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Ways to Use Homemade Jam & Preserves

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So, in 2017 I participated in the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge that was offered by cookbook and FoodInJars.com author Marisa McClellan. Each month was focused on a different preservation type, as you will see if you browse my 2017 blog entries. Of course, lots of homemade jam was included!

Participants made the recipe of their choice within that month’s category and shared their entry (or entries) in the Food in Jars Facebook group.

My homemade jam and preserves pantry under my stairs#usethejam and #usethedamnjam

Within that group, members started sharing recipes about how to use their abundance of homemade jam and preserves, using hashtags like #usethedamnjam and #usethejam. We spend countless hours making these delicious homemade canned goods, and then for many of us, before we know what has happened we have a total surplus in our pantry. Beautiful, precious jars full of colorful homemade jam and preserves – and what do we do with all of them?

Marisa has a large selection of all types of recipes that she has created to also help us use our jam – check out her Preserves in Action page for a list of recipes. Also, check out her book, “The Food in Jars Kitchen.” It features even more jammin’ recipes that you need in your life!

With Marisa’s permission, I have compiled the plethora of suggestions from the Food in Jars Facebook group, as well as from my own collected recipes and other research, on how we can all use our jam. My hope for this page is for it to be a quick resource for all of us, in our quest to use that beautiful jam.

Giving Credit

Where there were specific links given in the group, I am linking to those pages. For the basic ideas that were shared, I am not crediting individual names because many things were repeated by multiple members. There wasn’t really a way to credit everyone, at least not that I could see. If you are a group member and you see something listed below that was your specific idea and you would like me to add your name or a link to a blog post of yours, I am more than happy to do that – just ask!

Fig Balsalmic Pork Loin with fig jam
Fig Balsalmic Pork Loin

There is a TON of information below. It’s actually quite overwhelming. As I was compiling it all into an order that hopefully makes sense, I found this article from NW Edible about mixing and matching flavors in jam.

I know Marisa does this in a lot of her awesome recipes she creates for us, and it is one of the reasons why we are all such fans of Food in Jars. It is also a good reminder that in cooking, we need to remember to be adventurous. Be brave. Try new things. The only way we have the plethora of today’s modern recipes and techniques is because somewhere, at some point in history, someone TRIED IT.

As you are reviewing the below information, I encourage you to think outside the box. Think about the IDEAS and how you can adjust them accordingly using the jam flavors in your pantry, in combinations your family will enjoy. Have fun with it!

Disclaimer: I have not personally tried all of the recipes and ideas I am sharing here. But, after reviewing all of them, I’m excited to try the ones that are new to me!

Marinades, Bastes & Sauces

When it comes to using your jams and jellies for meat, there really is no limit. There are lots of great suggestions here, ranging from marinades, basting sauces, finishing sauces, dipping sauces, etc. – for grilling, baking, roasting, slow cooking, stir-frying and more. I’ve tried to condense the ideas, but as you can see the options really are endless!

One cool thing you can also do if you are ever in need of inspiration is to just go to Google.com – you can type in the fruit and meat you want to use, and bam – almost unlimited ideas!

Some Basic Ideas for Sauces & Marinades

Here are some general ideas for mixing jam with other ingredients to make great concoctions for meat:

