If the season of mellow fruitfulness has you reaching for your jam sugar and a motley assortment of mismatched jars, we have the best of news. Ball jars, icons of the jam world (yes, there's such a thing) are now available to purchase in the UK through Lakeland
In the US the jars have become a cult product, with antique examples prized by collectors, and modern jars being used for everything from pendant lights to rustic drinking vessels in trendy bars. Although we're all for repurposing here at House & Garden we think these are most wonderful when used for their original purpose - jamming and pickling!
The Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company began making fruit jars in 1884 in Buffalo, New York. The simple glass jars look much the same now as they did then - a neat row of them wouldn't look out of place in one of Walker Evans' FSA photographs of rural communities in 1930s America. The glass is satisfyingly thick with the distinctive moulded flourish of the Ball logo, and an innovative two-part screw top.
Ball has a very natty Preserving Starter pack, that includes everything you'll need for making three perfect jars of jam. They also recommend using their own setting mix for achieving just the right jamminess, without anxious to-ing and fro-ing with saucers of jam to the fridge. Make the most of nature's bounty by making blackberry & lime jam to Ball's recipe.
Click here for the blackberry & lime jam recipe
We're also getting ourselves in a pickle about the revised and updated 'Preserving' by Ginette Mathiot. The original classic by Mathiot, has been lovingly remastered by Clotilde Dusoulier of legendary food blog Chocolate and Zucchini.
It includes a comprehensive selection of jam and pickle recipes, but also has sections on charcuterie, curing and smoking. We recommend ordering a copy now but until it arrives flex your jamming muscles with Mathiot's recipe for pear jam.
Click here for Ginette Mathiot's pear jam recipe
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