Jams & Preserves | 2014 Editors’ Choice Food Awards

View the winners of the 2014 Editors’ Choice Food Awards — Jams & Preserves Category.

MARMALADE BLAKE HILL PRESERVES Grafton, Vermont Vicky Allard is a third-generation preserve maker from Hampshire, England. When she and husband Joe Hanglin purchased Blake Hill Farm in 2004, they found a bumper crop of wild blackberry and raspberry bushes growing on the property. At the time, jam was just a hobby. But they planted blueberries, gooseberries, and rhubarb; Liz got busy in the kitchen; and, in 2009, they launched their preserves company. Their gamble has paid off: This year, they were the first Americans to ever win gold at the World Marmalade Awards (for both their “Orange, Lime & Ginger” and “Orange & Ten Year Single Malt Whisky” varieties). We love how all their marmalades balance sweet, citrus, and bitter flavors in a way that warms a winter morning. Suggested Retail Price: $7.99 to $8.99 per jar Where to Find It: Whole Foods stores; many wine and cheese shops throughout New England; most co-op stores throughout Vermont; online at: blakehillpreserves.com  

BLUEBERRY JAMS BLEUBERET ARTISANAL JAMS & CONDIMENTS Ellsworth, Maine It’s easy to find locally made jams in New England. What’s harder is finding a jam that tastes fresh and vibrant, not overcooked, and isn’t clogged with too much added pectin. So when we first tasted K. T. Waters’s blueberry jams, we nearly danced a little jig. Here was the bright, clean flavor of fresh fruit, served plain or enhanced with lime, spices, cranberries, or currants and cabernet. We love them all. Suggested Retail Price: $10 to $14 per 7.75-ounce jar Where to Find It: The Cave in Gloucester, MA; Darien Cheese Shop in Darien, CT; Sheepscot General Store in Whitefield, ME; Wasik’s in Wellesley, MA; online at: bleuberets.com    

RED AND BLACK CURRANT PRESERVES VICKY DAY’S Springfield, Vermont After relocating from England to Cherry Hill Farm in Vermont in 1995, Peter and Victoria (a New Hampshire native) Hingston carried on growing the raspberries and currants they’d come to love in Great Britain and turning the sweet results into preserves (they also run a pick-your-own operation on the property). We love the red and black currant varieties for their bright yet subtle sweetness, which pairs especially well with cheese or a basket of warm scones. Suggested Retail Price: $7 per 10-ounce jar Where to Find It: Specialty shops and markets in Vermont, including Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier; City Market in Burlington; Woodstock Farmers’ Market; online at: cherryhillfarmvt.com

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