Product Review: Sunfresh Freezerves

Not Just For Breakfast

Jam is jam, right? Peruse the breakfast shelf in the market, and see jar after jar of colorful goo waiting to be spread on toast.

But, some of the best jam is from the Northwest, and it's in the freezer case. It is made of fresh-never-cooked-fruit grown in Washington State, and it's not just for breakfast. Sunfresh Food began making Freezerves in a Seattle Masonic Temple Kitchen in 1986. You'll find it at CostCo, Coastal Kitchen and elsewhere. Fratelli's White Chocolate and Raspberry Ice Cream uses Freezerves for the fresh fruit flavor and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate with a Raspberry Swirl Yogurt did the same.

How does the Raspberry Freezerve taste? Yummy. A slightly different texture then what we know as jam, Freezerves, have chunks of fresh raspberries and no preservatives. Since the berries are never boiled or cooked; Freezerves are sweeter, lighter and more nutritious. Company President, Rick Cosgrave adapted the recipe from his mother's jam. Once he tasted it, he "was never happy with regular jams again."

The difference between the Freezerves and regular jams is in that recipe. Mixing fresh and freezing instead of cooking the fruit makes all of the difference in the world. Even though Freezerves have all of these plusses: great taste, nutritional value... they are not on every breakfast table in the Northwest because no one knows where to find them in the store.

How many other jams are in the freezer case? None. Frozen waffles, toaster streudels and other breakfast standards are there. But the perception of jams and preserves is that they are in a jar on a shelf closer to the bread than the ice cream. Freezerves are definitely worth a trip to the frozen food aisle!

The small recyclable plastic tubs look more like frozen yogurt packaging than jam. In these containers, the jam can last six months in the refrigerator, a year in the freezer-- and without preservatives.

Freezerves are not as heavy as most other jams. You may wind up either having a lump fall off the utensil you're scooping it out with, or a huge glob overpowering your slice of wheat toast.  Freezerves do not act this way. Also, once Freezerves are on the bread they are spreadable.

Freezerves are not just breakfast jams, though. Suggested recipes include braising chicken or pork with Freezerves. The fresh fruit adds a sweet, tangy quality to all foods. Imaging basting it over your next set of shish kabobs!

Sunfresh Foods produce Freezerves and other Frozen Jam Sauces for restaurants and retail. For more information, see the Sunfresh website at www.sunfreshjams.com.

--Ed Eibel,  6/99