Preserves Primer

Jelly: Translucent jewel-like spreads made from strained juice of the fruit. Jellies hold their shape, yet are tender and spread easily. Sweet jellies are typically loved on toast and breads, but are also wonderful with desserts of many kinds. Savory or spicy jellies are gaining in popularity and are delicious served with cream cheese, as a glaze for meats, or as an ingredient in marinades.

Jam: A spread made from crushed or chopped fruits cooked with sugar and acid (i.e., lemons) to create a preserve that holds its shape, yet is smooth and spreads easily. The taste of fresh fruit shines through HeathGlen's jams, as it is not masked by excessive amounts of sugar and preservatives found in commercial products. HeathGlen's jams tend to also be a softer consistency than a commercial jam. While jam is typically thought of as a spread for toast, it can enhance many kinds of food. Excellent as a filling for desserts, as a base for fruit sauces, as an enhancement to plain yogurt or oatmeal, or as a glaze on roast meat.

Preserves: A subgroup of preserved food that refers to a soft spread made from small whole fruit (like strawberries or cherries), or larger fruit (like peaches) that has been cut into large pieces. The fruit is distributed throughout the jar, suspended in a clear fruit-juice jell. The fruit in preserves is typically steeped in their syrup for a day and then boiled rapidly for a brief period. The rapid cooking gives a fresh fruit flavor that is much more intense than that of regular jams. Good preserves are elegant-looking spreads packed with big chunks of fruit offering a very fresh flavor experience. Delicious on toast and specialty breads, spooned over waffles and pancakes, stirred into yogurt, or poured over ice cream.

Marmalade: A cross between a jam and a jelly, marmalades have the translucent quality and consistency of a jelly and the texture and structure of a jam. A marmalade contains small pieces of soft fruit and peel (often citrus fruit) evenly suspended in their own jelled juices. Heath glen's marmalades are not as bitter as traditional Seville orange marmalades, but they all have the distinctive tang that defines a true marmalade.

Fruit Butter: A silky smooth old-fashioned fruit spread made with ripe fruit and very little sugar; considered the most wholesome of the sweeter preserves. Fruit butters have a rich and intense fruit flavor due to a long slow cooking process that concentrates the natural sugars of the semi-overripe fruit. Excellent as a substitute for butter on your morning toast or incorporated into sauces and/or baked goods. A great choice for those monitoring fat, sugar or caloric intakes.

Chutney: A savory condiment with a characteristic sweet and sour flavor and a soft jam-like texture. Fruits and/or vegetables, sugar, vinegar and spices are long-simmered to achieve a rich, complex flavor that develops as it matures in the jar. Chutneys exhibit great diversity in flavor; from mellow and somewhat sweet to fiery hot and spicy. Heath glen's chutneys are always aromatic, exotic and flavorful, and like a fine wine they improve in the jar over time. Chutneys are superb as a accompaniment to meat and poultry, as an addition a cheese and cracker tray (especially robust cheeses as Stilton or Gorgonzola), spooned on top of squash or vegetables, or as a sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise.