PHOTOS COURTESY WONDERLAND JAM

Have you ever wished that the flavorful bursts of freshly picked fruit could last beyond the spring and summer months? It is not surprising that preserving fruit has a rich history around the world. Some of the earliest references appear in the ancient Roman cookbook, Apicius, also known as De re coquinaria, written in approximately the first century AD. The title of the book can be translated to, “on the subject of cooking,” and features fruit preserved in honey.

The sweet idea to preserve fruit has been favored by many. France’s King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, had thousands of fruit trees planted around the Palace of Versailles, and would enjoy fruit preserves. As the art of preserving fruit made its way across the Atlantic, fruit preserves could be found in early American homes. In 2024, archaeologists found 35 bottles of preserved berries and cherries at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.

Fruit preservation continued in the United States and was a skill that many American pioneers mastered out of necessity. During times of war, a resurgence in food preservation strategies would reemerge. In the 1940s when the Victory Garden movement was going strong, approximately 75% of American homemakers used food preservation techniques including making jam. Fruit harvests were commonly preserved right at home so they could be enjoyed year-round.

Natalie McCraigh, founder and master jam maker at Wonderland Jam based in Newtown, Connecticut, draws from the knowledge of her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother to create delightful jams. Remarkably, Natalie is a sixth-generation jam maker. She grew up in Southern California where she was surrounded by an abundance of fruit trees – oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and blackberries, especially. Her home was by one of the main berry farms: Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

Natalie remembers eating delicious blackberries and boysenberries that grew in her grandparent’s yard. Her family members made delicious foods by hand using what was available. Cast iron cooking and preservation were some of Natalie’s earliest childhood memories. While most families had moved away from preserving food at home as technological advances were made in food sciences during the 1950’s, Natalie’s family embraced traditional food preservation skills. She has memories of stirring the open jam pot when she was only five years old.

“I didn’t expect people to fall in love with my product the way that I was personally in love with it.”

Natalie had such a desire to make delicious foods that her family members couldn’t keep her out of the kitchen! However, it would be many years until Natalie would make jam for her vocation. After serving in the technology industry as a mid-level executive, it was time for a change. Natalie decided to chart a new path for herself, much like her pioneer ancestors.

Natalie turned her love of jam into a wonderful food business. While “preserves” can technically encompass foods that are preserved such as pickles, jams are a bit different.

Jams are fruit processed with sugar that have some texture. With a jelly, every bit of texture is taken out to leave just the beautiful clear juices behind. Natalie is a purist when it comes to her jams. “Very simply, there are only two ingredients: fruit and organic cane sugar,” Natalie explains. “By not using artificial pectin, it is different in taste and texture. Naturally occurring pectin is there in the fruit itself. A little lemon can get it to gel up a bit more, while a little sugar can help us extend the fruit’s life. Nature can help us.”

Organic and Fair-Trade practices are important to Natalie. She also sources the majority of what goes into her jams from the United States. She gets passion fruit from Florida but prefers to get other fruits that grow locally from local farms. “If I can get it within 100 miles from me, I’ll get it from within 100 miles from me,” Natalie emphasizes.

Natalie hand-crafts all her jams. “There’s a meditative bit of being a jam maker,” Natlie reflects. Her jams are hand-stirred and hand-poured from start to finish. This process makes each batch unique. The amount of care that goes into each jar of Wonderland Jam is admirable and can enable the fruit to be preserved for years.

“I didn’t expect people to fall in love with my product the way that I was personally in love with it,” Natalie shares. “I just want a 90-year-old to tell me if it is as good as what they remember from childhood.” Once you try Natalie’s Wonderland Jam, you’ll understand that it is truly one of a kind in all the best ways.

To purchase Wonderland Jam, shop in-person at Arethusa Farm and Fatto a Mano Bakery, or visit www.wonderlandjams.com