I have never been much of a jam or preserves fan. They are so often too sweet, too cloying, too one-dimensional or too gloopy.

Butcher's Bunches Handcrafted Preserves, however, are completely exhilarating and original! 

Liz Butcher - Chief Executive Jammer - has created a line of exuberant and innovative preserves that will have you leaping out of bed for breakfast and getting up in the middle of the night for one last nibble. These handcrafted jams and preserves are jump-up-and-down, fist-pump-in-the-air, you'll-eat-way-past-your-alloted-calorie-count-for-the-day-but-it-will-be-so-damn-worth-it (it's not the products that have all the calorie,  it's the stuff you're going to put them on - cakes, muffins, bread, waffles, etc.) magnificent.

There are a lot of factors that make these stand out:

- First and foremost,  the utter freshness of everything (this is the way fruit was meant to taste!).

- Secondly, the ingenious composition and amalgamation of ingredients like in Dirty Diana (you'll never be able to have regular jam after this - but hey, why would you want to?).

- Then there's the intense attention and consideration that goes into each product (they use artisan ingredients like Amano Artisan Chocolate of Orem, Utah and whiskey blends from Park City Utah’s High West Distillery).

- Get ready for it - they do it without almost never adding sugar!

- Even their packaging is unique, with the flower-cut-out tops on the jars (so pretty, you'll be holding onto these to store herbs and spices).

Taking their ingredients beyond just plain ol' jams, you will be dazzled by what crosses your lips. Back in Black, for example, combines red & black raspberries and blueberries. The usual suspects, right? Well, maybe if you're a regular jam maker, but here, Butcher's Bunches soaks and simmers the fruit in Amaretto (swoon!), then adds in Amano Madagascar & Dos Rios chocolate that softens and sinks into the mixture. How sensual is that? It's perfectly acceptable to dip toast points into it, but I recommend doing something much more celebratory than that. I made a Gypsy Tart, and then smothered the top of it with this delectable concoction for my Mom's birthday. She has now requested that all she ever wants for her birthday for the rest of her days is this tart. I am positive it's because of the topping. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Drizzle (pictured above) takes balsamic to the next level with an infusion of strawberries and blackberries, making it one of the best multi-tasking condiments now at your service - homemade dressings and marinades, a brilliant finish on strawberries and ice cream or that roasted butternut squash soup, as well as a rich addition to any braise.