JAM according to Daniel: Jam shares

“JAM according to Daniel” is fueled by my passion for old-fashioned fruit preserves (with some new twists), made with local fruit, low sugar, and no pectin. My job, as I see it, is to make fresh fruit last, rather than produce the fruit-flavored jello that usually passes for jams and jellies. By adding less sugar, and avoiding pectin altogether, I can cook off most of the water and concentrate the flavor; as a result I am able to fit a pound of local fruit into every 8 ounce jar. My jam will last for up to a year in a cool dark place; once it has been opened, a jar can sit in the refrigerator for a very, very long time.

I am a Charlottesville-based jam maker, working exclusively with local fruit in season. I learned the value of local ingredients while making jam at a local winery under managers who were looking out for the bottom line, rather than the quality of the product. I was forced to use the cheapest fruit available, all sourced through local produce companies but originating in far-off places like Florida, California, and Oregon. After the fruit had traveled for days, from the fields to my pot, in the back of a refrigerated Semi, it was woody and tasteless, and did not bring enough flavor to the jam. Once I’d started my own jam business, I was overjoyed both with the quality of fresh local fruit and with the added significance that local ingredients gave my jam. Buying local fruit from farmers means I value the fruit more, because in addition to a lower cost, I can interact with the actual human beings who grow what I buy, sell, and eat myself. I can extend this relationship between producer and consumer another step when I sell my jam, interacting directly with my customers, who eventually consume what is, in part, the “fruit” of my labors.

I also recognize that locally sourced ingredients keep the revenue within our community, rather than sifting it down through the infrastructure costs of a national fruit distributor, ultimately resulting in a few cents on the dollar in the pocket of the farmer whose toil made it all possible. I was a member of the on-campus CSA at Hampshire College, in Amherst MA, as a college student, and, after returning to Charlottesville in late 2007, I did not take long to find Roundabout Farm and subscribe to their CSA.

I was flattered and overjoyed when, a few weeks ago, Megan asked me if I was interested in offering a jam share to her subscribers, available at their usual CSA drop-spots (Wednesdays, either Meade Park farmers’ market, Meade Avenue, Charlottesville (3:00-7:00 pm) or Roundabout Farm (3:30-6:30 pm)). Therefore, through the great and expansive generosity of Roundabout Farm, I am proud to offer you one of THE FIRST JAM SHARES! I’m also offering a pickup at my own stand, at the Charlottesville City Market on Saturdays between 7 AM and noon.

A jam share consists of 12 jars, for $96: this is available either as 1 jar per week for 12 consecutive weeks, for the jam fiend; or as 1 jar every other week for 24 weeks, for the jam aficionado. The latter supplies a wider platform upon which to enjoy the ballet of fruits as we progress through the season, but with such a breadth of exposure, there will probably only be one jar of each variety. Alternatively, the weekly option allows for an immersion into each moment of the season, moving through the parade of berries and stone fruit at a more intimate pace, taking in all of the details. If you want the breadth and depth combined, look no further than the DOUBLE JAM SHARE! This option entails 1 jar per week throughout the balance of the season, 24 jars total, and it costs $168 (at a discount of $1 per jar). All shares will double up during August to accommodate the high season, so there will be a jar every week for biweekly shares and 2 per week for double shares.

In a nutshell:
JAM according to Daniel
Jam shares 2009
Single Share: 12 jars, $96 (weekly or biweekly)
Double Share: 24 jars, $168 (weekly)
All Shares will pickup twice as much during August.
Pickup spots: Wednesday 3-7 PM at the Meade Market OR Saturday 7-12 at the Charlottesville City Market.

Estimated fruit availability:

Early June: Strawberry, Rhubarb
Late June: Cherry, Raspberry, Blueberry
Early July: Peach, Blackberry
Late July: Peach, Plum
August: Peach, Plum
September: Peach, Pear

If you have any questions, concerns, allergies, favorite flavors, comments, special orders, fond memories, or suggestions, email me at accordingtodaniel@gmail.com.

For more information, explore my website.
My jam is in Flavor magazine this issue (Both an article and a recipe: www.flavormags.com).
I was also written up recently on locallectual.com.

A hope to hear from you soon!

Best,
Daniel Perry