Preserves

Preserves are preparations of fruits cooked with sugar until soft and gelled—delicacies that store well for months without refrigeration. They include the familiar jams, jellies, syrups, fruit butters, and marmalades, as well as the lesser-known conserves (jamlike, but with nuts and raisins and sometimes citrus peels) and preparations of wines, herbs, and spices. Historically, the significance of preserves lay in their ability to provide summertime flavors in wintertime, when such luxuries were beyond the reach of most people.