If you have eaten strawberry jam at a Zingerman’s establishment in the past year, then you’ve probably tasted Farrell Fruit. Meet Eric Farrell, local jam maker extraordinaire. Last year, he supplied about 1,000 pounds of strawberry jam to Zingerman’s Deli alone. This year, he has set his goals a bit higher: expanding his wholesale market to other local establishments and stepping beyond wholesale to supply directly to the community.

Having sampled first hand the preserved fruits of Farrell’s labor, I can honestly declare his jams to be exceptionally delicious. The purchasers at Zingerman’s Deli no doubt agree as Farrell Fruit replaced an Italian import as the exclusive fruit schmear to customers’ daily breakfast bread of choice. What sets Farrell’s jams apart from the competition? He uses quality, local fruits at their prime. He concentrates on the natural flavor of the fruit, occasionally adding other ingredients such as herbs or spices to complement or highlight the fruit’s natural flavor. He cooks the fruit whole in a perfected ratio of sugar and doesn’t sully the taste or texture with additives such as pectin or citric acid. Instead, he prefers to keep things simple and rustic. By using gentle, slow heat, the fruit’s natural pectin is extracted for a thickened jam.

Farrell’s passion for jam making developed 8 years ago after spending an extended period of time in northern France with friends who own a gourmet, organic jam business. There he learned the straightforward art of using minimal sugar: 40 percent sugar to 60 percent fruit to conserve fruit at the peak of its season. Farrell notes, though, that the jam he makes is distinctly different from the delicate, refined versions he helped produce in France. He likes to describe his American-style jams as “hearty and a little rough around the edges” or rather aptly, “the Teddy Roosevelt of jams.” A cheese maker once told Farrell that “a cheese maker’s job is to start with great milk and try to “f” it up as little as possible.” This advice resonates well with Farrell’s unabashed approach to making jam.

In keeping with the flow and ebb of individual seasons for southeast Michigan fruit, Farrell plans to add several more flavors to his line-up. Currently, he is perfecting batches of a tart rhubarb jam and an unusual, yet intriguing, combination of strawberry and black peppercorns. Down the road, expect flavors like raspberry, blueberry and nectarine. On his website blog, Farrell posts entertaining notes on his flavor development trials and other jam-related stories. Whether you are a home canner looking for tips or simply enjoy a good story in kitchen experimentation or childhood memories, Farrell’s enthusiastic pursuit of creating exceptional jams will keep you fascinated.
Farrell Fruit is available for purchase at Zingerman’s Deli and local area farmers’ markets. For more info, visit  
www.farrellfruit.com.

A canning tip from Eric Farrell:
To easily hull the tops from strawberries, use the rounded lip of a measuring spoon as you would a paring knife. This makes quick work of hulling large batches of berries and prevents fingers from coming into contact with the sharp edges of a knife blade.