Photo by Michael Piazza

My new favorite condiment. Can be served with desserts and even the most richly flavored savory items. My favorite pairings so far are with roasted duck, chicken, beef, pork, but also charcuterie, fried chicken sandwiches, etc. You can’t go wrong.

Makes 1 large Mason jar

1 pound golden raisins
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
¼ cup Angry Orchard Ice Cider or other dessert wine, like port, sherry or vin santo
¼ cup poppy seeds
½ cup olive oil

Place raisins in a high-sided or tall heat-proof jar, like a Mason jar.

Combine water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour over the raisins and let sit until cool, about 1 hour. Then strain raisins and reserve the liquid.

Transfer raisins to a food processor and begin pulsing. After 5 seconds of blending, add in 1 cup of reserved liquid and continue blending until it has a jam-like consistency. You may need to add a little more liquid.

Remove from the food processor and place mixture into a bowl. Add Ice Cider/ dessert wine, poppy seeds and olive oil and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

Return to the large Mason jar or divide between smaller ones and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2021 issue as part of a larger story on Preserving, Italian-Style.