Top Five: Toronto’s best pickles and preserves

The city’s most delectable jammed, brined and jarred creations

Photograph by Ryan Szulc

Julian Katz, a former cook at C5, The Drake and Lucien, abandoned the prep kitchen in 2011 to open Stasis, a preserves shop on Roncesvalles where he jars tart jam made with Ontario strawberries, cranberries and rhubarb. 476 Roncesvalles Ave., 647-766-5267, stasispreserves.com

A cult of pickle purists follows Manning Canning from farmers’ market to farmers’ market for her lovingly brined preserves. The crunchy pickled celery packs a spicy punch—and makes a great swizzle stick in a caesar. manningcanning.com.

The owners of Kitten and the Bear in Parkdale make jellies and marmalades in the tradition of French confitures, using hand-hammered copper pans and organic ingredients. Our favourite is a gooseberry-strawberry jam perfumed with elderflowers (this summer’s batch should debut around early July). 1574 Queen St. W., 647-926-9711, kittenandthebear.com

Specialty stores around the city carry Bumpercrop’s pickles, and for good reason: the small Scarborough canning company uses raw vegetables to preserve that crunchy pickle pop, and has a whole line of malty, beer-brined sweet and hot peppers. bumpercrop.com

Spade and Spoon Preserves, a small family cannery in Ayton, Ontario, makes the city’s best relish: a tangy, pickly heaven of slow-cooked peak-season corn, cabbage, red onion and red peppers hit with turmeric and mustard seed. Sorauren Park Farmers’ Market, Mondays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 40 Wabash Ave, spadeandspoon.ca