Blake Hill Preserves, Windsor, Vermont

By Erin on December 17, 2019

Those who know and love me know that I am a huge fan of charcuterie boards. I could eat meat and cheese for breakfast. I also firmly believe that meat-and-cheese boards make a well-rounded, throw-together meal. In addition to your meat and cheese, add some cornichon for some salt. Add a smear of mustard for a kick of savory heat. Drop in some dried fruit to hit all main food groups. Don’t forget the jam or marmalade as a finishing touch of sweetness. Dinner is served!

For the holidays, I love nothing more than creating a gorgeous board or slate of local Vermont meat, cheese, and nuts. In fact, at my husband’s workplace, I have earned the esteemed title of “Chief Charcuterie Connoisseur”. I build meat-and-cheese boards for their events and celebratory functions, ensuring layers of flavor and nary an inch of untouched space on whatever serving vessel I’m using.

My secret weapon for the most delicious, flavor-stacked charcuterie board is the presence of jam or preserves – both sweet and savory. Enter Blake Hill Preserves, based in Windsor, Vermont. This Vermont-made company not only makes some of the most delicious jams, condiments, and fruit preserves I’ve ever had, but they also have a whole product-line dedicated to cheese pairings… They’ve quickly become my go-to Vermont maker for delicious preserves and jams to add to my cheese plates (and many other recipes – including sauces, marinades, and desserts).

Visiting Blake Hill Preserves in Windsor, Vermont

I remember the first time I visited Blake Hill Preserves Shop, sandwiched between Harpoon Brewery and SILO Distillery in Artisans Park in Windsor. It was a delicious and delightful discovery – as well as an introduction to all that Blake Hill Preserves has to offer. I was so impressed by the range of their products and the beautiful flavors of the samples I tasted. Their Specialty Preserves Shop showcases 40 different Blake Hill varieties. (I think there should be an award for test-tasting them all!) That’s a lot of sampling to conduct!

Inside, you can also peek into their jam-making facility to see where the deliciousness comes to be. Whether you gravitate toward sweet, savory, or spicy, there is something for every palate. They even have no-added sugar Naked Jams that are pure fruit (and “decadently naked”) for those looking for a healthier jam, in Peach, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Chocolate Raspberry, and Chocolate Cherry Ginger. There is truly something for anyone. It’s a destination for anyone in Vermont.

The location of Blake Hill Preserves Jam Shop is also home to Simon Pearce, Great River Outfitters, Artisan Eats, and Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company – making the collection of businesses an epic day-trip in Southern Vermont. Make sure you come to Blake Hill with an appetite for taste-testing. Leave with a bag of goodies as gifts or for yourself! They do ship, if you are visiting Vermont from afar and want to send a box of goodies home.

Blake Hill Preserves Offerings

Jams aren’t just for toast… They’re my go-to for charcuterie boards, but I also use them in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and desserts. I’ve even added them to cocktails before! Owned by third generation preserve makers, Blake Hill is known for their “bold flavors, super clean ingredients, and a unique combination of the most exquisite tastes while reducing, and even eliminating, added sugars!” Their condiments, jams, and marmalade offerings are so diverse and innovative.

Perhaps the most unique is their Botanicals Collection, including flavors such as Wild Dandelion-Infused Rhubarb and Honey, Wild Bergamot-Infused Raspberry. and Wild-Rose-Infused Strawberry. At the heart of these beautiful jams are “the wild edible flowers from the Vermont meadows surrounding Blake Hill providing a unique taste of terroir.”

On the savory side, Blake Hill offers everything from Fresh Tomato Jam and Caramelized Onion Spread to Chipotle and Balsamic Roasted Garlic Spread to Maple Chili Jam (one of my absolute favorites!). These are delicious with meat and cheese, or on crackers as a simple snack. For marmalades, you can try everything from Classic Orange with Bourbon Whiskey to Meyer Lemon, Seville Orange, and Orange, Lime and Ginger. For preserves, try the Peach Ginger, Black Currant and Wild Mint, or the Wild Maine Blueberry. I have so many favorites!

Blake Hill Preserves Gifts

I love gifting Blake Hill Preserves as host or hostess gifts and to all of my foodie friends. Their preserves also make a beautiful Vermont-made gift for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or even Easter! I’ve also been known to throw them in a Christmas stocking and gift them as small surprise-and-delight gifts to my colleagues.

Their products, priced between $6.99 and $8.99 for 10-ounce jars, are so versatile. They also come in beautiful Gift Box samplers, which allow you to gift a variety of offerings. For the holidays, I love this Holiday Jam Trio, ($27.99) with Pumpkin Butter, Apple Butter and Holiday Jam. It’s the perfect gift for the hard-to-buy-for foodie on your list. I gifted two of these to the grandmothers in our lives, and I can’t wait to see them light up and call to tell us how delicious they are. (I have a feeling they’ll be asking for another sampler next Christmas.)

The Cheese Pairing sampler is my absolute favorite offering from Blake Hill. It contains eight jars, and each jar is specifically paired with a type of cheese. Make a party out of it. Grab some wine, cheese, and this sampler. Go through each of the varieties and jam-and-cheese pairings. Raspberry Mostarda for bloomy rinds. Strawberry Vanilla for bries. French Onion with Rosemary for alpine-style cheese. It is delicious for the ultimate Vermont cheese pairing and would make for a memorable event for friends and family.