AI-generated illustration
Alsace
An emblematic fruit of Alsatian orchards, every autumn the quetsche is transformed into a garnet-coloured jam with intense wild-plum aromas — a childhood memory and cellar treasure from generation to generation.
Jam or preserved fruit from Alsace.
AI-generated illustration
The quetsche — a large, elongated plum with purple skin and tangy yellow flesh — has been at the heart of Alsatian fruit-growing identity for centuries. Quetsche orchards dot the hillsides of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, particularly in the Vosges valleys and foothills, where loamy soils and favourable sunshine create ideal conditions. For Alsatians, the quetsche is not merely a fruit: it is a shared memory, the scent of kitchens in September, jars lined up on cellar shelves.
Making confiture de quetsches at home is an ancient tradition, in a region where preserving fruit for the winter was long a necessity. Each family had its method, its sugar proportions, its secret spices — cinnamon, vanilla, star anise. With the rise of artisan jam makers, this know-how gradually became professionalised, without losing its local character.
Unlike fresh quetsches or eau-de-vie de quetsche (which enjoy significant international renown), confiture de quetsches remains an essentially local speciality, appreciated for its authenticity and an aromatic intensity far superior to ordinary plums. It is regularly showcased at the Concours Général Agricole: Les Délices de Joséphine, an artisan jam maker in Bassemberg, for example, won a silver medal there for its confiture de quetsches d'Alsace, having already been named 2nd Best Jam Maker in France in 2017.
AI-generated illustration
Confiture de quetsches d'Alsace is distinguished by a deep purple, almost garnet colour, and a dense yet not set texture, with pieces of fruit that bear witness to artisanal production. Artisan recipes boast a high fruit ratio — in the region of 53 to 63 grams of quetsches per 100 grams of finished jam depending on the producer — which gives it an intense flavour, slightly tart and astringent, characteristic of this plum.
Cooking is ideally done in a copper preserving pan or cauldron, over a high heat and under constant supervision, to preserve the fruity aromas while ensuring natural gelling (the quetsche is low in pectin, which makes mastering the cooking delicate). Some artisans add a hint of cinnamon or vanilla; others prefer to let the fruit express itself without additions.
AI-generated illustration
It is enjoyed on a slice of toasted Alsatian bread, with fromage blanc or a Bibeleskaes, as a filling for tarts and Christmas biscuits, or served alongside foie gras. Confiture de quetsches is also an ingredient in several Bredele and in sweet flammekueche.
Confiture de quetsches d'Alsace holds no PDO (AOP), PGI (IGP) or Label Rouge certification to date. Its quality relies on artisanal tradition and fruit selection.
Artisan — Delicatessen & preserves
Artisan
Large artisan house
Artisan — Jams & preserves
Get listed and reach more lovers of regional produce.
Request a listingArtisan
Les Confitures du Climont represents an Alsatian family savoir-faire: "with plenty of fruit, sugar, and that's all!". The producer guarantees a minimum of 53 g of fruit per 100 g in its jams. Based at the foot of the Climont, in Maisonsgoutte (Bas-Rhin), it welcomes groups and offers visits to its Musée de la Confiture. Sales are available in its shop and online.
| Address | 2 rue des Petites Fourmis, 67220 Maisonsgoutte, France |
| +33 3 88 97 72 01 | |
| commercial@confituresduclimont.com | |
| confituresduclimont.com | |
| Facebook page | |
| @confclimont | |
| Visits | Yes |
|
Part of the production is certified organic, since 2021. |