MASTERCLASS

In her cookbook Five Seasons of Jam, LILLIE O’BRIEN shares secrets to the art of preserving, and the spiritual pleasure of capturing vibrant fruits and flavours in a jar.

A guide to making jam.

Something that I have learned and would love to pass on is that jam cannot be rushed. Jam recipes might seem short on the page, but they’re designed to stretch time – from when you first create an idea for a new flavour combination to when you pop the lid off the jar as long as two years later and spread it on your toast. I have created recipes to be lingered over, ones that inspire and give you confidence to be a little more adventurous in the preserving kitchen. There is true spiritual pleasure to be had from jam. It isn’t just a twee or fusty undertaking – for me, jam is all about exploration, discovery and harmony.

The brighter the better is Lillie’s advice when choosing fruit for making jam, and seasonality is key.