So I've been a bit lax in posting lately. Work has been busy, life has been busy, I've been lucky enough to have lots of visitors lately and finally it's been so hot that cooking is the last thing on my mind. The other thing distracting me is the fact that when I have felt like cooking it's been jam, not just any jam but delicious gourmet jam with local fruits. I have been spending nights dreaming up new and tasty flavor combinations and in the last 3 weeks have made 7 different jams. I'm a bit out of control. The reason I haven't posted any of my recipes is that I am in the development stages of trying to get my own little line of artisanal jams going. It may not be something that is up and running until next spring/summer when all the delicious fruits are back in season, but right now I am developing recipes and am optimistic about the reactions I have been getting. There is still a ton of work to do and it is going to take alot of time and effort, but I can't wait. I'm excited to be starting something that involves my love of cooking and a potential way to earn a living. I know it will be slow going but I love the prospect of where it could all go! Don't worry though, I am still cooking and over the last few days have amassed quite a few recipes to post, I also got some amazing treats in this weeks Mama Earth basket that I can't wait to play around with. Stay tuned!
To make up for the lack of posts I have a giveaway. This is a tool I never knew I needed until it ended up in my stocking last Christmas, the OXO Cherry & Olive Pitter. I know cherry season is coming to a close, at least up here it is, but this tool is excellent for pitting olives as well. It's so handy and cuts down tremendously on the mess you make while pitting cherries or olives.
Along with this fabulous kitchen tool, I'm also going to send 3 small jars of my jam only if the winner promises to share some honest feedback with me.
How do you enter this giveaway? Simple just post your favorite kind of jam in the comments below. Winner will be selected randomly Thursday after midnight PST. Don't forget to tell your friends!
FUN! Your jam looks amazing. My favorite is homemade blackberry!
ReplyDeleteI have been eying those cherry pitters for a while now...would love to win one! And my favorite is probably apricot, but I absolutely love trying new and interesting flavors. Good luck with the jams!
ReplyDeleteI was just having a conversation with my mom about easier ways to pit cherries, but it looks like this tool would solve our problems! My favorite types of jams are probably strawberry and blackberry, but it's definitely a hard choice.
ReplyDeleteThe cherry pitter (however you spell that) looks great, every year I think about freezing or preserving cherries, but can;t figure out how to get out the pits without
ReplyDeleteA) going crazy
B) painting my kitchen and myself red.
As for jams, my favourite is raspberry. Sadly I've never made it fresh (berries we picked always went to a pie or were eaten straight).
For home-made preserves, nothing beats my mom's tomato butter ... does that count as a jam?
Homemade jam sounds great! I like raspberry or strawberry jam myself, but I'm not too adventuresome.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite was my Granddad's raspberry currant. I would love to get to try your jams!
ReplyDeleteIt's a toss up between Champagne Peach and jalapeno
ReplyDeleteOh, blackberry if I *must* choose. Had the most incredible new flavor recently -- corn cob jelly! It's what farm women used to make when they hadn't anything else. I'd love to taste your samples, I consider myself a jam connisseur. Would love the cherry pitter, because I also make a mean kalamata olive bread!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite type of jam is hands down strawberry! Nothing like my Mom's homemade (Which when I'm lucky enough to get a few jars will hide them in the back of the fridge LOL) What a fab little giveaway. Made a cherry pie this week & it would have come in handy (we pitted ALL of them by hand) Whew! At least the pie was good!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are canning! I have just started getting into it too, although I have not tried jams yet.
ReplyDeleteMy fave is raspberry.
And.. you find this hot? This is cool for a Toronto summer. Other years it is so humid you can hardly breathe. We have been lucky so far.
Of course now that I have said that...
Cherry jam is my A-1 favourite!! Sugar free always, ours our so sweet usually we don't need any (we keep in freezer too). Wish I could find a cood SF canning recipe for them though!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I would love to try your jams! I have so many favorites, but I'm actually a giant sucker for great apple butter. Or anything with ginger in it. Good luck with this project!!!! So cool!
ReplyDeletexoxo
the Diva
www.domdivas.blogspotcom
Jen,
ReplyDeleteThe jams look great! You have been so hard at work! I wish you luck with this project - I know you can do it.
My fav jam is Strawberry - we are on our last jar of the jam I made. It went so fast. Jakob is going to be so sad when there is no more Mama Jam!
My favorite jam is by far apricot jam!
ReplyDeleteI have one of these and it cam by way of stocking stuffer, too! I love to pit cherries for my son so he doesn't choke.
ReplyDelete