The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I started canning in earnest last summer and turned to this book after some long time canners listed it as one of their go-to books. From the get-go, I was in love with this book in that food porn way - the gorgeous photography, the stories or notes that accompany each preserve, the recipes for simple tried and true jams as well as jams with more esoteric ingredients and more complex flavor profiles. However, it was only after making some of these jams and enjoying them heartily over the past year that I have decided to finally commit to buying the cookbook in anticipation of the canning season to come. Last year I made the strawberry balsamic black pepper jam, the red nectarine jam, and the pear-elderflower jam from the book. I made the red nectarine jam with Hamada Farm's red nectarines and the pear-elderflower with bartletts from K&J Farms, both at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market. Living in the Bay Area and having access to some of the best fruit in the world makes jam an easy thing to labor over. The results are precious, swoon-worthy, and wholly delightful in their decadence and their difference. If you love making jam then this is the book for you! So far my friends and I made great tomato marmalade from my own homegrown tomatoes last year, and apricot marmalade. This year I ventured and made late summer peach marmalade without pectin and the results were superb. It takes 2 days to make the marmalade, but well work the wait. I've usually been making freezer jams because I love to preserve the taste of the fresh fruit, but since discovering the book through friends in Florida, I haven't made freezer jam since! The book includes marmalade/jam made with herbs- something I would never had thought of, and just for a trial I did make peach - lavender marmalade. Again the end product was scrumptious. My garden tomatoes were just picked today, so it looks like my weekend is going to be busy making more tomato marmalade which we use on fish, chicken, and turkey. I'll comb through the book to see if there are more marmalade I want to conquer!
What do You think about The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook (2010)?
Best jam cookbook I've ever read. I am definitely buying this one! This is a piece of art.
—Ann
One day I will have a suitable kitchen for jam-making. Until then, this book tides me over.
—belania91
Dear god this book is gorgeous. I need to kidnap the photographer.
—jesimarie08
My absolute, hands down favorite source for jam.
—honestabe