  • Horseradish + Jam is a great condiment for meat
  • Tabasco Sauce + Jam is a great glaze for pork or meatballs
  • BBQ Sauce + Jam adds some sweetness and depth of flavor
  • Wine or Stock + Jam makes a great meat glaze
  • Jam + Garlic, Ginger or Siracha kicks regular jam up a notch for grilling sauce
  • Garam Masala Seasoning + Jam gives an Indian kick to your chicken or pork
  • Equal Amounts Jam + Chile Sauce + Dried Onions is a great homemade BBQ Sauce
  • Vinegar + Jam gives you a tangy meat glaze that is great for chicken or pork
  • Fresh Fruit + Jam can be spooned onto fish or grilled chicken at the time of serving
  • Jam + Chili Powder + Red Pepper Flakes can be a BBQ sauce for roast, chicken or pulled pork
  • Equal Amounts of Cherry Chutney + Cranberry Ketchup + Balsalmic Vinegar to taste is the perfect cooking sauce for slow-cooked brisket or chicken
  • Jam + Mustard + Ginger = a simple stir fry or dipping sauce
  • Soy Sauce + Chile Sauce + Jam = a dip for spring rolls or marinade/glaze for grilled or baked meat or tofu. This is especially good with apricot, plum, peach, etc.
  • Jam + Soy Sauce + Ginger + Garlic + Herbs + Oil makes a great sauce for chicken or pork (Peach, Plum or Apricot are good options!)
  • Plum Jam + Pepper Jelly makes a spicy plum sauce great for Asian cooking
  • Add Jalapeno Jelly to your stir fry sauce
  • Marmalade + Gochachang (Fermented Chili Paste) + Guchagaru (Chili Flakes) + Soy Sauce works great on ribs, wings, chicken thighs
  • Jam or Jelly + Rice Wine or Apple Cider Vinegar + Hot Water is a delicious and quick egg roll dip – pepper jelly works well here

Pork

  • Peach Jam + Ginger, Garlic + Siracha for a pork grilling baste
  • Mixed Berry Jam + Chili Garlic Sauce makes a great base as well
  • Marmalade + Teriyaki Sauce on top of ribs when they are almost done
  • Slow cook kielbasa sausage with jam. A popular variation of this is BBQ Sauce + Grape Jelly
  • Tomato Jam Glazed Pork Tenderloin – In the morning, dry brine the tenderloin (coated the pork with salt and pepper and wrapped in plastic wrap for 8 hours). Then, brush the pork with Tomato Jam and bake at 350 degrees until it registered 135 on a meat thermometer, then broiled the top for just a moment to caramelize. Rest, covered in foil for 15 minutes.
  • Green Tomato Jam – I think this is my favorite recipe that I make out of anything from my garden. I totally love green tomatoes – and this recipe. This year I made a huge batch of it at the end of tomato time (which is a super sad time for me), and I added bacon to half and left the other half plain. Halfway through the year when I run out of the “with bacon” kind from the freezer, I can pop out that gallon freezer bag of “without bacon” goodness and fix it right up by adding some. Seriously you guys, if you don’t make anything included in this blog post except this … trust me, just do it.

Jam Types for Pork

Here are some jam types that were mentioned as specifically delicious with pork. You decide if you want to mix them in some of the combinations shown above or try them plain, or whatever. It’s your dinner, you rock it!

Ham

Some great options for basting ham include:

Chicken

  • Orange Marmalade + Soy Sauce + Siracha + Serrano Hot Sauce + Fresh Garlic & Ginger + Sesame Oil + Rice Wine Vinegar + Chives = a great orange sauce for chicken
  • Peach Jam + Ginger + Garlic + Siracha for a chicken grilling baste
  • Lemon Basil Jelly + Italian Seasoning on chicken thighs
  • Pineapple Jalapeno Jam
  • Jam + BBQ Sauce or Buffalo Wing Sauce for chicken wings
  • Jam + Vinegar makes a great chicken glaze
  • Russian Chicken
  • Pound out chicken breasts and put goat cheese on them. Then, roll them up. Secure with toothpicks and brown. Put in a baking dish and pour marmalade/preserves + pepper flakes + water/broth mix over and bake until cooked through.
  • African Drumsticks
  • Chicken breasts in slow cooker + a jar of apricot preserves + red pepper flakes + salt + pepper. Add 1/2 cup water or chicken stock, top with a bag of frozen whole green beans.
  • Cranberry jam/sauce/chutney is great on chicken or turkey
  • Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings: Hungry for More” cookbook features a recipe for Jammy Drummies (peach jam + pepper flakes + garlic + onions)
  • BBQ sauce with pepper jelly as a glaze on chicken
  • Jam + Pepper Flakes makes a great glaze for baked chicken
  • Honey Apricot Glazed Chicken
  • 2 cups of shredded chicken + 1 cup Apple Chutney or Apple Salsa – served over cooked rice

