Mrs Darlington's Christmas Preserve - 340g

The British cupboard has a jar for nearly every occasion, and Christmas gets its own. Seasonal preserves are a small, quiet tradition at home: they appear on the shelves once the decorations go up and are gone again soon after the new year.

If you grew up with a British Christmas, the breakfast table is half the memory. The paper hats are still on from the night before, the kettle is going, and there is a jar out that only comes out once a year. That is what people in Canada are after when they go looking for British Christmas food.

It is a standard 340g jar, which keeps happily in the cupboard until it is opened and then lives in the fridge like any other preserve. People spread it on toast and crumpets, spoon it onto scones, or put it out with cheese and crackers for the Boxing Day graze.

Mrs Darlington's is better known for its everyday jams, marmalades, curds and chutneys, so this sits nicely alongside them. It goes in a basket with a box of proper tea and some crumpets, as a Christmas gift for someone who misses home.