<![CDATA[Le Meadow's Pantry Artisan Jam and Marmalade Vancouver BC

<![CDATA[Le Meadow's Pantry Artisan Jam and Marmalade Vancouver BC - Food Stories]]>Thu, 28 May 2026 03:35:53 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Rhubarb, roses and a recipe for spring]]>Wed, 27 May 2026 22:54:35 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/rhubarb-roses-and-a-recipe-for-spring

May is always a month of memories for me in the kitchen. The elderflowers bring their daunting aroma, the rhubarb coming out of the still-cold soil brings joy with its bright taste, and the Nootka roses carry a scent that is purely nostalgic. After the months of winter marmalade and the fleeting spring dandelion confit ( a delicate, aromatic spread made by gently simmering whole flower petals in syrup to create a clear jelly ) rhubarb was always the jam that told me spring has finally arrived.

Rhubarb was the first jam I made when I started Le Meadow's Pantry thirteen years ago. I remember ordering several pounds from Camel's Back Harvest, a small family farm in Pemberton, BC, where they grew strawberries and the most ruby-red rhubarb. I had decided to make a rhubarb jam without the usual strawberries. I had made upside-down cakes and compote for my children many times, but turning rhubarb into a jam was something entirely new. I also quickly learned that you need a lot of rhubarb to make a few jars: those thick, long stalks melt almost instantly in the heat and you are soon left with not much. And although I usually cook jam on high heat as quickly as possible to preserve the fresh flavours of the fruit, rhubarb asked something different of me. A slow simmer, gentle stirring, enough patience to keep some pieces intact, that turned out to be the method I'd be using every spring for the next thirteen years.
Now my friend Shirlene from Earth Apple Organic Farm in the Glen Valley supplies me with red rhubarb and elderflowers every spring. I use the red rhubarb with ginger, elderflowers, strawberries and Nootka roses. Miranda from Sweet Earth Farm grows the green rhubarb; a different cultivar with a smoother, less acidic taste that has become a favourite for many of you. Contrary to what many people think, green rhubarb isn't unripe, it doesn't start green and turn red; it is an entirely different variety. We have finished cooking the green rhubarb and are hopeful we made enough to last until the end of summer.
We are still receiving and cooking the red rhubarb, and next week we will fold in the petals of Nootka roses for a gentle, fragrant taste of spring. The elderflowers were more elusive this year: the weather shifted too quickly, cold then warm then rain, leaving only a narrow window to harvest. We will have a limited amount of elderflower vinegar ready in early June. And since the elderflowers arrived before the rhubarb this season, we added them to the strawberry jam.
At the markets
The summer farmers markets are underway and if you are in Vancouver, you will find me at Trout Lake, West End and Kitsilano on weekends. It's still early in the season but you will find beautiful varieties of greens, wild and cultivated, the first strawberries, and of course, rhubarb. I notice a lot of people reaching for those shiny red stalks at the market, and then not quite sure what to do with them. If that is you, here are two simple ideas: sauté the stalks in a little butter and serve over fresh spinach, or turn them into a compote.
Rhubarb Compote
Rhubarb has a natural affinity for warm, fragrant flavours. Ginger, orange, angelica, vanilla, cardamom and mint are all wonderful companions; in the compote below, simply add one to the saucepan at the start of cooking if you'd like to experiment.
A good compote finds the moment just after the rhubarb softens but before it disappears entirely into a purée. The natural acidity fades, the flavours settle into each other, and what remains should have some pieces intact and a deep, dark pink hue.
Serves 4

4 cups rhubarb, ends trimmed, leaves fully removed, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 strip lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a large non-reactive saucepan. Let stand at room temperature for about one hour, until the rhubarb begins to release its juice.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring carefully, until the rhubarb is soft but some whole pieces remain — about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool completely before serving. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Serve with vanilla yogurt and honey, alongside a ricotta cheesecake, spooned over an apple crisp, with crème fraîche, or simply straight from the jar.
Shop rhubarb
Our rhubarb jams are available online and at the farmers market, or if you prefer, you are welcome to preorder and pick up at the market. It is rarely available in store and quantities are limited. Visit my market schedule here to find me this season.

So many of you have taken the time to write and tell me you enjoy this newsletter. In a world of too much information, knowing that some of you will click and read my words fills my heart more than I can say. Thank you.
With love from my kitchen, Geneviève

]]><![CDATA[Why I am at the farmers market every weekend]]>Wed, 27 May 2026 22:48:02 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/why-i-am-at-the-farmers-market-every-weekend

You will often find me at the farmers market on weekends. But what does it really mean, as a small producer, to set up shop in a parking lot under a canopy, rain or shine?

