The BCF Kitchen: Peach Season

Our first peach jam of the year has arrived: Bourbon'd Peach-Apple Jam.

Peaches have made their first appearance at our kitchens, heralding the return of summer. To say we are happy is an understatement; as we welcome these fruits back to our office and kitchen, they infuse the air with their sweet fragrance, a gentle reminder that summer has arrived.

Skinned Blossom Bluff The BCF Kitchen: Peach Season

While living with the smell of peaches is easy, working with them can prove difficult. The peaches must be blanched and skinned, a process that takes an entire cooking shift most days. And the work doesn't stop there; if the peaches are clingstone, removing their pit is no easy task, and the flesh of each skinned peach must be carefully cut from its stone.

Jo Peaches Skinned The BCF Kitchen: Peach Season

Our first spoonful of peach jam makes the long hours of work fade from memory. Each variety of peach offers its own flavor profile, but they are all a beacon of sunny days to come: gently sweet and  bright, and full of nostalgic memories from last year's June. Rows and rows of peaches in our kitchen, each resembling a tiny sun, will be made into jam that can be savored long after the balmy summer months have passed.

Peaches Trays The BCF Kitchen: Peach Season

The first peach jam of the year is no different. Our Bourbon'd Peach-Apple Jam flirts with the best of summer flavors: the subtle sweetness of peaches and apples receive a generous splash of bourbon to highlight their warmth. This rosy jam has been delighting us each morning, filling us with warmth whether or not the Northern California sun decides to show its face. We think you'll fall in love with this jam as much as we have!

Two Marmalades to Make Your Heart Melt

Looking for a delicious food treat for Valentine's Day that's not the usual chocolate and wine?

VDay Square Two Marmalades to Make Your Heart Melt

We think our Love 2-Pack is just the ticket! Two sweet marmalades, available exclusively for Valentine's Day, make up this set: Apple of My Eye Marmalade and Quince-Cranberry Marmalade with Rose Geranium. Our Apple of My Eye Marmalade is a full of thinly sliced Meyer lemon rinds suspended in a delicate apple jelly -- perfect for French toast, scones, or toast. Quince-Cranberry Marmalade with Rose Geranium is the perfect balance of sweet and sassy, with rose geranium added for a touch of romance. This marmalade in particular is stellar with cheese1

These two marmalades are a delightful addition to any homemade breakfast (how sweet would that be?), or simply an unexpected treat for your favorite jam or marmalade lover. The Valentine's Day Love 2-Pack will only be available through Valentine's Day, and we do expect it will go very quickly!

Fruit Watch 11/2: Pears, Quinces and Crabapples

We had a fantastic weekend up in Mendocino, and made sure to stop at The Apple Farm in Philo on the way! While there, we sampled a number of excellent varieties, and came home with some gorgeous Flemish Beauty pears, tiny red crabapples, and two types of quince. We also sampled several excellent apples, including Northern Spy, Sierra Beauty, Philo Gold, and Fuji. We love them all, and it's so fun to taste them side by side, because they are so different from each other! We can't wait to get going on some new flavors...