More love, less sugar – EAST VAN JAM
With gourmet flavour pairings and a mere fraction of the sugar, East Van Jam produces fun and guilt-free spreads inspired by the eclectic variety of characters that make East Vancouver so unique. Made locally with BC produce and so much love, less sugar means there’s way more fruit in every jar.
EAST VAN JAM is the third child of Natalie Ferrari-Morton who lives in East Vancouver with her husband and two boys. She has spent her entire adult life living in Vancouver’s east side and for all those years has been honing and perfecting her jam-making skills and recipes, culminating in high quality, big hustle and flavorful jams. After three years hosting canning workshops under the moniker “Homesteading Mamas” with pal Anna Hunter, Natalie was ready to take the jam scene by storm and there hatched EAST VAN JAM!
Unlike conventional jams, EAST VAN JAM is made with a 4:1 fruit to sugar ratio. That’s 4 cups of REAL fruit (not juice from concentrate) to only 1 cup of sugar. This means in every jar of jam, there is at least 1 cup of actual fruit. The trade-off is that once you’ve opened a jar, it needs to be consumed faster than conventional jams as it is not saturated with sugar and therefore is more suceptable to mold. But is that a trade-off? Jams and spreads made from fruit at the peak of their harvest or from fruit frozen at their peak means the result captures the intense flavours of the actual fruit – untainted or masked by the overload of sugar used in traditionally made jams and preserves. And consumed within 2 weeks, you can enjoy that freshness rather than further aging in the fridge.
Using 95% BC grown fruit (organic as often as possible and some straight from East Van backyards) you can trust the main ingredients did not travel far. With a preference for a spread with a smooth consistency and a firm set, East Van Jam batches are blended and set using citrus-derived pectin. With gourmet flavour combinations using only natural inputs such as lemon juice and vitamin C, every jar is filled with goodness you can serve with a clear conscious.
To be sure, EAST VAN JAM is about enjoying food and having fun!
Inspired by the eclectic mix of personalities that make East Vancouver so interesting and vibrant AND the flavourful characteristics of the fruit itself, Natalie teamed up with long-time friend and artist, Scott Bilstad (mothpress), to create original artwork to represent each flavour.
So often relegated to a simple piece of toast, we dare you to explore new ways of using jam to compliment your favourite food experiences. See the recipes page for ideas and please add your thoughts there too!
A perfect indulgence for your crepes or a hostess gift with some attitude, EAST VAN JAM has you covered.
follow along on Instagram under @eastvanjam
