Lest any “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” fans snicker (the long-suffering father in the movie receives a membership to a jelly of the month club instead of a big cash holiday bonus as hoped), jam and jelly of the month clubs are a thing. But not a big one just yet. We sifted through the ones out there that have charm, personality, and variety. And hardline jelly eaters, take note: None of these are exclusively jelly of the month clubs. Why? We couldn’t find any! They’re preserve of the month clubs, offering jellies, jams, fruit butters, and marmalades. Find out which one is right for you below.
Best Jelly of the Month Clubs
Best Overall: Small Batch Jam Co. Best for Variety: Amazing Clubs Jam and Jelly of the Month Club Best for Organic: Piece of Love Best for Chunky Preserves: Lemon Bird Preserves Best for Small Jars: Little Black Box
Why We Chose It: Small Batch Jam Co. provides an ever-changing cast of jellies, jams, marmalades, and fruit butter with creative flavor pairings. It’s a solid choice for lovers of all types of fruit preserves. ProsInternational shipping availableAccess to micro-batch flavors ConsExpensiveNo substitutions except for allergiesPacifica sits on the California coast just south of San Francisco, so Small Batch Jam Co.’s delicious fruit preserves have gained a cult following at farmers markets and events throughout the Bay Area. They use locally grown fruits for jams and jellies, both straightforward and unexpected: quince rosewater jam, lime jelly, and Earl Grey bergamot marmalade.Choose between three subscription options: three months, six months, and 12 months. Each month you’ll receive two jars: one from their regular collection and one from their micro-batch run that is not often available elsewhere. Outside of accommodating requests for allergies, there’s no customization. But for jelly aficionados who want to go with the flow, the range promises plenty of new tastes. Why We Chose It: If you want to try jellies and jams from different producers all in one subscription box, look to Amazing Clubs. Their wide variety of producers will take you on a nationwide tour of preserves. ProsMultiple producersShipping included ConsSome offerings available at decent grocery storesNo customizationWith every jam of the month club box featured here, you’ll get a ton of variety. This is the only club that curates from multiple producers, offering a tour de preserves from coast to coast. You’ll never get the same thing (or close to it) twice. Previous selections have included Oregon Hill Farms’ marionberry jam, Brenham Kitchens’ apple pie jelly, and Three Rivers Orchard’s muscadine grape jelly.This subscription is designed for gifting. Each shipment of two jars (totaling 10 to 20 ounces of preserves) comes with a newsletter (The Daily Spread) describing the producers and selections. However, note you can’t make substitutions, so it’s not ideal for those with special preferences or dietary needs. Why We Chose It: Preserves lovingly made with organic fruit and an abundance of durations to select from (anywhere from 1 to 12 months) distinguish Piece of Love among jam subscriptions. ProsPlans from 1 to 12 monthsEnroll for 6 months and get the 7th free ConsOnly one jar a monthShipping not includedBaker Jen Pattap might spend her time firing up her fair share of ovens, but her baking business, Piece of Love, also affords her plenty of time over jam kettles. Pattnap takes care that the organic fruit going into those batches comes from local farms whenever possible.Flavors are mostly classic (strawberry, blackberry, and peach jam) with some more adventurous choices and fruit combinations (kiwi, quince compote, and strawberry rhubarb). The subscription is very straightforward, allowing you to sign up for a jar a month for anywhere from one month to a full year. Shipping is about $13 per month. Why We Chose It: If you like your jams bearing visible pieces of fruit, Lemon Bird Preserves will give you plenty of opportunities to plop chunks on your toast or cheese board. ProsCreative flavorsHandmade process ConsAll jams are pre-selected for club membersNot many jelliesIt’s time for a quick lesson in fruit preserve nomenclature. Jelly is made with juice, not fruit chunks; usually, it’s transparent. Jam can be seedless or have seeds, but it’s made with crushed fruit. Preserves on the other hand can be (but are not always) made with whole fruits or fruit chunks.If you absolutely love having