1. More fruit than sugar: sugar is cheaper than fruit, but more fruit means more flavor. Avoid preserves that list sugar as the first ingredient.
2. Better fruit = better flavor. All the great preserves we carry are made close to the fruit orchards to take advantage of the ripest, most flavorful fruit—and some of our preserve makers, like Robert Lambert, even pick the fruit themselves.
3. Seek luscious texture: it should be juicy and mouth-filling. Avoid jams with too much pectin, which creates a solid, gummy texture.