Jam is classic slow food.

You can't rush it…first, the toast takes a few minutes, buttering takes a minute or two and then finally the jam. You just can't rush jam.

Then there's the consistency. Thick, rich and slow.

Jam is like summer in a jar. It reminds me of the slow hot days of August. It also reminds me of days gone by—when we had the time to actually make great preserves from the summer harvested fruit.

Here in Vermont, summer is fleeting. Some years it doesn't get truly warm until well into June, and then only stays that way until the end of August. Other years it creeps up as early as late April and lasts until October. But you never know how it's going to be, and that makes each day especially precious. In the most favorable of years, we're only a hardiness Zone 4 in the middle of the state. That means our native fruits are limited to berries and apples, primarily. So we appreciate even more the efforts of our friends in warmer zones who go to the trouble of putting by the delectable produce that they do so well.

Pure Vermont Maple Cream

$9.89

Northwood Apiaries-Organic Honey

$9.49

Koeze Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter

$7.69