visible pieces of fruit in your preserves, Lemon Bird is for you. Its chunky preserves and jams have identifiable pieces of fruit ideal for spooning into yogurt, pairing with cheeses (their other business makes cheese boards), or just lavishing over your toast. The fruit comes from farms near their Southern California location. Note that shipments go out every other month, meaning you don’t get a new jar each month, but two per shipment in alternating months. Why We Chose It: When you want to sample a few flavors at a time but don’t want jars to overtake your fridge, Little Black Box’s manageable 4-ounce jars make it easier to polish one off so you can set into a new one guilt-free. ProsFun flavor combinationsSmaller jars are easy to share and sample Cons3 jars a month maybe too many for someSelections might be too adventurous for those who prefer straightforward jelliesA fixture in Jacksonville, Florida, markets and shops, Little Black Box began as a one-woman baking operation that added homemade jams to its lineup after discovering the high sugar content of commercial fruit fillings for baked goods.The selling point with this subscription is that the smaller jars allow for easier mixing and matching. Each shipment includes one bestseller and two seasonal limited editions. You’ll find flavors like banana rum lime jam, stout & cherry jam, pineapple mango pepper jelly, and raspberry whisk chipotle jam. We chose Small Batch Jam Co. as the overall winner for its ever-rotating selection of jellies, jams, marmalades, and fruit butter. If you’re a fruit preserve aficionado, you’ll love both their classic, straightforward flavors as well as their more eccentric ones.
How to Choose the Best Jelly of the Month Clubs
The first step: Figure out what’s your jam, so to speak. Some of these subscriptions offer more offbeat flavors, so if you want to stick to classics, don’t pick that club. If local or organic ingredients are important to you, factor that in. And finally, consider how much jelly you go through a month. Some subscriptions send just one jar a month; others send two. And remember, not all jars are the same size—an average jar of jam is about eight ounces.
Jelly of the Month Clubs vs. In-Store Purchases
With a jelly of the month club, you’ll be paying for shipping in one form or another, but these boxes are more about fun and discovery and less about sticking to a budget. With the subscriptions we chose, you’ll have access to preserves you typically can’t find in stores. The small-batch preserve makers we spotlight here often use more fruit and not as much sugar, leading to preserves with bolder flavor.
Do Jelly of the Month Clubs Use Organic Ingredients?
Some do and some don’t. Many producers use organic ingredients when they can, and some emphasize using locally grown fruit and seasonings over organic. What’s better, organic strawberries trucked across the country or locally grown conventional ones harvested in the height of the season?
Are There Low Sugar Options with Jelly of the Month Clubs?
We weren’t able to find a low-sugar, sugar-free, or no sugar added jelly of the month club. For a gift, try Blake Hill Preserves Naked Jams Gift Box, which includes three jams made with fruit and fruit juice only.
Are Seasonal Flavors Available With Jelly of the Month Clubs?
With many of these clubs, the shipments you get will reflect what’s in season at that time of year. For example, you’ll receive berry preserves in the summer, apple and pear butters in the winter, or citrus marmalade. You can always contact the business directly and ask for yourself, or look at previous selections on their website.
What Do I Do With All This Jelly?
If you get a little behind, don’t worry. Unopened jars of preserves will keep for at least a year, and quite likely longer. If your fridge is overrun with half-eaten jars, try using them in recipes! Our thumbprint cookies, marmalade pound cake, pork tenderloin with orange marmalade, gruyere, apple, and fig jam panini, and raspberry jam sweet rolls are all recipes you can adapt to other preserves. Or you can just explore our preserving and canning recipes.
Methodology
Compared to other food of the month clubs, there aren’t nearly as many subscriptions for preserves. We’re largely recommending ones that have more of a personal feel rather than a collection of random jars. Variety of preserves, quality of ingredients, options for different subscriptions, and price were all taken into account.
