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The Kitchen Table

Your favorite jam/jelly/preserve?

16 years ago

Mine is tomato preserve- I know it sounds weird, but it doesn't taste that much like tomato. It's just delicious. Unfortunately, I never see it in the stores anymore. My Dad loves it, too. I am going to have to make some, I guess, so we can both have it.

What're your favorite 2 or 3? My others are blackberry or raspberry jam and apricot preserves. Hey, if you ever see tomato, let me know, OK?

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Comments (34)

ruthieg__tx
16 years ago
I love plum, blackberry and I love apple butter...Last year I made a lot of the jelly that included peppers and we have really gotten to be addicted to that stuff...It's sooo good..I remove the seeds from my blackberry ...don't like seeds..
naughtykitty
16 years ago
My 2 favorites are plum and apricot.
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You can use fruit/herb jellies on bread, scones or English muffins. Use them to fill cakes. Add some to a trifle (chopped, it's a pretty decoration on top of the custard) and also on top of Pavlova. You can also serve vegetables with a herb or fruit jelly as a sort of melting glaze. Mint goes with a lot of veges (carrots and peas especially), a lemon jelly would be nice on just about any vege, too. Don't be afraid to experiment with combinations - you are only limited by your imagination and personal taste! Savoury Herb Jelly 2kg tart cooking apples or crab apples, roughly chopped 900ml water 300ml wine vinegar good handful of fresh herbs 360g sugar per 600ml juice Boil the apples with the water and vinegar. Add the herbs and simmer. Cook until the apples are soft. Strain through muslin overnight. Measure the juice, return to the saucepan and add the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then boil until setting point is reached, taking care not to let it boil over. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and add a few leaves as decoration if desired. Store in a cool, dark cupboard. Suitable herbs are Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Thyme. A sweet jelly may be made in the same way, but instead of vinegar, substitute 1 litre of water. Suitable herbs for sweet jellies are Bergamot, Calendula, Lavender flowers, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Scented Geranium leaves (Rose, Apple, Peppermint, Lemon, Lime), Violet. Apple Jelly 3kg apples, cut into quarters 1 lemon, cut up sugar Place apples in a heavy saucepan with the lemon, cover with water. Boil to a pulp. Place a piece of muslin into a colander, pour in apple mixture and leave overnight to drain into a basin. Return liquid to a saucepan, add 500g sugar for each 600ml of liquid. Boil for about 45 minutes or until the jelly will set. Pour into clean, dry, warm jars and seal. Add any of the following in the final stage of simmering; lavender flowers, rose petals, scented geranium leaves, rosemary leaves, lemon or lime leaves, lemongrass stems, a few dried cloves, slices of ginger root. Use the sweet jellies on scones or bread, and the savoury jellies with cold meats. Or replace half the apples with blackberries, mulberries, raspberries, lillipillies etc. Blackberry Jelly 4 cups blackberry juice (takes about 5 cups blackberries and 3/4 cup water) 3 cups sugar To prepare juice. Select about 1/4 under-ripe and 3/4 ripe berries. Sort and wash; remove any stems or caps. Crush the berries; add water; cover; and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Extract juice. To make jelly. Measure juice into a saucepan. Add sugar and stir well. Boil over high heat until jelly mixture sheets from a spoon. Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot containers and seal. Elderberry Jelly As it is a juicy fruit, it will not need the addition of any more liquid than, perhaps, a squeeze of lemon. Equal quantities of Elderberry juice and apple juice, and apple juice from peeling, will require 750g of sugar to 500ml. Lavender Cake with Lavender Jelly 2 eggs, separated 1/4 cup hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup brown sugar pinch salt 1 cup wholemeal pastry flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons lavender jelly lavender flowers for garnish Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin. Beat together the egg yolks, water and vanilla until pale. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add salt, then beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 cup of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Spoon remaining whites into the yolk mixture and sift the flour and baking powder over. Carefully fold in the flour. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until done. Invert pan onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before removing the tin. Split the cake into layers and sandwich together with lavender jelly. Decorate with lavender flowers. Lavender Jelly 4 tablespoons dried lavender flowers 4 tablespoons powdered pectin 3 cups apple juice 2 tablespoon lemon juice 3 cups brown sugar Line a sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Cut a circle of cheesecloth, put lavender flowers in the centre and tie up to form a small bag. In a large saucepan, combine the pectin and apple juice, stirring until the pectin is dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice and sugar and add the lavender bag. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove bag. Strain through cheesecloth into sterilised jars and seal. You might like to check out the following link, too. Here is a link that might be useful: unusual jellies
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Comments (23)
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patti43
16 years ago
My favs are black raspberry jam and apple butter.
judy_jay
16 years ago
I have to have the sugar free but they don't taste that bad really. I like apricot & black raspberry best - usually by Knott's or Smucker's.
lydia1959
16 years ago
I really like apricot or plum. Seedless blackberry or raspberry is good too.

I've seen tomato, but never have tried it. Have you checked the Amish store in Branson? They had a good variety of jams last time I was there, no tomato on the website.. but maybe at the store?

