Jam and Spread Recipes & Ideas

It's my go-to topping for just about any meal.

Making it from scratch is easier than you might think.

Sweet, milky perfection.

This smooth, fluffy frosting is chock-full of creamy peanut butter; it's the perfect topper for cakes and cupcakes.

Its versatility blew us away!

This take on a classic Russian dish is made with feta, butter, smoked paprika, and scallions — and it's ridiculously good.

Beware: It'll disappear quickly!

Our advice: Treat it just like peanut butter.

From steaks to bread to veggies.

It's SO fluffy.

Peanut butter, who?

Plus a butter bookmark!

Warning: It won't last long.

It tasted like an artisanal jarred product that you could pay $15 for at bougie farmers market.

I was instantly smitten.

Thanks, nana!

The sweet and spicy spread is perfect for cheese boards.

You could say it's the bee's knees.

Customize your way to the most delicious apple butter possible.

It elevates even the most everyday meal.

Get yours before it's gone!

The versatile South Indian condiment is ready in 15 minutes.

I seriously can't stop buying it!

Sage is an intensely aromatic herb, and unlike its tender cousins — basil and parsley — its leaves are sturdy and resinous. Because of sage’s powerful aroma and oily texture, a little goes long way, flavor-wise. The preserving possibilities are numerous, so we get to be creative with this potent perennial. Infuse honey with dried sage leaves to add flavor to hot or iced tea, sweeten baked goods, add to a citrus-y marinade, or serve on a cheese plate.

Strawberry butter, anyone?

The ultimate sauce to wake up tired boneless, skinless chicken breasts is also the easiest to make.

It's the best thing you can do this weekend.

Try this Hungarian twist on classic kugel this year.

Nandita Godbole of Atlanta, Georgia, is originally from India, and she wanted to create her own version of Thanksgiving for her family. No matter the menu, this cranberry-cherry chutney is always on the table.

Put it in your green bean casserole! Plus, more brilliant ways to use it.

You might not have even heard of the winning brand!

This is tofu like you've never seen it before.

It's not just for cucumbers — and it's not just for hot dogs or hamburgers.

Before you put that fresh fruit or veggie in the freezer, read this.

"I grew up in a family that ate a lot of takeout, a lot of fast food. I didn’t know what a lot of vegetables were, honestly. Now, we grow everything in the city and distribute it within five miles of the growing sites."

It's incredibly easy to make and you can do it for a fraction of the cost.

It's so fast, needs nothing special, and makes you look like a HERO.

Savor the best of summer with this simple recipe.

You'll quickly fall in love with these sweet and savory spreads.

As I eat my weight in sweet strawberries this time of year, the subject of what to do with the abundance of spring and summer fruit comes to mind. I am usually more than content with enjoying berries and stone fruit as-is, but when I’ve gone a little overboard at the farmers market, jam is one of the many things I consider making. Or is it jelly? The two terms for fruit spread have always confused me a bit. Luckily, there’s an easy way to distinguish between the two.

Welcome to a new series we’re starting out, called Small Batch, Big Batch. As you may have figured out, the idea is to focus on one (very specific) type of ingredient or treat and then highlight our two favorites: one from a small maker and one from a bigger company (whose goods are more readily available). First up: apricot jam. Spread the stuff on toast or muffins, use it in a sauce, or plop a spoonful on top of a bowl of ice cream.

Ridiculously creamy, light-bodied lemon curd that comes from a high-speed blender seems too good to be true, right? Since this custard-like curd is usually cooked slowly and gently on the stove to avoid the risk of curdling, you’d think so. But it’s not too good to be true! And the results are more lush and dreamy than you may have ever thought possible. Here’s how to make your dream a reality. I am the first to tell you I was skeptical.

If you follow Mindy Kaling on Instagram, then you know that besides being super funny and fashionable, she’s also obsessed with food. She knows how to make a crudité plate that no one will eat, and has strong opinions on the best kind of chocolate chip cookies. It’s no wonder, then, that she’s also a jamhead. You know, someone who loves jam. What, you’ve never heard that word before?

Fried jelly doughnuts, called sufganiyot, are a common Hanukkah treat in Israel, and are increasingly popular in the United States. But while homemade doughnuts filled with strawberry or raspberry jam are delicious as a once-in-a-while treat, they make the house smell like fried food and leave a pesky amount of cooking oil behind to dispose of. These gougères, which come sandwiched with fig preserves, offer a savory, sophisticated twist on sufganiyot.

You'll get one perfect jar of jam and a new weekly ritual.

Making bacon jam is the greatest gift you can give to your future self.

You can use it on burgers, grilled chicken, or just eat it with cheese and crackers.

Can you slice vegetables and boil brine? Then you can make refrigerator pickles.

What is pectin, and how do you use it?

This is the recipe that can make *anyone* a jam maker.

This is how you enjoy the taste of fresh summer peaches all year long.

This is why you should buy that two-pound bag of cherries.

It’s hard to improve on the classic combination of bread and butter. But when you add dried seaweed (yes, seaweed!) to the butter, it turns the simple ingredient into a salty umami bomb you’ll want to munch on any time of day. This recipe comes to us from Chef Ben Jackson over at Drifters Wife in Portland, Maine. The cozy wine bar, known for its natural wine selection, features an inventive menu of small plates that changes nightly.

Au revoir, Paris! Ann Mah takes us off the tourist path on a culinary tour of France’s favorite regional foods. This herb-flecked farmer’s cheese is a classic recipe from Lyon, which is considered the gastronomic capital of France. Cervelle de canut translates literally to “silk-weaver’s brains.

When strawberries are in season, it’s hard not to inhale the cartons you bring home immediately before even thinking about what else you’ll do with them. I encourage you, however, to put some aside to make this butter — rich with all that fruity flavor, enhanced by honey and orange zest, and just begging to be slathered on toast or biscuits and melted all over your pancakes and waffles.

I usually associate canning and preserving with summer — when all those gorgeous tomatoes, stone fruit, and berries are in season — but it’s absolutely a year-round activity. Case in point? This clementine-hibiscus marmalade. The best part about this recipe is that it only requires the following five ingredients: clementines, dried hibiscus, sugar, fresh lime juice, and salt. Unlike some preserving methods, this marmalade is also super straightforward and unfussy.

Grab a few sticks of butter and a small saucepan and let's upgrade our beloved butter to fragrant, nutty brown butter.

Stop the search — you’ve found your new addition to this year’s lineup of holiday cookies. This lemon curd sandwich cookie starts off with just-sweet-enough cookies, made rich and tender by a simple cream cheese dough. Don’t expect to find a snappy cookie here — these rounds have some give because we want them to melt a bit when you bite into them. Nestled inside is a sunny, tart and sweet lemon curd.

This cocktail is polarizing. Either you’re going to be with me and love every briny sip, or you will not. And don’t for a second think you only have to drink it during Oktoberfest — it’s just that people are far more affectionate toward pickled cabbage during this time of year. To be quite honest, I need no special occasion to shake one of these up. A Wednesday evening is just as good of a reason as any. Says who?

We’re going to go out on a limb and say that Nutella just might be one of the most popular sweet treats of all time. It is amazing on toast, folded into a croissant, or used as an ingredient in your favorite dessert recipe. Don’t have a favorite dessert recipe that calls for Nutella? We can help with that. Here are 20 of our favorites that are sure to satisfy your chocolate-and-hazelnut cravings.