I first discovered Debby Bull's Blue Jelly five years ago, when a friend thrust a copy into my hands, looked me in the eye and said, "You need to read this book. You will love it." Despite receiving it with such a vigorous endorsement, the slim, blue hardback sat on my bookshelf for more than six months before I picked it up. Every time I saw the friend to whom the book belonged, I would feel a pang of guilt and apologize that I hadn't read it yet. She would just smile peacefully, tilt her head and say, "I'm not worried. You'll read it when you're ready."It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when I finally cracked the cover. My previous resistance dropped away and I spent the rest of that day reading through Bull's tale of love lost and recover through the making of jam. It sparked my interest in jam and fruit butter making (although I did also grow up with a mother who makes at least 30 pints of jam every summer) and made me remember the power of doing something from scratch.
The book is a series of essays about Bull's process as she recovers from being dumped, and at the end of each essay is a recipe for a different jam, jelly, butter or pickle. The recipes are full of soul and character and following her instructions makes you feel like you're being guided through the cooking and canning process by an old, witty friend who you don't get to see very often.
I realize we're heading into the end of the canning season at this point, but it's never too late to be inspired for next year. This book is just the thing to make you leap off your couch and towards the kitchen to make up a nice batch of jam.
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