Marks and Spencer Blackcurrant Jam

I am a bit fussy about jams and marmalade. I grew up on homemade, not because my mother was Martha Stewart or Nigella the opposite, but handy in the kitchen and hated waste so would always make left over fruit harvest into preserve.

I did used to make my own marmalade, my old next door neighbour had an abundant grapefruit tree and I liked a blackcurrant preserve from the Coop but it either got discontinued or just stopped being available in my local store.

I have tried a lot of different Blackcurrent jams from Bonne Mamon and Dickinsons both for me too sweet, to Waitrose own which I don’t like the consistency of, more like a jelly than a jam. Loads of people told me to try Tiptree jam but I didn’t rate. I even prefer the M and S conserve to Fortnum and Mason. they had stopped their blackcurrant jam altogether but recently I tried their Blackcurrant preserve, 340g for £5.95 which is really good, “Positively bursting with flavour, Fortnum's Blackcurrant Preserve is gently simmered to bring out a spectacular tartness and sweetness. It's as good as if Grandma cooked it yesterday” they say.

The Marks and Spencer’s blackcurrant preserve hits the spot for me in a taste test as it is really quite sour and tangy, a taste I love. It also tastes like a good fruit to sugar ratio as you get quite a few whole black currents on every slice of toast.

The only thing I will say is it’s a very small jar 340g by comparison to other similarly priced brands. Stute where you get 430g in the jar but diesn’t taste so good.

Two people eating this jam every day the jar lasts us about a week.

FYI Marks and Spencer are 50% stakeholder in online food delivery retailer Ocado - how you buy this product online if you can’t go to a store.