Its not every day you get to make jam out of a brand new fruit.

Whilst we like to include a wild ingredient in most of our products, we are nothing if not flexible. Every now and again we come across a source of something unusual and cant resist a bit of experimentation. As we were browsing one our suppliers websites we saw them advertising frozen Chuckleberries, a recent entrant to the fruit market being a cross between Redcurrant, Gooseberry and a Jostaberry (itself a cross between a Blackcurrant and a Gooseberry). The explanation suggested that they make a glorious red jam with a distinctive flavour drawing on all four of its parents.

If only for the name we thought it was worth a go and ordered 12 kilos, enough to make about 120 jars. 

The fruit duly arrived yesterday, all carefully packaged in a thermal box and we portioned it out into 1kg bags, but couldnt resist putting a few kilo's aside to try them out immediately. As they look rather like large black currants we aproached them in the same way from a preserve making perspective, and the results were fabulous.

The colour is a glorious dark red but crucially the flavour does indeed share elememts of its parents. Its a bold taste which you would expect of a red or black currant and sharp with it, which should go down well as customers are preferring less sweet options these days. 

If you are curious about this new entrant to the fruit market come and grab a jar. As this is the first time we have used Chuckleberries we have not added anything to the mix, letting you taste the preserve just as it comes. We are curious to know if you share our enthusiasm.

To me, to you, to me.......