my summer days trying to forget all about it. But on that first summer morning in early August when I wake at my usual time to an unusually dark bedroom and am faced with the reality that the days are getting shorter if not colder, I know too that Old Man Winter will come for me again. And so I am forced to consider my survival kit, which if carefully prepared can banish the winter blahs until at least February.
For me, surviving a Chicago winter isn’t about the gear—it’s about the grub. I squirrel away countless packages of frozen rhubarb and asparagus, green beans and sweet corn, Michigan blueberries and raspberries, until my Foodsaver or freezer scream “uncle.” What I don’t freeze, I pickle, dry, or simmer into a chunky chutney or sweet jam.
The entirety of my preserved booty not only sustains me and satisfies me all through the winter, but the fruit jam and preserves are what I most treasure. They’re my silver bullet for Old Man Winter. One spoonful of blueberry preserves and I’m right back where I long to be—the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan watching the sun set as I wiggle my toes in the soft sand. A generous slathering of peach jam on my morning toast and I can instantly smell the orchard in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
And that’s why I fire up my stove on a less than perfect, hot and muggy summer day and get down to business—it’s time to make jam. Each year the operation starts with the tried and true varieties: my sisters’s favorite peach preserves, Thomas Keller’s Plum Zinfandel Jam from Ad Hoc at Home, and old school red raspberry jam. Then the experiments begin. This year I was armed with a copy of Christine Ferber’s Mes Confitures. Christine is often referred to as the “Fairy Godmother of Jams and Jellies” and a quick flip through her cookbook will show you why:
Strawberry Jam with Black Pepper
Peach with Pinot Noir and Cinnamon
Morello Cherry with Almond
After hours of deliberation and a trip to the farmers market, I settled on Apricot Preserves with Vanilla Beans and Gewürztraminer and Plum Walnut Conserve. They were both bewilderingly fruity without being overly sweet though the apricot edged out the plum by a nose. The vanilla scented goodness layered over the velvety texture of the apricots was so addictive I could have eaten the whole pot with a spoon and maybe a crusty loaf of bread, but thoughts of Old Man Winter kept me in check. I ladled the bright orange jam into my jars and tucked it away in the basement until….
You don’t need the Fairy Godmother of Jams and Jellies or her book to make delicious jam. These free resources are all you need to get started:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
From PickYourOwn.org
From DenverPost.com
And two great food blogs largely devoted to jams and preserves:
By: Bobbi Marstellar
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