Bazaar Stories: Jams, Jellies and Preserves

The tradition of the Jams, Jellies, Pickles and Preserves Table goes back as long as the Bazaar itself! The men of St. Helen’s used to get together and make pickles at a parishioner’s home in the 1980s. As years passed, others took on making jams, jellies, pickles and added them to the Bazaar’s menu.

Today, Irene (a St. Helen’s parishioner) makes jams and jellies, donating all her time and ingredients that go into these delicious condiments. The berries come from local gardens, including her own, one on Vancouver island, and a community garden. She tells me that each year she follows the ‘jam trends’. For example, Seville Orange Marmalade is growing in popularity, so that was a must for last year’s Bazaar. Irene remembers three college kids bought a jar of that marmalade. A week later, they called her up, and asked if they could buy a whole case!

Phin, our 6 year old jam-maker, will be selling his jams for the second year in a row at this year’s Bazaar. If you were to ask, his favourite jam combination is apricot or peach or apple and apricot together. According to Phin, jam, “isn’t hard to make at all!”

These little jars are the star of the Bazaar, and not to be missed.  Some jams and preserves you’ll expect to find this year are: Blueberry, Marmalade, Strawberry, Crabapple, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Mincemeat, and bread and butter pickles. Come early, they sell out fast!