Slathering two slices of Wonder Bread with a thin coating of sugary fruit preserves and peanut butter is a rite of passage for many who grew up on brown bag lunches. But in the following decades, jams and jellies grew up too. Today, there are a myriad of flavorful options to dazzle any palate. From brands that specialize in healthy, low-calorie recipes to gourmet manufacturers who turn out an array of lip-smacking flavors, there’s a jelly or jam out there that’s waiting for you.
Here are our favorite picks for fruit jams and jellies.
Good Good is true to their name, specializing in a range of sugar-free products, including this sweet strawberry jam. The natural sweetener Stevia provides the necessary zip in the recipe.
These award-winning jams make the perfect spreads for breakfast treats, including pancakes, breads and pastries. (And never underestimate the ability of a good jam as a glaze on meat.) Stonewall’s story doesn’t go back as far as Smucker’s, but they’ve been in the jam business since getting started at farmers’ markets in New Hampshire the early ’90s. Their first recipe – wild Maine blueberry – is based on the family’s blueberry pie. Now based in Maine, their company headquarters is visited by 500,000 tourists each year.
These jams from Bonne Maman are perfect for packing for picnics, tea parties, brown bag lunches for the office or bringing along on that next summer road trip.
Steve Spears is editor of Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. He is based in Orlando and counts St. Augustine, Key West and the Gulf Beaches among his favorite destinations in the state.