Beef

  • Grape Jelly + Chili Sauce makes a great sauce in a slow cooker with meatballs
  • Red Currant Jelly in Swedish Meatballs
  • Jam (Blackberry works well with beef) + Beef Stock + Caramelized Onions + Garlic + Star Anise + Herbs
  • The Green Tomato Jam also works well if you mix into ground beef for hamburgers, or to use as a condiment on your finished burger

Lamb

  • A popular South African marinade for lamb kebabs includes Apricot jam + Onions + Curry Powder. You can also make a glaze with Apricot Jam + Lemon Juice melted slowly in a saucepan to thin jam to brush over meat for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
  • Mint Jelly

Wild Game

  • Peach BBQ Sauce is great on grilled wild duck
  • Citrus Marmalade is great for duck or goose
  • Jams like Raspberry Peach or Plum work great with game hens – just add a hint of spice and rub all over poultry.

Fish

  • Apricot Jalapeno Jam for salmon
  • Ginger Peach Jam is also a suggestion for salmon
  • Blueberry Jam on pickerel
Local Minnesota Strawberries for making homemade jam
Local Minnesota Strawberries

Salads

Jam makes great vinaigrette dressing. I love this simple recipe for a Bottom of the Jar Vinaigrette. Some popular mentioned for use in salad dressings were Tomato Jam, Orange Marmalade, Fig, Strawberry, Blueberry and more. Strawberries are my personal favorite.

Appetizers

The overall theme for the appetizer section is basically jam, meat, cheese, and bread. Cheese plate, charcuterie board, whatever you want to call it – throw some yummy, pretty stuff on a fun platter and call it a party!

  • Tomato Jam
  • Peach Chutney
  • Liver Pate served with Cherry Jam
  • Baked Brie with Jam
  • Jam mixed with Sour Cream or Cream Cheese to serve with spicy food
  • Warm jam mixed with balsamic vinegar, with goat or cream cheese on crackers
  • Cheese wedges with Strawberry Jam
  • Tomato Jam along with some crackers and hummus
  • Grape Jelly + Mustard heated with little smoky sausages
  • Crostini Toasts

Lunagrown has a great article about pairing jam flavors with complementing cheeses. They also have a book that offers more in-depth information about this: Beyond The Bread: Tasteful Exploration with Jam & Marmalade.

Sandwiches

Side Dishes

  • Add flavor and sweetness to baked beans with Peach Jam
  • Use jam in glazed carrots
  • Mix in with cottage cheese to make it a meal or a snack
  • Saute summer squash and many other veggies with any kind of jam
  • Canned pineapple works great on pizza
  • Mix into Irish soda bread before baking
  • Add to cranberries for a variation on your traditional cranberry sauce

Breakfast

Muffins, Quick Bread & Scones

Preserves are great to use in quick bread and muffins – you can just mix it into the batter, accounting for the sugar in the jam by reducing regular sugar in the recipe. A small ‘blob’ of jam in the middle of the muffin is also a fun idea!

Applesauce (pear sauce, etc.) are great options for also being able to reduce or replace the oil used in recipes – when I bake bread or muffins, I replace half of the oil with applesauce. One group member also mentioned using Apple Pie Jam to make cinnamon applesauce muffins.

Here are some specific recipes:

Cookies & Bars

This next section is just in time for our holiday baking. Show off those homemade preserves to neighbors, family members, and friends by putting them in your holiday baked goods!

Cakes & Crumbles

The options for cakes and crumbles and jam are also nearly limitless. Cake + fruit is one of my favorite combinations.

