Our friends the Victorians devised charming little jam pots with lids, often with little matching silver spoons and frequently sold in sets for serving strawberry jam, orange marmalade, lemon curd, and so on. If you have a set of these, you are well on your way to becoming an Afternoon Tea host to be envied and admired. However, these accessories are not mandatory. Jam can be served in a small, pretty bowl or even a little jar with a lid, but do not place a jar of commercial jam in its original container on the tea table. If you serve more than one kind of jam, the containers do not need to match. Choose jam containers that complement the season, colors and theme of your tea party, and place them near the tiered server or platter on which the scones are served. It is wise to put your jam pot or bowl on a small plate or saucer, along with the serving spoon to reduce the possibility of jam spills on the tablecloth. Some hosts like to place a small round white paper doily under the jam pot, and we are fond of paper doilies ourselves, but keep in mind that doilies have a good side and a bad side, so take care not to place a doily upside down. A good tea host should be mindful of these small details.
|
|
|