Visiting an Old-Fashioned Jam Kitchen on Cape Cod

Yummy Green Briar jams (photo by Eric)

If you like jam to go with your sandwich, then head on over to the Thornton W. Burgess Society's Green Briar Jam Kitchen in Sandwich, Mass., on Cape Cod.

This living museum offers visitors the chance to see how the process of cooking jams the old-fashioned way takes place, as well as jellies, relishes, pickles in a turn-of-the-century kitchen where local resident Ida Putnam began the Jam Kitchen in 1903. The sun-cooked preserves are cooked slowly in what is reported to be the oldest solar-cooking operation in the United States!

A gift shop on the premises offers these homemade preserves. For those inspired by the cooking process, workshops are also available to learn this time-tested craft.

There's also a prominent nature center here featuring water views, hiking trails, a wild flower garden and the Robert S. Swain Natural History Library with books on the natural history of the United States. All in all, the Center is really a beautiful spot, often contrasting with the hustle and bustle of the commercial side of Cape Cod. I'd imagine many people travel to Cape Cod as a getaway, and then visit the Nature Center and Jam Kitchen to get away from the getaway! Not only is the Nature Center and Jam Kitchen a pleasant oasis, but it's right off Route 6A, one of the most scenic roads in New England with its charming little villages and historic homes hugging the coast.

By the way, if you're wondering about Thornton Burgess, he was a naturalist and conservationist from Massachusetts who wrote more than 170 books and 15,000 articles in newspapers. That's a lot of trees used!

The Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen is located at 6 Discovery Hill Rd., East Sandwich MA. We recommend calling for hours at 508-888-6870 and for more info on workshops. Admission is by donation.