Among other things, the Trappists at Spencer are known for retreats and vestments. But their bread and butter, so to speak, is jam. Jam that they make themselves in a building behind the monastery. I admire the flavors because it's not just blueberry and cherry, but flavors such as quince, port wine, and cranberry pepper. Need an interesting snack for a party? Spread some of the cranberry pepper on cream cheese and put out some nice crackers.
The gift shop in Spencer has all of the jams. You can buy it by the case if you want. They also have honey from the monastery hives.
The jam is in many New England supermarkets and shops. The price can swing quite a bit from store to store. The best price I saw was at a supermarket in Cambridge.
An interesting story about the jam: it all started when some of the monks found a patch of wild mint growing on the property. They asked someone what to do with it and were given a recipe for jam. From there they ventured to others, which they sell. Yet mint jam, the jam that started it all, is not one of the jams that they sell today. Why? Because mint jelly is clear and would never sell unless you add food coloring to it, and the Trappists have strict purity rules that prevent them adding anything artificial to a Trappist product.
Their next venture is beer. When I visited several monks had just returned from a "fact finding" mission to Belgium. read more
