Sqirl subscribes to the philosophy that as far as fruit preservation goes, nothing beats tradition. Our jams, jellies and marmalades are made with produce from family-owned farms that practice sustainable, certified organic methods that are in close proximity1 to our kitchen in Los Angeles, California.
Sqirl only works with farmers who cultivate their land with the intention of letting the product (many of which are heirloom varietals on the Ark of Taste2) speak to its environment. The fruit is then preserved simply with a minimal amount of organic cane sugar, naturally occurring pectin3 and crafted in small-batch copper jam pans4 handspun by a nearby coppersmith5.
Long Beach-born jam-maker Jessica Koslow spent time working in pastry at the James Beard award-winning restaurant Bacchanalia in Atlanta, Georgia. When she returned to California, Jessica was attracted to the diversity of local produce – beautiful and honest snapshots of the state’s vigorous growing seasons.
Her preserves are made without shortcuts. In order to maintain the brightness of the fruit a batch can take up to three days to produce6. The results are meticulously crafted preserves that not only portray the wealth and diversity of California's crops and its generous seasons, but also remind us of the value in the antique process of preservation. Sqirl --- it's the jam.
1“Close proximity” is no more than 200 miles from our Los Angeles kitchen. Our organic fruits and herbs come from farms as far as Paso Robles and Jamul, California as well as a number in between.
2The US Ark of Taste is a wonderful resource cataloging foods in danger of extinction.
3Sqirl does not use commercial pectin. It’s time intensive to make it --- but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
4Copper has 29 protons and one free-floating electron in each copper molecule's nucleus. This allows for heat to be evenly distributed and cooks food uniformly and quickly near the top of the pot as well as at its bottom.
5David Burns is a Copper Artist out of Rough + Ready, California.
6It takes up to three days to produce Jelly and Marmalade due to the stove-top pectin making process. SQIRL’s pectin is derived from seasonal fruits, which are soaked then cooked low and slow to pull as much pectin from the fruit and rinds as possible.