#96 – CHRISTINE FERBER JAMS at ÉPICERIE BOULUD

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

I know this is New York City and everything is expensive, but how can you justify $19 for a jar of jam?!? That’s absurd. You’d have to make some pretty little packaging or have it shipped from France or add some alcohol or something!!

Okay, so Christine Ferber’s jams do have a beautiful red bonnet, they are actually produced in the Alsace region, and might even have the addition of kirsch (cherry brandy). But is it worth the $19 price tag for less than 8 ounces?

I bought one of the jams at Épicerie Boulud, which might be the place for very expensive French items. My French is not great so I had trouble deciphering the options, even after asking the floor staff and consulting google. I was able to figure out framboises and rhubarb, but pampelmousse, eglantines, and coings were a little harder to figure out.

We only bought one jar (since that was all we could really afford) and we settled on the fancy sounding Quetsches d’Alsace, which according to the internet are plums. I do like plums.

If I was French, I’d probably find a fancy croissant to eat this with, but since I’m an American boy in his 30’s, I immediately thought of peanut butter and jelly. For the record, I did try the jam on its own just to get an unadulterated taste of it.

Amazingly, alcohol was the first flavor I tasted. The sweet, strong kirsch dominated the fruit initially, but then settled into a bright sweetness. The plum slices looked like slugs, but had a very nice texture. Overall, the jam was quite watery and difficult to spread and didn’t make for a great PB&J.

So in the end, is the absurd price tag worth it? I suppose it depends. I only sampled this one flavor and while it was pleasant and sweet, I wouldn’t spend the money again. The other flavors sound enticing (Pumpkin with Vanilla Bean, Strawberry Lemongrass, etc.) but until my web series gets picked up by the Food Network, I’ll have to keep dreaming.

Would Épicerie Boulud’s Christine Ferber Jams make my Top 100 of the year? If they cost half the price, they just might, but I can’t justify paying $19 for the sweetened plums. 7 out of 10.