On the Town - Boston
On the Town Boston
© STUART BERMAN/ISTOCKPHOTO
Spiritual Nourishment
A NUMBER OF BOSTON-AREA MONKS AND NUNS HAVE MADE THE FOOD BUSINESS THEIR SECOND CALLING. BY ALYSSA GIACOBBE
TRAPPIST PRESERVES
FROM ST. JOSEPH’S ABBEY
Ginger from Australia, quince from Chile and red currants from Eastern Europe are just a few of the ingredients that go into the 30 flavors of jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves and conserves made by Trappist monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey. Free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, the spreads are prepared in a 50-year-old vacuum kettle, which allows the fresh fruit to cook at much lower temperatures than other methods and retain its color, flavor and texture. “Our guiding principle is to do the least amount possible to the fruit to allow it to take center stage,” says Brother Brian Rooney. The sweet spreads— which include red raspberry jam and Seville orange marmalade (rated the best marmalade in the country by America’s Test Kitchen in 2007)— are available at the monastery’s gift shop and New England-area supermarkets such as Shaw’s, Hannaford and Big Y.
167 N Spencer Rd, Spencer, MA (60 miles from Boston) 508-885-8700; www.spencerabbey.org
TRAPPISTINE QUALITY CANDY
FROM MOUNT ST. MARY’S ABBEY
The 46 nuns at the country’s first Cistercian abbey, Mount St. Mary’s Abbey, make candy—and lots of it. The varieties include milk and dark chocolates with almonds, rich maple fudge, sugary chocolate fudge and the customer favorite, butter nut munch (squares of toffee covered in chocolate and nuts). Sold at the abbey and on its website, the treats are so popular, the nuns have plans for a new, eco-friendly candy-making facility that will feature solar panels, geothermal heating and wind power. All proceeds support communal life at the abbey, where the pious candymakers allow themselves to indulge in the sweets—but only on special occasions.
300 Arnold St, Wrentham, MA (45 miles from Boston) 508-528-1282; www.msmabbey.org
EMERY HOUSE WILDFLOWER HONEY
FROM THE SOCIETY OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
Once a week from April to October, Brother James Koester SSJE, an Episcopalian monk, drives an hour to Emery House, his monastery’s retreat center in West Newbury, MA, to tend to 300,000 to 360,000 bees. The fruit of his labor? Honey, which is sold at the monastery and the Emery House farm stand. Proceeds go toward the monastery and caring for the bees, a process that has opened Brother Koester’s eyes to new wonders. “I never used to pay attention to flowers,” he says. “Now I know their names, when they bloom and what kinds my bees like.”
980 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA; 617-876-3037; www.ssje.org
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