everything jam!
and some thoughts about shutting up
Hello!
It’s been a minute, and that’s honestly on me (who else would it be on? Idk, honey). If you’re just here for the jam recipe, I don’t blame you. Scroll on down and enjoy. If you want a sort of rambling update on what’s been going on with me, well, buckle up, I guess.
I’ve been trying to write this newsletter for, like, a week (if not more), and every time I sit down to do it, my brain is blank. Or, my brain is too full, and I want to say a lot of things that, honestly, I should probably just keep to myself.
As someone who used to write a dating and relationship column, I feel deeply compelled to air out every detail of my personal life to strangers on the internet because that is what I’ve been paid to do. Also, as someone who used to write a dating and relationship column, I do think I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better to just shut up.
Apologies for being vague, but, again, I’ve got Blank Brain. To be totally honest, it’s been nice to feel like I have nothing to say for a little while. As a serial yapper, I have enjoyed shutting up for a bit. Maybe that’s why I’ve been resisting writing this newsletter. It’s breaking my shutting up streak, and I think that streak has been good for me.
Mostly, my shutting up has been a forced shutting up because I’m house-sitting for my cousin in Berlin, and, well, I don’t speak the language and I also don’t know anyone else here. Sometimes, it has been lonely, but, much like shutting up, being lonely can be nice for a bit.
I’ve slowed down a lot. I’ve been taking long showers and long walks. I’ve cooked some good food. I’ve eaten better food out in the wild. I discovered a love for Donk music in the basement of a bar at a cowboy rave. It turns out shutting up and shaking your ass aren’t mutually exclusive, which has been a very nice discovery.
I’ve got some of my best friends coming into town (lol at me talking like I’m local) in just a few days and while my quiet time has been nice, I’m glad for it to come to an end. I will need to revisit it again. Sooner rather than later. It’s time I didn’t know I needed, but I think I’m ready to yap again, at least for a while.
ANYWAY! The jam!
Before my cousin left Germany, he stocked his fridge with more fruit than I could possibly eat before it went bad. In fact, some of the apricots and strawberries had already started to turn by the time he left. I love fruit and hate food waste, and so I panicked. And then I stopped panicking because I remembered jam.
Jam is a gift and a treat, and while I’ll never make any nearly as delicious as my friend Nick, I’m not gonna lie — this jam absolutely rocks. There is no added pectin here because the currants and blueberries are high in it, and the added lemon juice helps to activate it further. (There’s also no pectin because I didn’t feel like trying to find it in Berlin.)
I put mine in a tupperware because my cousin doesn’t have any jars in his house, but you can jar or can it if you want it to last longer. Obviously, it’s great on toast, swirled into brownies, and used as a glaze for chicken, but PERSONALLY, my favorite use for jam is the gin jam. I said it last year, and I’ll say it again: I think it is, perpetually, the drink of the summer, ad infinitum.
Everything jam is less of a recipe and more of a vibe and a method — I didn’t invent jam, but this recipe I developed suited my needs. Mostly, I hope you just aren’t afraid to throw some things together and see what works. More of that, I think!
everything jam: ingredients
7 cups of mixed fruits of your choice, pitted (if necessary), and cut into relatively equal sizes: a quick google search will tell you if any of your selected fruits have decent pectin content — if they don’t, you might want to consider adding an ounce or so of pectin. If you are deeply, morally opposed to anything other than VERY set jam, you will also want to add additional pectin regardless
¾ cup granulated sugar
the zest and juice of one big lemon
a big pinch of kosher salt
a few springs of an herb (or herbs) of your choice: my personal favorite is rosemary for, really, any jam, but basil is also really nice (again, do whatever you want!)
Now here’s how you do it. If you want video instruction — here ya go!
everything jam: method
Put a bowl in the freezer.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients, and using a potato masher or big ol’ spoon, mash and stir frequently until everything comes to a boil.
Once boiling, keep at a steady simmer for twenty minutes, continuing to stir and mash frequently to get everything to a uniform texture.
After twenty minutes of boiling, take your bowl out of the freezer and drop a little bit of jam in. If it sets up relatively quickly (after about 5-10 seconds or so), and you can draw a clear line through it, it’s done. If it’s not done, put your bowl back in the freezer, let it go for another five minutes or so, and then test again.
Once the jam is done, strain it through a metal mesh strainer. If you don’t mind a little pulp or skin, you can skip this step! Just make sure to (carefully) fish out any herb stems that may still be hanging out. If you want to skip straining and take an immersion blender to it, but my guest, just be careful. That isn’t part of my jam journey.
Transfer your jam to a container of your choice, cool, and then refrigerate. If you’re into canning, this is your time, baby. Otherwise, it should last in the fridge for a few weeks as is (or the freezer for a few months).
And that’s it — go forth and jam! Shut up! Shake your ass! Do whatever you’d like just try and have some fun while doing it
<3
G
it’s jam and it’s everything!!
Thank you, Garrett, for this awesome article. It’s nice to hear from you again. You are correct in saying that jam is more of a vibe than a recipe, a vibe. I have not been able to get a consistent handle on. Making a decent jam has been hit and miss for me, but I love your straightforward directions, I think they are going to change my game. Enjoy your Germany retreat!