The World Farmers Markets Coalition describes a farmers market as “a recurring and organized gathering where local farmers sell their fresh, locally grown and processed agricultural products directly to the consuming public — vibrant spaces for communities to connect with their food sources, foster relationships between consumers and producers, while supporting local economies and sustainable practices.”

A beautiful definition. And an accurate one.

Joining the market thirteen years ago was a chance to start something. Choosing to stay, after all this time, is something else entirely. It is an act of love for my community.

Friday evenings are for preparing for the market. Loading the car with the tent, the tables, the display, the jars. Saturday mornings begin before the sun. Setting up in a dark, cold parking lot, watching the sky slowly lighten while waiting for the first customers. And on rainy days — which in Vancouver are plentiful through the long winter months — those first customers may arrive late, or not at all.

Would you blame them? It takes courage and commitment to shop outdoors in all kinds of weather. It takes the same to show up and sell.

Over the years, I have learned what it truly takes to bring a farmers market to life. The work behind the scenes is enormous, and largely invisible to the public. A few years ago, I joined the board of the Vancouver Farmers Market, and more recently, the board of the British Columbia Association of Farmers Markets. This has deepened my understanding of what a local food system really means and the importance of access to fresh, quality food for everyone in our communities.

When you shop at your local farmers market, you are doing more than buying groceries. You are strengthening a local economy. You are meeting the people who grew and made your food , shaking hands with the producer, exchanging a few words, a recipe, a smile. These small moments matter more than we often realize.

April at the Market
It is still too early for the first fruit and berries, and my freezers are now emptied of last summer’s harvest. So what am I working on these days?

The delicate first flowers are making a brief and luminous appearance before the season moves on and the heat of summer wilts them. Violets, flowering currants, dandelion and later this month, rose petals, are slowly finding their way into jars, the way good things do. These flower jellies are made from cold infusion, a process that takes several days. Because these flowers grow wild and in small abundance, each batch is extremely limited. They will appear gradually on my website and at the market over the coming weeks and months.

And today at the market, I saw the first stems of rhubarb. So many of you have already been asking, and I understand why. Rhubarb is a beautiful and singular flavour, one that belongs entirely to this moment in the year. The rhubarb and elderflower jams will follow in May.

See you at the market,
Geneviève

P.S. Thank you for choosing handmade. Every jar you bring home keeps this slow, seasonal work alive.

]]><![CDATA[An act of defiance in a copper pan]]>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:13:39 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/an-act-of-defiance-in-a-copper-pan

In a time where growing and working faster seems to be the norm, making marmalade feels like an act of defiance.
For the past twelve years, each week in my kitchen has begun with the same quiet routine. On Tuesdays, we slice the oranges by hand. No food processor. Only this way can we achieve the defined pieces of rind that give our marmalade its character. The peel then rests overnight in cold water.
On Wednesdays, the rinds are slowly cooked until perfectly tender, and once again they are left to rest. Only the following day comes the final boil, when sugar is added and the transformation truly begins. Each batch is cooked carefully until the perfect set is reached, then jarred and labeled by hand.
By Friday, orders are packed and delivered. And on Saturday morning, rows of shiny jars sit on the shelves of some of the most prestigious hotels, cafés, grocery stores, and independent shops.
Tucked between commercial factory-made jams, at first glance you might think Le Meadow’s Pantry is just another brand. The jars are neat, the labels clean, the shelves orderly.
But inside each jar is something entirely different ; time, patience, and fruit that has been handled from start to finish with intention.
In a world that rewards speed and scale, choosing handmade marmalade is a small but meaningful act. It supports slower work, seasonal rhythms, and a craft that refuses to disappear.
It was therefore to my great surprise that this very same Orange Marmalade — which received a Silver Award at the Dalemain Marmalade Awards in 2019 — has now won 1st Place, Best Fruit Spread at the 2026 Chatelaine Pantry Awards. According to the magazine, “This citrusy spread was tasty enough to convert several naysayers into outright marmalade fans.”
Once again, Le Meadow’s Pantry finds itself on the shelf alongside much larger brands, quietly proving that it is still possible to stay small, cook slowly, work thoughtfully... and win.
If you have been meaning to try our Orange Marmalade, or if your pantry is ready for a refill, this is a beautiful moment to bring a jar home and celebrate with us.
Bring a Jar Home

P.S. Thank you for celebrating this award with me. Every jar you choose keeps this slow craft alive.

