Edit History

I love making jams, but also love checking out the "competition". So I like doing a little bit of industrial espionage and see what craft jams are all about.

I found this article in Serious Eats about the best jams and preserves in the US and decided to try a few using this as a guide. Of course this is just an article, so maybe there is something better out there that isn't mentioned in the article.

I was all excited when I found a jar of Blue Chair bergamot marmalade at Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, so I grabbed it. They had other flavors but that one intrigued me the most (I love a good marmalade and they are very time-consuming to make).

Here is what it looks like on their website, a light and bright orange color. And in real-life it is rather dark brown (it doesn't look so bad on toast, but in the jar it's really super dark). The color is off, maybe this was an older batch? And the taste - not caramelized yet bitter as I am used to, but actually quite sour and not that nuanced. Not much of that unique bergamot taste that I love in Earl Grey or bergamot candies. There were surprising consistencies issues with the peel too, with a few giant pieces in there. At $13 for a 6 oz jar, I was expecting something a bit better... Next!

I love making jams, but also love checking out the "competition". So I like doing a little bit of industrial espionage and see what craft jams are all about.

I found this article in Serious Eats about the best jams and preserves in the US and decided to try a few using this as a guide. Of course this is just an article, so maybe there is something better out there that isn't mentioned in the article.

I was all excited when I found a jar of Blue Chair bergamot marmalade at Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, so I grabbed it. They had other flavors but that one intrigued me the most (I love a good marmalade and they are very time-consuming to make).

Here is what it looks like on their website, a light and bright orange color. And in real-life it is rather dark brown (it doesn't look so bad on toast, but in the jar it's really super dark). The color is off, maybe this was an older batch? And the taste - not caramelized yet bitter as I am used to, but actually quite sour and not that nuanced. Not much of that unique bergamot taste that I love in Earl Grey or bergamot candies. There were surprising consistencies issues with the peel too, with a few giant pieces in there. At $13 a 9 oz jar, I was expecting something a bit better... Next!

I love making jams, but also love checking out the "competition". So I like doing a little bit of industrial espionage and see what craft jams are all about.

I found this article in Serious Eats about the best jams and preserves in the US and decided to try a few using this as a guide. Of course this is just an article, so maybe there is something better out there that isn't mentioned in the article.

I was all excited when I found a jar of Blue Chair bergamot marmalade at Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, so I grabbed it. They had other flavors but that one intrigued me the most (I love a good marmalade and they are very time-consuming to make).

Here is what it looks like on their website, a light and bright orange color. And in real-life it is rather dark brown (it doesn't look so bad on toast, but in the jar it's really super dark). The color is off, maybe this was an older batch? And the taste - not caramelized yet bitter as I am used to, but actually quite sour and not that nuanced. Not much of that unique bergamot taste that I love in Earl Grey or bergamot candies. There were surprising consistencies issues with the peel too, with a few giant pieces in there. At $13 a 9 oz jar, I was expecting something a bit better... Next!

I love making jams, but also love checking out the "competition". So I like doing a little bit of industrial espionage and see what craft jams are all about.

I found this article in Serious Eats about the best jams and preserves in the US and decided to try a few using this as a guide. Of course this is just an article, so maybe there is something better out there that isn't mentioned in the article.

I was all excited when I found a jar of Blue Chair bergamot marmalade at Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, so I grabbed it. They had other flavors but that one intrigued me the most (I love a good marmalade and they are very time-consuming to make).

Here is what it looks like on their website, a light and bright orange color. And in real-life it is rather dark brown (it doesn't look so bad on toast, but in the jar it's really super dark). The color is off, maybe this was an older batch? And the taste - not caramelized yet bitter as I am used to, but actually quite sour and not that nuanced. Not much of that unique bergamot taste that I love in Earl Grey or bergamot candies. There were surprising consistencies issues with the peel too, with a few giant pieces in there. At $13 a 9 oz jar, I was expecting something a bit better... Next!