Here are some ideas:

  • You can use jam as a filling or frosting for cakes
  • Stir it into bundt cake recipe instead of sugar
  • Mix in with pound or regular cake batter
  • Using between layers in cakes (or cut a regular cake in half horizontally and glue it back together with jam) – Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, Black Raspberry, and Orange Marmalade were mentioned as favorites
  • Stir into buttercream frosting
  • Fill cupcakes with jam or stir into the pastry cream
  • Use it as a layer in a trifle with cake and pudding
  • Mixed Berry Crisp with strawberry jam mixed with berries instead of sugar
  • You can use jam to easily make a variety of different flavored cupcakes. For example, make a large bowl of a standard cupcake recipe, and then use the jams to flavor either the batter or buttercream. You can then make a few different flavors and cook at the same time to get a good variety for a party.
  • Upside Down Cakes – Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a pan, then mix in the jam. Top with whatever cake you are making. Chocolate/pear was mentioned as a favorite.

Here are some specific recipes:

Skinnytaste Cheesecake with Homemade Strawberry Jam Swirl
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Pastries & Pies

Pastry dough and jam of any sort are just perfect for each other. There are some ideas and recipes below, but again – feel free to experiment with various flavors of jam. Gosh, this is making me hungry …

Here are some ideas and recipes:

Puddings, Ice Cream & Popsicles

  • Blackberry, Raspberry and Strawberry jams go great in mousse desserts
  • Buttermilk Panna Cotta over Tart Cherry Jam
  • Got runny jam? You know we all have a failed batch at some point. It’s ok! Use it as ice cream syrup topping or milkshake flavoring
  • Make creamy yogurt popsicles – 2.5 cups yogurt, 4 oz jam for 3-cup popsicle molds
  • Chunky applesauce that turned out to be more like apple pie filling or preserves makes delicious ice cream topping (upside-down apple pie ale mode)
  • Eat jam as an ice cream topper – think banana split!
  • Put half a pint of jam and a pint of cream or half-and-half in ice cream maker
  • Stir into homemade ice cream when ice cream is almost done with the churning process
  • Burned Peach Ice Cream
  • Lemon-Blueberry Ice Cream

Drinks

Jam can be used to flavor any number of drinks, including cocktails, sparkling water, kefir, kombucha, herbal tea, lemonade, iced tea and more!

Some specific ideas include:

Other

  • Give jars (or sell, if you prefer) to friends, family members, co-workers (a piece of fabric or decorative cupcake paper on top of the lid (with the ring on loosely for presentation purpose only), or twine or ribbon around the neck can dress the jars up nicely. I write more about that in this post.
  • Combine a few jars with some other related items (ie. homemade bread, a meat bundle, an apron, and grilling tongs, etc.) and make a nice gift basket for someone
  • Take to a party as a hostess gift
  • Donate to food shelters or other resource centers in your area
  • Donate a gift basket to a local event fundraiser
  • Trade items with a fellow canning friend
  • Check for food swaps in your area
  • Make Christmas goodies featuring your jams and give to neighbors and/or take to holiday parties
  • Enter the county fair
Homemade Edelweiss Grape Jelly
Edelweiss Grape Jelly

Also in my research, I found this really awesome cookbook called The Preservatory: Seasonally Inspired Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Artisanal Preserves. Author Lee Murphy owns a winery and jam company in British Columbia, and her cookbook’s first section features recipes for making jam recipes, while the second section includes amazing recipes to use that jam. According to this book review on Food Bloggers of Canada, it sounds amazing and I am putting it on my wish list.

A Few Other Resources

Whew. Are y’all hungry yet?

Don’t forget to check out the Food in Jars book, “The Food in Jars Kitchen.”

If you loved this post, you might like these other posts of mine:
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2 thoughts on “Ways to Use Homemade Jam & Preserves”

  1. Johanne Hagar
    Reply

    Made me hungry just reading it! I have added pepper jelly into blueberry jam, black currant jam and even a banana jam for interesting tastes. Johanne Hagar

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