]]><![CDATA[On choosing Raspberry and Rose]]>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/on-choosing-raspberry-and-rose

On choosing raspberry and Rose

One of the questions I am most often asked is:
What is your best seller?
Or sometimes, What is your favourite?
I always hesitate.
The best seller is often the flavour people are most unsure about, the one they approach cautiously, sometimes even skeptically, and yet it is the first to sell out.

When I first started selling at the farmers market, I didn’t understand why people would stand in front of twenty different jars and ask which one was the best seller. As if the others were somehow less worthy. As if popularity meant better.
But taste is personal.

If I tell you which one sells the most, will that stop you from choosing the one that quietly calls to you?

Flavour is not about popularity. It’s about memory , the things you grew up eating, or the ones that transport you back to a moment, a place, a season. It’s about curiosity. A small leap of trust.

Creating new flavours is one of the easiest things for me. I only need to look at the fruit, breathe in its aroma, and I instantly know what would make it shine even brighter. Pairing herbs, flowers, spices or liquor is something very serious to me. I’m sometimes asked if I just mix things for fun in my kitchen, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Each flavour combination has a purpose, a meaning, a story.

And the story of Raspberry & Rose is one of my dearest.

Taste Raspberry & Rose

Rose water was always around when I was growing up. My mother would add a few drops to a large pitcher of water on hot summer days. We would use it in the morning to gently awaken our sleepy faces. She would fold it into whipped cream to serve with fresh berries.

The scent of rose was never perfume in our home. It belonged at the table.
So naturally, when it was time to choose a raspberry jam for Le Meadow’s Pantry, I knew it had to be the one with rose water.

Roses and raspberries belong to the same botanical family , Rosaceae. While they look different, their shared background contributes to similar aromatic and flavour profiles.

Maybe that’s why, after all these years, it is still my most popular flavour. The one people approach with a quiet fear of soap. The one they reach for, then pause when they see the word rose on the label.
I reassure them. It won’t taste like soap. The proper amount of pure rose water doesn’t cover the raspberry, it makes it shine brighter.
And if they are still hesitant, I simply say:
Best seller.

Raspberry & Rose is available on the website now , a jar makes a thoughtful little gift, or something special to keep for yourself.

]]><![CDATA[Thirteen Years-i was told marmalade wouldn't sell]]>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:21:33 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/thirteen-years-i-was-told-marmalade-wouldnt-sell

Thirteen years ago, on a cold winter day, Le Meadow’s Pantry was born.
I had just moved to Pemberton, British Columbia, a valley surrounded by mountains and forest. The land was covered in snow. Still, I knew what would come. Old cherry trees, black and red currant bushes, wild roses, a peach tree, and a rhubarb patch were waiting for spring.

That winter, I applied to farmers markets, built a website, and gathered jam and marmalade books. I bought copper pans; large, shallow, made especially for jam, long wooden spoons, funnels, and jars. So many jars. I read and imagined flavours, waiting for fruit.

The name Le Meadow’s Pantry comes from my childhood in the countryside in Québec. I grew up playing in meadows all summer long, with an old apple tree, wild berries, flowers, and all sorts of things that could fill a pantry.

The first idea was marmalade. I wanted the business to make marmalade only. I had always loved the bitter, distinct flavours of marmalade, but I didn’t know how it was made. I read more. I combined four favourite recipes and made my own thick-cut marmalade. That recipe won a silver award at the UK Marmalade Awards in 2019. It has never changed.

The second marmalade was grapefruit with smoked sea salt. It won two silver awards in the UK in 2021.

By March, my basement was filled with cases of marmalade, Meyer lemon, mandarin, blood orange, citron, Seville, kumquat. I had been accepted into four local farmers markets. The snow melted. The fields filled with dandelions.

I had been collecting jam and preserve recipes since I was twelve. In an old notebook, I found a dandelion confit recipe that began: “On the first day of spring, pick 365 dandelion flowers, one for each day of the year.”
I gathered baskets and sent my children into the fields. We worked quickly. Once the flowers turn to pollen, they cannot be used. In under two weeks, I made more than 200 jars of dandelion confit.

I was excited. I was afraid no one would buy it.

Then came the rhubarb. I paired it with rose petals. The sour cherry tree beside the house gave more fruit than we could handle.

