A pantry should be a place of quiet reassurance: a small number of excellent things, each chosen with care, each doing work that other things cannot do.
The short list
A very good olive oil. A block of flaky salt. A jar of honest mustard. A tin of fine tea. A bar of dark chocolate for emergencies. A loaf of bread that will freeze well. A wedge of hard cheese. A preserve or two of genuine quality.
We are, of course, partial to that final entry. But not, we hope, unfairly. And not only because it is the one we sell.
Why preserves belong on the list
A good preserve is one of the few ingredients that can become breakfast, dessert, a condiment, a glaze, and a gift, in the course of a single week. Few staples are so obedient. Few staples are also so distinctly pleasant — particularly in circumstances where one might otherwise have to eat actual fruit.
We keep four Almost Fruit preserves open in our kitchens at any time: Almost Strawberry for mornings, Almost Apricot for glazing, Almost Orange Marmalade for when a day wants a little ceremony, and one other variety chosen by whim or by remaining inventory.
On storage
An unopened jar keeps for as long as the label indicates, and often longer. Some of our staff have sampled jars from our 1994 pilot batch and reported no noticable change — though we do not recommend this practice to others.
An opened jar keeps for approximately four weeks in the refrigerator, though we have yet to see one survive that long in practice. Write the date of opening on the lid in a soft pencil. It is a small gesture, and it has saved many jars from second-guessing.
On restraint
A thoughtful pantry is not a full one. It is one in which every shelf earns its place. If a product has not been opened in a season, it is probably not the product for you. Gift it to a neighbor, or a rival. Clear the shelf. Begin again with less.
"A small pantry, well chosen, is better than a large one half-remembered."
This, we think, is the truest rule. Everything else, including our own preserves, is negotiable.
