New Year Resolutions

I can't believe it's 2011 already! where did 2010 go? well another busy year ahead and with lots of bumper harvest's I hope.

If like many of us, you've already had your maslin pan out and made your seville orange marmalade, filling your kitchen with those amazing citrus vapours and stocking up your cupboards for the year ahead, then you'll probably already be looking forward to summers soft fruit season so don't forget to take advantage of the more sleepy (in terms of preserving terms) spring months and take the opportunity to re-stock your preserving equipment, not forgetting your jars, bottles and lids so that you will be ready for what the summer months will bring.
If last year was anything to go by, we'll all be pretty busy with damsons and apples again, which would be nice. My plum tree does something different every year but last year, the plums it produced were enormous so here's hoping it'll surpass itself this year.

Anyway, back to January and February................well, here at Jam Jar Shop, we're looking forward to taking part in The World's Original Marmalade Awards again this year on 12th and 13th of February. March is Country Living Fair and lots more to come so we'll keep you posted.

Happy Marmalade making and if any of you are stuck on what to do, Rosie has a marmalade making video on the Jam Jar Shop website.

I hadn't disappeared - back with some great offers

Phew! Where have I been? Working. that's where. There has been no time to be bloging or filming for YouTube, hardly time to see the grandbabies, although we did go camping with them last weekend. I have been asked to write for a magazine, we have had lots of national press coverage, taken a lease on The Old Smithy to start our courses and jam making and dealt with more orders in the last month than in four months this time last year.

We have lots of new products on the website that I haven't had time to tell you about - especially the bumper packs of labels - great value - same great quality!

We also have new packs of the popular Firenze bottles - the average purchase ofd these bottles is in 6's so we have had a box produced for this quantity, packed them, AND reduced the price - can't be bad - check them out here . Will be great for Sloe Gin.

May and Katie will be starting on the Plum Jam later this week, so we'll get the recipe up on the website over the weekend, hopefully. Normal service is resumed!

Oh dear . . . .

Oh no! You're all waiting for the new delivery of swing-top bottles - which we said would be in this week - and where are they? Still across the Channel because all of the ferries are cancelled due to the storms. Doh! Rosie should have kept quiet . . . they are on the way though. To make it worth waiting we shall be repeating our amazing Buy One, Get One Free offer with a twist - Buy Six Get Six Free. (The boxes take twelve . . . .). I know, I'll never be able to retire if I keep doing things like that but it's only money.

The good news is though that the printer has finally delivered The Jam Maker's Journal which has gone straight onto the website at the introductory price of £8.99 for a while - Trev insisted this time- I argued that I'm already doing a crazy deal on the bottles but he dug his heels in. Hey ho.

Each Journal will end up being unique as there is plenty of room for you to record your own ideas and recipes alongside the useful information we have gathered together. The month by month pages don't have year so the Journal will still be relevant for many years to come. The Journal is in A5 ring binder format so you can easily add extras such as recipes from magazines and there's even a page on different lid sizes with a measurement guage, seasonal recipes, hints and tips, weight and jar conversions - as well as some of our lovely labels that you can use on your own preserves. We think it makes a great Christmas present - especially for you!

They're here!

At last! The new swing top bottles are in - ideal for sloe gin as Christmas presents. We have the popular 250ml size for that, plus 500 ml and 750 ml. The very best news is that the 250ml and 500ml are both on a buy one, get one free offer as a thank you to all of you who have been so patient. So get ordering as soon as to avoid the rush! They are great value, and look good too. We also have tie-on labels and printed Christmas labels which we have had designed for us. They are not expensive but really finish off that hand-made gift.

Entente Cordial

Well, I don't know where that fortnight went to! We have been busy, busy, busy, as usual and have been making lots of Elderflower cordial while the flowers are so lovely. My Trev took some beautiful pics of the flowers in our garden - they really make a stunning show at this time of year. We have also made some Lemon Cordial which is so delicious - I don't like squash or lemons very much, but this is so refreshing. It looks great in our swing top bottles. We diluted it with sparkling mineral water but I can just imagine it as a gin and tonic as well! Email me if you want the recipe. We've also been making Mediterranean Chutney with lots of lovely peppers and aubergine, good old Piccalilli and tomorrow we are going to devise a recipe for a barbeque sauce. I think I'll have to go and lie down for a bit.

Glass Swing Top Bottles - ready for Summer!

It has been a busy holiday weekend in UK but it's back to work now. I went to our local market yesterday and the summer fruits are starting to appear - English raspberries and strawberries, but I started as I always do with some lovely fresh apricots. Not from UK I know but definitely in season now. I try to buy local whenever possible but it can't always happen. Seasonality is the thing we should all be embracing. We shall be making lots of lovely apricot jam and I am going to try my hand at some fruit coulis this year. Apricot or raspberry coulis in our lovely new bottles just in at Jam Jar Shop. They will look great and taste even better.

We have some beautiful new glass swing top flasks which we shall use for flavoured oils I expect but you can use them for anything that isn't fizzy - cordials would be good. The elderflowers will be blossoming soon so why not make up a batch of this aromatic cordial all ready to add to iced sparkling water for that long hot summer we are going to have! Makes a great gift too. I'll see if I can put a recipe up on the website.

My friend May will be arriving for work shortly and we shall get on with the apricots plus finish the batch of beetroot chutney - May made loads yesterday and turned herself quite purple in the process! ( She won't wear the gloves . . .)