On May 18, 2013, I attended my first market at the Shipyards in North Vancouver. The first jar I sold was dandelion confit, followed by grapefruit and smoked sea salt marmalade. That season, I offered six marmalades, dandelion confit, and rhubarb jam.

That summer, I cooked each fruit as it came into season. Every weekend, I packed my old Volkswagen Golf with jars, market equipment, two children, and our old dog Che, and drove to farmers markets.

By the end of summer, I knew this was what I would do.
We moved to Vancouver. I joined larger markets, winter fairs, and craft shows. I wanted the business to last.

In the second year, I knocked on shop doors. Some were curious. Others questioned the small batches, the copper pans. Many said marmalade wouldn’t sell. Too bitter.

I kept going.

I had worked in food for many years. I understood how taste connects to memory. I trusted that careful cooking and honest flavour would find its place.

I didn’t invent jam. I chose to make it as well as I could.

Thirteen years later, Le Meadow’s Pantry is still growing. We use the same copper pans as we did in 2013. The recipes haven’t changed. We work faster now, more organized, but the work is the same.

I still spend my weekends at farmers markets. Today, the preserves are also found in beautiful shops, cafés, and hotels.

Every jar is made the way it always has been.

I am deeply grateful to all of you who have supported me over these thirteen years, and who have embraced both the bitterness of marmalade and the sweetness of fruit.

Dandelion Picking in the fields of the Pemberton Valley

Our very first market, May 2018

Cherry pitting for days

My daughter and Che after a long market day

Wild roses for the rhubarb jam

]]><![CDATA[Spring Salad]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 01:42:02 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/spring-salad

Watercress Salad with Sautéed Rhubarb, Roasted Hazelnuts and Honey Elderflower Dressing.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
For the salad:
- 2 big handfuls of fresh watercress and mâche, washed and trimmed
- 1 stalk of rhubarb, cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 tsp butter or olive oil
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
For the dressing:
- 2 tsp honey ( I used fireweed honey)
- 1 tbsp elderflower vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt

In a cast iron pan, melt a small amount of butter or warm olive oil over medium heat. Add rhubarb slices and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until slightly softened. Remove from heat before they turn to
mush, you want them to still hold their shape.

Make the Dressing:
Whisk together the honey, elderflower vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth and emulsified.

Place the watercress in a large bowl. Scatter the warm rhubarb and toasted hazelnuts over the greens. Drizzle with dressing just before serving and toss gently.

]]><![CDATA[Change of Seasons]]>Mon, 23 Sep 2024 19:10:30 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/change-of-seasons

I hope your summer was as delightful as it was wonderful. I spent many hours in the hot kitchen but also countless hours swimming in the ocean, rivers, and lakes. Late summer is one of my favorite times to preserve and capture the last sweetness of the season. Many afternoons are spent gathering and drying the last herbs and flowers to add to vinegars and preserves for the colder months.

Working with frozen stone fruit proved to be a challenge, but I appreciated that the fruit was already pitted and ready to cook; this saved me a lot of time, and I’m grateful to the farmers for their effort. Using organically grown fruit also assured me that the taste would be the sweetest and most delectable. I’m very pleased with the results of using frozen plums and apricots, although I miss the bright color of fresh, perfectly ripened fruit that goes straight from the orchard to my jam pan without spending a moment in cold storage.
If you didn’t have the chance to try these preserves this summer, they’re available on my website and at the farmers' market. The favorites are always the plum and cardamom jam and apricot jam, but the ones I’m most fond of are the Apricot, Orange, and Ginger Jam, and the Sugar Plum and Sour Cherry Jam.

Coming up next: we’re working on making our seasonal spicy tomato jam. We sourced the most beautiful and flavorful tomatoes, organically grown in Cawston, BC, by our friend Forrest Nelson. If you visit the Trout Lake and Kitsilano markets, you’ll recognize his stall, usually filled with perfect nectarines, peaches, and other beauties. Unfortunately, like many farmers in the Okanagan, last winter’s crop was devastating, and he didn’t have any stone fruit this year, except for a few prune plums.
We’re also working on our Fire Jelly—our version of a hot pepper jelly made with organically grown cayenne peppers from Stein Mountain Farm in Lytton, BC, along with ginger and other spices in a golden apple jelly base.
Our summer vinegar, mostly made from flowers like rose petals, yarrow, lavender, lemon balm, and anise hyssop, is brewing and will be available in the coming weeks. We’re also preparing gift boxes, big and small, with a variety of combinations—jam and marmalade, vinegar, and chocolate (from Take a Fancy Bean to Bar). Vinegars and Gift Boxes will be availabe at the farmers market and on my website.
The summer farmers markets are still on until the end of October; you'll find me alternating between Trout Lake and West End on Saturdays, and Kitsilano on Sundays.

