June Taylor's Still–Room: Artisanal Jams and Conserves

This past Sunday's New York Times magazine featured a piece by Amanda Hesser on master preserve maker June Taylor of Berkeley, California.

She makes her preserves the old-fashioned way, using esoteric, mostly organic fruits, all from California.

She makes her jams in small batches in large pots so they cook rapidly and reach the gel point before they taste cooked.

Taylor uses only the fruit's natural pectin and adds less sugar than most recipes.

Each year she and her assistant, Magali Hernandez, produce 20,000 jars, all cooked and packed by hand.

After reading Taylor's recipe for Grapefruit-and-Meyer-Lemon Marmalade, it seemed to me that $11 for an 8 oz. jar was entirely reasonable.

FunFact: Taylor calls her workshop the Still-Room after the name for the preserving room in old English manor houses.