Preserving a Sweet Traditon

Summers are meant for making jam, and making memories

My mom and my grandpa have been making jam every summer for the last 20-plus years. The jam is sweet and sticky, made from local Okanagan fruit and is the best jam you will ever taste. Not only is it delicious but it also reminds me of my childhood.

As kids, we travelled to Salmon Arm, B.C., every summer to spend it with my grandpa and grandma. Memories of houseboating, fishing, countless hours in the lake, jumping oŽ the wharf and of course jam-making remain in all our hearts. We were never part of the actual process but I remember watching my mom and grandpa carry in pounds of fresh berries from the car, count jars, measure and cook. I remember the smell of sugar and boiling fruit. The sounds of mason jars clanging and metal lids twisting tight, my grandpa always double-checking my mom had twisted them on tight enough. Only breaking to sleep and eat, they would emerge two days later sweaty and tired, stained hands, sometimes covered with burns, and proud faces. Although at that time I couldn’t tell you how the jam was made, I knew that each jar was truly made with love and care. They never sold the jam at any local markets; they kept some for themselves and the rest was given away to friends and family.

One summer, for some reason, they weren’t able to make jam. I remember my mom being really sad and I didn’t understand till some years later that making jam with her dad wasn’t really about the jam at all. It was an occasion, where she had his undivided attention and he, hers. I don’t know what they talked about for all those hours, or if they even talked at all, but any silence was filled with feelings of love and happiness.

Now in my mid 30s, my siblings and I have our own children to bring to Salmon Arm every summer, if only for a few days. We try to recreate the memories we have and make new ones. Lots has changed but one thing that has not is the jam. Mom and Grandpa disappear for a couple of days to make it, although now my mom is the one who double-checks the lids. I have not yet been inaugurated into the jam-making tradition but I feel joy watching my mom and grandpa share this precious time together. It’s a tradition that one day my mom will carry forward with me, and many years from now, I will carry forward with my daughter. ■

Above: Taylor-ann (centre) with her grandpa and siblings in 2014. Top, from left: Taylor-ann’s grandma Anita, mom Sandra, grandpa Larry and aunt Margo.