Looking ahead, the winter farmers market will start the first week of November. On Saturdays, you’ll find me at the usual location at Riley Park in Vancouver. New this year, the Sunday market that was previously held at Hastings Park will be relocated to Kitsilano. I’m not yet sure if I’ll be attending, but more details will follow soon.

]]><![CDATA[New from my kitchen spring 2024]]>Thu, 13 Jun 2024 02:28:10 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/new-from-my-kitchen-spring-2024

Late Spring Chronicles
A Bumper Crop of Rhubarb
The recent spring rains and cooler temperatures have created the ideal conditions for rhubarb this year. We've spent countless hours chopping, cooking, and preserving rhubarb in a variety of flavors. We are delighted to announce that our shelves are stocked with enough rhubarb jam to last well into the winter months.
Frost Damage in British Columbia
We also have some unfortunate news. This past January, the Okanagan Valley experienced an extreme cold snap, with temperatures dropping to -29°C. This sudden freeze significantly impacted fruit buds, especially on peach trees. As a result, we will see a limited harvest of local cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and some plum and apple varieties this summer. The pear trees appear to have weathered the cold better, and we should have a good supply of local pears.
Supporting Our Community
You may have noticed apricots, peaches, and cherries in supermarkets around town. These fruits are sourced from California, where the climate spared them from such severe cold. After much consideration, we’ve decided not to use these fruits to make our beloved summer preserves.

While we normally prioritize using sun-ripened fresh fruit for its peak sweetness and aroma, supporting our local farming community is also a top priority. Due to this year's challenging harvest in the Okanagan Valley, we've sourced some certified organic frozen stone fruit – sugar plums, apricots, and cherries – from the Similkameen Valley for our preserves.

What to Expect
While using frozen stone fruit is a new approach for us, we are committed to maintaining the high quality and delightful taste you expect from our products. You might notice a slight difference in the color and texture of our preserves. Frozen fruit tends to break down more during cooking, resulting in a smoother consistency and perhaps a less vibrant hue. However, rest assured that the flavor will remain as delicious as ever.
We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we navigate these challenges. Your loyalty helps us support local farmers and our small artisan preserving company.

Upcoming Preserves
We are excited to announce that our first plum and apricot preserves will start being available in early July. From then until the end of September, you can expect a variety of flavors to be released. We look forward to sharing these new creations with you and hope they bring a taste of summer to your table.
New Honey-Sweetened Jams
We've heard your requests for more honey-sweetened jams, and we're excited to announce new additions to our lineup. Our red currant and strawberry jam with lemon balm, gently sweetened with honey, is now available. Look forward to a plum jam sweetened with honey coming soon. Featuring a lower sugar content and a pleasant tartness, these jams offer a delightful balance of flavors.

Where to find me this summer:
This summer, you can find me at three different farmers markets. I'll be alternating between the West End Market and Trout Lake Market on Saturdays, and on Sundays, I'll be at the Kitsilano Market. For a detailed schedule, please check herehttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/farmers-markets.html. I hope to see you at a market this summer!

]]><![CDATA[2023 in review]]>Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:24:43 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/its-been-a-while

In 2023 Le Meadow's Pantry celebrated its 10th anniversary quitely in our yellow kitchen, gently simmering fruit.
In 2023, we proudly supported local farmers by purchasing over 40000 lbs of fruit, including apples, black currant, blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches and more beautiful fruit.

In 2023 we attended over 75 farmers markets in Vancouver, BC, feeding our community and strengthening our local economy.

Preserving so many fruits was made possible by my hardworking and dedicated team: Miki, Regina, Karen,Oshen, Trevro, Tanya and Rosalie +my friends and family.

In 2024, we will continue making our French style preserves with the same dedication-completely by hand and cooked in incredibly small batches bringing love and sweeteness to your home.

Thank you for the following this year and all your wonderful messages.

]]><![CDATA[Little Bird's Nest Cookies+ Raspberry Rose Jam]]>Tue, 24 Apr 2018 02:43:32 GMThttps://www.lemeadowspantry.com/blog-post/april-23rd-20186326372

]]>