Will all of the possibilities it holds, tossing an empty jam jar in the trash somehow feels like a missed adventure. Instead of relegating it to the bin of no return, you can take an almost spent jam jar and make a vinaigrette, use it to sweeten your morning latte, or save the last couple of teaspoons for an easy, no-fuss cocktail, regardless of what liquor you’ve got stocked in your home bar.
It’s always a little sad to see the remnants of a tasty jar of jam go to waste. Not quite enough for a piece of toast or a buttery biscuit, you can scoop it out with your finger at the risk of remonstration or you can transform it into a simple, fruity cocktail enjoyed right out of the jar. Just add a dram of liquor, a squeeze of lemon or lime, ice, and a good glug of soda water to the jar, put the lid back on and shake it up. Then all you have to do is take off the lid, add a garnish (or not), and enjoy!
Jammed with possibilities
Creating different cocktails recipes using an almost empty jar of jam is as easy as toast. Add orange juice and champagne to some leftover marmalade for a lip-smacking mimosa, crush a little fresh rosemary into strawberry jam and add gin and a squeeze of lemon for a sweet strawberry gimlet, or muddle some mint into blueberry jam and add bourbon and shaved ice for a fruity mint julep perfect for porch sipping on a warm summer Sunday.
You don’t even need to stick to any cocktail-making script. Try blending fig jam remains with a jot of tequila, a splash of bitters and orange zest, or muddle fresh cucumber slices into a raspberry jam and top with coconut water and ice. These quick, simple cocktails could become so popular, you may start making your own 3-ingredient jams and avoid buying store bought jams altogether. Then you’ll really wish you’d saved all of those empty jars!
