JAM MAKER JOHN ENJOYS THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS
VICTORY is sweet for Wexford town man John Moran who likes nothing more than getting stuck into his work.
And, as he proved during a recent trip to north Wexford, when it comes to jam-making, he’s the pick of the county crop.
John, from John’s Road, and his jams made the trip north to see if he could claim a title for the fourth year-in-a-row for the Best Man-Made Jam, a competition that forms part of the Gorey House Market Festival.
To his surprise John won three prizes - a first for the Best Man-Made Jam, Best Overall Pot and Best Exotic jam.
John said: ‘I don’t enter any other competitions other than this, maybe I should start. Before jams I was making my own chutneys, so that is where the interest came from.’
This year John created two different pots – spiced apricot with bourbon and blackberry with basil and roasted garlic. Previous years he made strawberry with mint and black pepper, and gooseberry with nettle and poitín.
John said: ‘The first and second year I won Best Man Made and last year I won, again, Best Man Made and came second for Best Exotic.’
The ideas for his flavours comes from extensive research through cookery books. John doesn’t sell his products and only makes a few pots when it comes to the competition.