Anarchy in a Jar » jam making

jammin’ with the ladies

Laena — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:23:20 +0000

apples at the NYC greenmarket

local jonathan apples at the market

al and barb -- my favorite mom & daughter helpers!

I was lucky to have some great jam helpers with me this past weekend. Allison and her mom Barb came and assisted me in a the kitchen as we made “Boozy Apple Preserves” with rum-soaked currants, cardamom and blood orange. They were a delight to cook with, and the preserves turned out great. I wish I had thought to take a few photos of them with rags on their heads and gloves on, geared up for jammin–it was adorable! It was heartening and inspiring to cook alongside mother and daughter, as we peered into pots and tasted the elixir together. The love and laughter definitely filtered into the jam.

We soaked currants in rum for an hour or so, but we could have soaked them longer. They plumped up like little drunkards, and we added them to 1/4 inch diced Winesap apples. We threw in some sugar and then juiced and zested a few blood oranges to add acid, flavor and depth to the concoction. Meanwhile, I simmered cardamom pods in syrup and added this, plus a few pods to the apples mixture. Then we cooked it for awhile until we reached the gel stage (221 Fahrenheit). While we waited for the jam to jam, Carla plied us with chocolates and pastries, not perfect enough for the restaurant, but just right for our taste buds.

I love having helpers in the kitchen! If I’m lucky, I have a few every month that come join–students, friends, strangers and jam fans–to learn my jam secrets and assist me in the artisanal process. It adds to the love in the jam, and makes it taste that much better.

Salons & New York Times, hello springtime

Laena — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:07:44 +0000

jammin with the marvelous Adam at Les Salonnieres brunch

Jam is best when shared with others. I love traveling around town, meeting new people and feeding them jam.

Last Sunday I had the good fortune to attend Adam Aleksander’s marvelous Les Salonnieres artist’s salon and supper club. I fed them jam. They performed, shared and wowed me into an inspired art frenzy. Thanks, it was awesome.

I also taught jam class at Kara Masi’s amazing Ted & Amy Supper Club. I met some wonderful novice jam makers, we drank wine and stirred elixirs of the jar together. We laughed, we cried, we made jam. The great writer and lovely lady, Ava Chin of the New York Times, came and wrote about the class for her last New York Times’ Urban Forager column before she moves on to City Room. She wrote a really nice review and I’m so glad that she quoted me as saying “’This is when the magic happens,’ she said, stirring slowly as the cooling jam started to thicken. ‘Look how it becomes goober-y.’” Yes, that is exactly something that I would say. Thanks, it was awesome.

Where will Bluebell and I pedal to next week? Stay tuned…

You make jam in NYC?

Laena — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:16:58 +0000

We get this a lot. People scoff and think it’s weird. Most small batch & artisanal jam is made on farms, in France or California, in rural areas with easy access to fresh fruit, or all the above. But NYC is the perfect locale for jam production, just like it’s the perfect place to start a rooftop farm or raise bees. Let us count the ways:

1. Access to great produce. While it seems contrary to the industrial image of NYC, it’s actually easier to acquire fresh, beautiful fruit here than in many parts of the country. Numerous farmer’s markets across the city and demand by gourmands and chefs means the fruit is top of the line and there’s great variety. Red Jacket Orchards, is a perfect example. They’re our favorite fall vendor and their plums, apples, pears and quince are impeccable. You can find them at one of the markets almost every day of the week.

2. A dearth of local jam for sale. There are very few local jam companies, and none that produce anything like we do (if the label says NYC but it’s made in a factory upstate or in Jersey, sorry, it doesn’t count). People want their jam and we bring it. Here’s hoping it doesn’t get too saturated like the NYC pickle market!

3. Voracious & fine-paletted foodies who like it local, organic & artisanal. Thanks, eaters, for being so discerning, hungry, supportive and inspiring. It’s easy to stay cutting edge and excited when people keep us real. It’s our friends and jam fans who challenge us to include their favorite new flavors, like bergamont, pear & chipotle, St. Germain. And this is what gernerates new ideas and heightens our experience of the everyday act of eating. Jam on!