The sweetness of peak Northwest summer fruit might just be the greatest flavor on earth, fleeting as it is. The ideal jams preserve that flavor through the other 360 days of the year, canning sunshine to keep in the fridge and carry the August warmth to mid-March toast. To figure out which local jams do this best, Seattle Met staff sat down on a dreary winter morning with 19 jars and dug into the sticky business of finding a favorite.
Best All-Around
Loose and smooth in texture, the spoon preserves from this Orcas Island company are like a linen pant to standard jam’s denim: comfortable and mature, classy without fussiness. Subtle use of herbs adds complexity and an underlying warmth to each jar, like the gentle twinge of anise hyssop in the Island Plum—which works as well on a cheese board as in a sandwich, though stays balanced enough to simply eat by the spoonful.
$13.99 for a 7.75 oz jar, Town & Country Markets.
Best Classic Style
These big, sweet, and juicy jams are the kind for which a buttered English muffin or peanut butter sandwich cry out. Thick and sturdy with a light, rustic touch of seeds and small chunks, the spreads burst with fruitiness, creating an ode to Skagit Valley’s finest. Jan’s Marionberry scored highest with tasters, but the Cherry Pie deserves mention for its creativity.
$17 for an 11.5 oz jar, Honest Biscuits at Pike Place Market.
Best Transnational
Pandan kaya lives up to the excitement telegraphed by its electric light green shade. Though more like a custard than a traditional fruit jam, that didn’t stop the coconut spread from being a big winner in the tasting, for its creamy-smooth texture and faintly nutty sweetness. Don’t eat lunch before picking it up, as the mother-daughter pop-up sells only the one jam and you’ll want to come hungry for their main business—halal Malaysian meals and desserts.
$10 for an 8 oz jar, Ballard Farmers Market.
Best Value
The berry specialists at Puyallup’s Sidhu Farms make more than a dozen flavors of jam, including niche PNW fruits such as blackcap raspberry and tayberry. The low-sugar approach works better on some than others; the mild and pleasantly tart loganberry was a taster favorite. But with local farm-fresh fruit at grocery store brand prices, the occasional misstep is easy to forgive.
$20 for three 10.5 oz jars, dozens of farmers markets each week.
Honorable Mentions
Ayako & Family’s rainbow of plum jams carry flavors as rich and intense as their colors. Second-generation jam-maker Sako Gordon spins heritage and heirloom stone fruit into gently tart spreads, silky and dotted with satisfying chunks. The only downside? They cost exactly what they’re worth, and that’s a lot.
$20 for a 6 oz jar, University District and Ballard Farmers Markets.
Bramble Jam’s heavy hand with ginger, lime, and lemon and use of tropical fruits alongside Northwest ones create bright, eye-opening spreads. Founder Chloe Bramble Fulton is also a children’s book author and illustrator, florist, and doula—all endeavors as colorful and energizing as her jams. They may lack the nuance of some we tasted but more than make up for it in vivaciousness.
$15 for two 4 oz jars, Jacobs Agro stall at Pike Place Market.
