Blue Owl Preserves (Discount Code)

After a month of no sugar at all while on Whole30, I was really looking forward to breaking my sugar fast without diving back into overly sweetened, highly processed junk.  My biggest anticipation was to (finally!) break into an adorable sampler set of handmade preserves I'd received for review  from Blue Owl Preserves.

I love homemade jams and preserves - especially when, like Blue Owl, they are made so that the flavors shine through rather than simply tasting like, well, sugar!  These are listed as low-sugar (cane sugar - no artificial substitutes), and each of the four I tried are sweet enough while letting the fruit flavors take center stage.

I was able to try a sampler of four 1.25 oz varieties (Strawberry, Apricot, Mango-Lime and Blueberry Rhubarb), which came stacked in a cute clear tube.

To take advantage of these jams, I made some grain-free muffins (they use coconut and almond flour), and my husband and I enjoyed them as a treat-filled brunch along with eggs and bacon. 

As a side note - this is the fun part of having a sampler set to play with - some muffins, or crepes, or even toast are made special-occasion because everyone can have a little bit of everything.

Strawberry and Apricot are my two favorite single-note jams, and these lived up to all the expectations my sugar-free month had built up, tasting like the fruit they're made of.   These are jams rather than preserves, so while there were some texture from the fruits, for the most part these are nice, thick spreads.

The Apricot, in particular, was a lovely burst of bright flavor I really enjoyed!  It would be excellent as a glaze for chicken or pork, and I regret that I didn't hold some aside to try. (So, I'm glad that Blue Owl Preserves sells 8 oz. sizes as well!)

The real star for me was the Mango-Lime - it is bright and bursting with flavor, and is another one that would be wonderful as a sweet note for a savory dish.  I'm thinking how amazing this would be with a good seared salmon filet!

I practiced a little discipline with the Blueberry Rhubarb, because I wanted to use at least one of these as a part of a meal instead of simply enjoying them as a spread - I'll be sharing a recipe with you in a couple weeks, but I really do want to encourage you to consider the wide array of uses there are for high quality jams like these, apart from the most obvious choice.

Here are just a few ideas:

- stir into plain yogurt as a 'make your own' fruit at the bottom treat
- use to top pancakes and waffles, either alone or spread with a bit of nut butter instead of syrup
- crepes filling, with or without some whipped cream cheese.
- as a topping for a bowl of oatmeal
- as the jam part of thumbprint cookies
- as part of a fruity vinaigrette
- as a glaze for chicken, fish or pork
- as a glaze for roasted root vegetables
- ??? Use your imagination!

Meanwhile, they made a delicious treat for the two of us - biscuits or muffins and tea or coffee shared with the ones you love is no small thing., and Blue Owl Preserves were the perfect way to have this moment.

In addition to the varieties we tried, Blue Owl Preserves full line includes several varieties:  Apple Butter, Apricot, Peach, and Strawberry as single-fruit jams, and Blackberry Nectarine, Blueberry Rhubarb, Mango Lime, Mixed Berry, Peach Habanero, and Spiced Pear - Cranberry as blended fruit jams.

If, like me, you find yourself wanting to try them all, there are also a few sample four-packs to select from.  These vary from time to time but currently available are these:

The Berries Sampler Set that includes four 1.25oz jars (Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Spiced Pear - Cranberry, and Blueberry Rhubarb).

For a limited time, you can even choose from among a few personalized Valentine's Day labels. This set is on sale for $12 and order soon because Valentine's Day is almost here!

The other currently available sampler sets, available for $13.00 each are:

Classic Sampler Set - four 1.25oz jars (strawberry, mixed berry, peach and apricot)

Colorado Sampler Set - four 1.25 oz jars of jams that highlight the fruits of Colorado (peach, blueberry rhubarb, spiced pear cranberry and blackberry nectarine).

Blue Owl Preserves is offering our readers a a discount, useable between now and  - if you purchase 3 Sampler Sets between  now and May 15, 2018, you'll get a %10 discount off your order, a $3.90 savings.

Use the discount code RCH at checkout to get your savings!

These little samplers would not only make fun and unique Valentine's Day gifts, but they'd be a great tuck in to an Easter Basket or as part of a Mother's Day gift basket!

I hope you'll check out Blue Owl Preserves, soon - and if you're in Colorado you'll find them at several local area shops and markets. I love supporting small businesses, and Blue Owl is a great example of why - the love and attention put into each product is so clear.

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