The first taste carries a surprise.
Well, the same could be said of every bite of Carli Tippett’s Syrah Grape Jam, at least until the common beauty of the idea takes hold. The woman behind Upper Lake’s People Pleazin’ Preserves does not bother to pick out the seeds.
And for good reason.
“My whole thing is it’s all about the fruit, not the juice,” Tippett explains.
She picks ripe winegrapes from Lake County’s Remembrance Vineyards and cooks them down before adding cane sugar and pectin. In removing the seeds, she might discard some of the skin, as well.
“Take out the skin and half the flavor goes,” Tippett pointed out. “The only thing you don’t get are the stems.”
The flavor is powerful — strident fruit hand in hand with a bright sweetness, a little syrupy zing and then, lagging behind but welcome nonetheless, a contrasting bitter note. All the while, the little pop of seeds continues, creating both textural interest and an earthy undertone.
She has simply repurposed the grape as you sample from the vine, made it sweeter and spreadable.
Tippett’s home-based operation produces jams from Lake County fruit she sources from various farmers and sells until the jars are gone — Meyer Lemon, Pear Butter, or whatever is ripe and available. Last year during the height of the season she offered 13 different varieties, including two types of plum.
The lesser-known plum, the Mirabelle, appears almost amber in color. The flavor is intriguing — rich and sugary, with a not-quite juicy, almost homey, just about everything you might expect from a plum yet somehow different character. There are shadows of candied citrus and hints of caramel that seem to vanish as quickly as their forms appear on your palate.
Producing jam seems simple. One merely heats the fruit until it begins to break down. Once it reaches a low boil, the fruit begins to release pectin. Here’s where things become dicey. Fruits are different, and the jam maker may need to make adjustments, each affecting the consistency.
Sugar and time complete the process, sweetening the fruit and allowing the pectin to settle. The art of jam comes into play when a few simple choices are made, including the decision to go local, seeds and all.
Tippett searches around the county for her fruit, but she does set limits.
“When you have to harvest your own fruit, there’s a point where you say ‘oh, hell no’ in the middle of a blackberry thicket,” she said with a laugh.
With all of it, though, she tries to remain true to the fruit and to the terroir.
“Everything is from Lake County,” Tippett said. “That’s the whole point. The longer I live here the more I’m amazed at the riches of Lake County.”
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
