Our story
A preserve of patient intention.
Almost Fruit was founded in 1987 on a single, quiet conviction: that a preserve could capture, as faithfully as was honestly possible, the character of the fruit that inspired it. Four decades later, the conviction has not changed.
A letter from our founder. Est. 1987
Since 1987, Almost Fruit has stood for a simple idea: that a preserve could hold onto nearly everything that makes a piece of fruit worth eating, and present it in a more convenient form. We were not the first to make jam. We may not even be the best. But we have always believed that we are the closest.
We have tried, in the years since, to remain close to that original modesty. Our recipes are not large. Our facility is not loud. Our preserves arrive on the table, one teaspoon at a time, and ask for very little in return — apart from a brief glance at the ingredient list, which we encourage but do not insist on.
— With every good wish,
The Almost Fruit Kitchen
What we believe
Three principles.
One
Closeness.
We believe it is more honest to be almost something than to pretend to be the thing itself. Our preserves do not claim to replace fresh fruit. They claim only to resemble it — closely, thoughtfully, and with every sincere intention.
Two
Consistency.
Each jar is made to the same recipe, to the same standard, to be almost exactly the same every time. We have found that customers rarely ask for surprises. They ask, quite reasonably, for the preserve they remembered from last Sunday.
Three
Craft.
There is a craft to being almost something. It requires patience, practice, and the willingness to stop short of overstatement. We have spent nearly four decades learning it, and do not believe we are yet at the end.
How our jam is made
Four slow steps.
Our process has changed very little since 1987. We find this reassuring.
Step one
Selection.
We begin with carefully sourced ingredients, chosen for their close resemblance to the inspiration fruit. Each batch starts with a set of tasting notes composed the same morning.
Step two
Preparation.
The mixture is combined slowly, at low heat, in small copper-bottomed kettles. A single kettle holds approximately 48 jars. We rarely fill a kettle more than once in a morning.
Step three
Setting.
The preserve is brought gently to the setting point, which is determined by spoon, plate, and a long-standing disagreement between two of our kitchen staff. We tend to trust the plate.
Step four
Preservation.
Each jar is filled while still warm, sealed at peak readiness, and set on a cooling rack overnight. By morning, the preserve is ready to be labeled and packed. It will travel, we hope, to a very good table.
Our history
Almost four decades, and counting.
1987
The beginning
Almost Fruit is founded in a modest kitchen with a single recipe, a copper pot, and an uncommon vision: that a preserve could be almost exactly the thing it honors.
1994
Early recognition
Our first varieties find their way into cupboards across the region, to quiet but unmistakable appreciation. Our first cease-and-desist letter arrives in the same envelope as our first handwritten thank-you.
2003
A dedicated home
A small preserving facility opens in Almond Harbor, Connecticut, allowing us to serve nearly every household in the country without compromise, and several households with considerable compromise.
2012
Twenty-five years
We mark our first quarter-century with a limited edition of Almost Quince — now quietly legendary among readers of our letters, and among the two staff members who tasted it and declined a second jar.
2020
A long-awaited arrival
After years of patient preparation, Almost Orange Marmalade is added to the permanent collection. It contains orange.
2026
Almsot there, still
Almost Fruit enters its fourth decade. Our recipes have not meaningfully changed. Our ingredient list has. We consider both forms of consistency a kind of achievement.
"Our recipes have not meaningfully changed. We consider this a form of achievement."— The Almost Fruit Kitchen