Bonne Maman Just Made a Classy Upgrade to Your PB&J
The famed fruit spread brand is taking on classic grape jelly.
Photo courtesy of Bonne Maman
The name Bonne Maman might immediately conjure up an image of those little one-ounce jars of jellies, preserves and fruit spreads you get in gift baskets, with hotel breakfasts, or as part of their coveted annual advent calendar. And yet, among these colorful, jewellike jars from the French brand, one classic flavor most American kids grow up eating hasn’t actually been represented: Concord grape jelly.
But now even the purple stuff in your PB&J can come from one of Bonne Maman’s rustic, cursive-labeled jars, as Concord Grape Fruit Spread hits grocery store shelves nationwide this week.
“At Bonne Maman, nothing is ever rushed,” a Bonne Maman marketing executive explained to me via email. “Every new offering begins years in advance with thoughtful research and development in France, where our team works to ensure that each recipe meets the highest standards of balance, smoothness, and pure deliciousness. Concord Grape has long been a beloved flavor in the U.S., and we wanted to take the time to do it the Bonne Maman way — using only premium fruit, with no artificial flavors or ingredients ever.”
If you’re noticing the omission of the word “jelly” so far, that’s because Bonne Maman, like any good canning and preserving expert, uses specific terms for its various spreadable offerings.
According to Bonne Maman marketing executive, “jellies are made from only the juices of fruits” and “offer a uniform texture, are clear, and firm compared to preserves and fruit spreads.” By contrast, preserves and fruit spreads “are made from cooking whole fruits, including the skin and seeds,” as “this ensures a fuller fruit flavor compared to jams.” (Note, according to the Bonne Maman website, they “don’t make jams.”) So with that in mind, you can expect that while this new concord grape product is made from whole fruit, it’s still smooth enough to spread.
However, if you feel like you’ve had grape jelly from Bonne Maman before, you’re not imagining things. They’ve previously offered a (now discontinued) Muscat Grape Jelly. However, the Bonne Maman executive tells Food Network, “Through R&D and consumer trials over the years, we have found that the US consumer prefers Concord Grape over Muscat.”
Jars of Bonne Maman’s non-GMO certified Concord Grape Fruit Spread are currently available in select stores across the country with a suggested price of $6.99 for 12.7 ounces. How fancy you want the peanut butter and bread that you pair it with is up to you.
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