11 Amazing (and Different) Ways to Use Jam

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Sweet, and oh so scrumptious on everything… It’s no surprise that jam is one of our all-time favorite condiments. First Town First State has been making jams and jellies for Lewes Gifts for years now, and it is absolutely amazing on everything! 
Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry… maybe you throw it on toast, or top your cheese, but there are many ways to use jam, well, beyond gracing your peanut butter sandwich.  
Curious?
These ways to use jam might surprise you.
11 Amazing Ways to Use Your Favorite Jam:
1. Top Ricotta or Cottage Cheese
cottage cheese with jam
Ricotta and cottage cheese are notoriously salty and creamy which makes them pair very well with sweet fruit. Instead of topping with your favorite berries (that may or may not be in season or ripe) try using a dab of your go-to jam. Fresh, natural ingredients are taking priority when it comes to making specialty products today, so it’s possible to get the finest fruit flavor all year long! Keeping jam on-hand to sweeten up your cottage cheese and ricotta also makes it very easy to switch up the flavors from day to day without spending a ton on fresh produce. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, experiment with adding a touch of peanut butter too. You’ll get all of the sweet, salty, and nutty notes of a PB&J sandwich with far fewer carbs.

2. Cook Your Meatballs in It
    meatballs made with jam

      This might sound crazy, but grape jelly is the all-time best kept secret for the amazing meatballs. Straight out of the mother’s recipe book, frozen italian meatballs plus grape jelly and chili sauce are slow-cooked to absolute perfection. No one would ever guess by the flavor of the finished product, but it’s a game-changing appetizer.
      3. Slather Up Your Burgers
        burger with jam
        If jam is the secret to awesome meatballs, then it is easier to grasp the idea of this spread with burgers. Something about juicy, hot meat straight from the grill paired with a touch of sweetness just sounds like it works, and it does. Also, jam doesn’t exclusively refer to the conventional strawberry tubs you buy at the grocery store anymore. Craft jam-making businesses like First Town, First State offer an assortment of exciting flavors from fig to maple bacon. Imagine a schmear of maple bacon jam sweetening up a big bacon cheeseburger with blue cheese. It’s even better than it sounds.
        4. Pair It with Pork 
          pork with jam
          Again, meat and sweet are a pair for the win. Anyone who has ever tasted a pork chop paired with applesauce knows this combo well. So, what if the apple sauce was replaced with a sweet jam counterpart? Enter apple jam. After cooking, adding some apple jam to your pork can create the peak balance of flavors. Once you try it, it becomes less of a creative condiment and more of an essential for excellence.
          5. Bake it with Brie
          baked brie with jam

          Creamy, slightly mushroomy brie takes on a new life when it’s baked in delicate, soft puff pastry. A simple touch of a knife causes it to ooze onto the plate and signals how the velvety texture of the cheese will take over your taste buds. The salty savory indulgence of this treat offers sky high satisfaction with sweet warm jam. This is why around the holidays you might even see some stores prepare their own versions of Brie en Croute (a fancy word for this baked brie) with cherry or fig filling. Give it a go on your own, and no need to wait ‘til the holidays!
          6. Swirl it into Brownies 
            raspberry brownies with jam
              Dark chocolatey, fudgy brownies may seem complete on their own, but this is before you bring the jam in for a whirl. Before baking, adding a swirl of fine cherry or raspberry jam can take your dessert to the next level. The amazing flavors of chocolate covered fruit in a warm, filling and familiar baked good is enough to rave about. You can even flavor up your frosting with jam.
              7. Add it to Your Oats
                oats with jam
                  If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then jam is the most important condiment, but nothing satisfies quite like a warm bowl of hearty oats. Full of heart-healthy fiber and enjoyably filling, a bowl of oatmeal kick starts the day right. However, if you’re choosing the good, natural whole oats, they don’t have too much flavor. Adding a bit of jam can contribute just the right amount of sweetness without taking the bowl to cereal-level sugar. A touch of jam and nuts or nut butter can do the trick.
                  8. Spice up Your Sandwich 
                  turkey sandwich with jam
                  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great, don’t get us wrong, but there are many more exciting ways to make a sandwich with jam. While it may seem fancy at first, after trying jam on your other sandwiches a few times, the process will come very naturally and seem as normal as a Reuben. If you like turkey, an easy recipe for success is fresh turkey breast on italian bread with brie and fig jam. It tastes like an amazing charcuterie board in a loaf of soft bread.
                  9. Fill out Your Cake
                  cake with jam
                  Just about every occasion calls for cake, and just about every homemade box cake looks the same. Jam is a breezy way to make this dessert a little more unique. Jam provides a sweet filling with a touch of fruit that compliments vanilla or chocolate frosting. Like a pinata, your cake can have a surprise inside that makes for more excitement. 
                  10. Crank up Your Cookie Game 
                  cookies with jam
                  Ever hear of thumbprint cookies? This is probably the most underrated cookie in the book. Perfect for afternoon tea or a treat that tastes like home, these soft sugary, shortbread-style cookie filled with your favorite jams in the center. The sweet, chewy, warm middle makes for a kind of satisfaction a PB&J can’t quite provide. Also, when you use different jams, you can easily bake off a tray of cookies that all essentially taste unique. 
                  11. Get Saucy with It
                    sauce with jam
                    If you haven’t heard, the “Secret Sauce” people often use on burgers is really just ketchup and mayo. Sweet and savory meat again. Jams can actually be blended and used with other condiments in a way very similar to this. Just think honey barbeque sauce combined with a touch of maple bacon jam. Try a few variations and you’ll be surprised. You can even add a bit of jam to add a new dimension to your dressings.
                    So, what’s your jam?
                    Try all of these options, and let us know what you think! First Town, First State has an exciting line of jams that can bring any dish a new life. All made fresh from the produce of Lu Mil Vineyard in North Carolina, the Lewes-inspired brand carries everything from raspberry and blueberry to revolutionary flavors like blackberry raspberry moonshine, apple pie, and maple bacon. There are even sugar-free varieties for those trying to watch their calories or sugar intake.
                    Photo Cred:
                    1. Running with Spoons
                    2. Life is but a Dish
                    3. House of Nash Eats
                    4. Porter Road
                    5. Pinch Purrfect
                    6. Williams Sonoma
                    7. Life and Soul Lifestyle
                    8. The Food Channel
                    9. Eat Smarter
                    10. Amy's Healthy Baking
                    11. Coconut & Lime

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                    • Michiko Seto