Here is a link that might be useful: Amish store
azzalea
16 years ago
Love boysonberry. And Strawberry and raspberry JELLY (diverticulosis--can't eat preserves with seeds any more). And, of course, my own homemade grape jelly, from the grapes in my back yard is always a treat to me--reminds me of the jelly my grandmother made when we were kids.
monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
Apricot marmelade...and ocasionally, Strawberry preserves
Terri_PacNW
16 years ago
I make my own.
#1 favorite Raspberry Freezer Jam
#2 Tayberry Jam~freezer and canned
#3 Brown Sugar Rum Peach Jam~canned as well

My middle son will only eat freezer Strawberry...I just emptied the 2nd to the last container..I think local strawberries will be ready just as were using the last container up..atleast I hope so!
msmarion
16 years ago
My favorite is Marion Blackberry, it's somewhat different than blackberry . My other fav is Beach Plum you have to to go to Plum Island in Ma to pick them though.
Pieonear
16 years ago
Strawberry freezer jam
Jodi_SoCal
16 years ago
Raspberry Hot Pepper jam, jelly or preserves. Love them ALL!

Jodi-
tami_ohio
16 years ago
Elderberry jelly. Period. Up until a couple of years ago, anyway. Now, I will occassionally eat Blackberry.

Tami
ronf_gw
16 years ago
Orange marmalade.

Ron
czech_chick
16 years ago
Strawberry!
nicki_in_niles
16 years ago
Seedless red raspberry... yummy!
adellabedella_usa
16 years ago
Home made muscadine jelly is the best.
Eliza_ann_ca
16 years ago
Most people on here probally have never heard of my favorite...it's bakeapple jam.
Bakeapples are not related to the apple at all,but are a yellow raspberry shaped berry that grows on marshes in Newfoundland and Labrador.
They have a very distintive flavor unlike any other fruit or berry.
The only other place they are found is Sweden,where they're called Cloudberries.
I might add that they're very expensive,and one could easily pay 12 to 15 dollars for a small jar.
When my mom was living,she always had a jar waiting for me when I visited her on holidays.
linda_in_iowa
16 years ago
Orange marmalade for me.
gazania_gw
16 years ago
Elderberry jam. I buy it at an Amish bulk food store. It is the only place I have ever seen it. Elderberry jelly is available everywhere, but not elderbery jam. My next favorite would be my sister-in-law's choke cherry jelly. She always gives me some for my birthday. She doesn't use pectin when she makes it. Sometimes it turns out to thin to be called jelly. Then it makes great pancake syrup.
marilyn_c
16 years ago
Does lemon curd count? Especially Dickinson's. I eat it on butter cookies. :))
vicki_lv_nv
16 years ago
I'm with Flamingo...Tomato Preserves, would be my absolute, positive favorite.
Lindsey_CA
16 years ago
My favorite is my homemade red raspberry freezer jam; and second place is a tie between my homemade strawberry freezer jam and Smucker's blackberry jam.
ronf_gw
16 years ago
I see a couple people mention Elderberry jam. Do you make it yourselves? We have elderberries growing around here and pick them to make a pie or elderberry/apple crisp. Do you have a recipe?

Ron
brenda_in_tx
16 years ago
My grandmother's fig preserves. She's been gone since '97, and while occasionally I'll see them in the grocery store, they sure aren't like hers. I'd love to have some.
sheilajoyce_gw
16 years ago
I like orange marmalade, black raspberry jam, and Hero brand cherry (or is it black cherry) jam.
shea
16 years ago
I'm a big fan of cherry and raspberry preserves.
evatx
16 years ago
I love apple butter. Next favorite is strawberry preserves.
pump_toad
16 years ago
It's a toss up between apricot jam and orange marmalade.
Lois
socks
16 years ago
Orange marmelade people: which brand do you like?
Cherryfizz
16 years ago
Flamey, I made a few jars of tomato preserves with shreds of citrus in the fall and I am enjoying that on my toast right now.

Years ago when I used to have a crab apple tree I would make crab apple jelly. I haven't had that in a long time.

I love Robertson's Silver Shred marmalade and I also like the bitter marmalade they make. I like Grape Jelly too and of course Cherry Jam.

I love any jam made by Greaves.

Raspberry too and apple butter.

I absolutely love lemon curd on toast. That and the silver shred have to be my all time favourites I guess.

I'm not fond of strawberry jam unless it is homemade.

Anne
pawsitive_gw
16 years ago
Oh, is my mouth watering!!! I was going to say apricot and peach jam from our trees. Then again, I loooove strawberry, cherry and plum, homemade, of course. If I buy jam, it's blackberry, and raspberry. Then there is boysenberry, huckleberry, fig, oh my, just about everything!! Only thing I don't like is orange marmalade. Too bitter. Not crazy about apple butter either.

Speaking of, our apricot tree has lots of buds that will explode in the next 2 weeks. If we don't get a killing frost, we may get apricots this year!
kframe19
16 years ago
Peach, the Apple-Maple (got the recipe from someone here on the forums) and strawberry.
sandy_in_ia
16 years ago
I don't think there is one that I don't like! LOL Orange marmalade would probably be my least favorite...although I would eat it.
mrsmarv
16 years ago
My homemade raspberry jam (we pick gallons of berries on our land in the summer), along with peach jam, plum preserve, and orange marmalade.

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