Mes Confitures

One of the nice things about that contest I threw last week was that one of our losing contestants--(is "losing" too harsh a word? I'm sorry)--one of our miserable failures turned me on to a book I knew nothing about. It was the book she requested should she win the contest. She didn't win the contest. Still, I bought the book. For myself!The book is (as the title of this post suggests): "Mes Confitures":Apparently Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini loves this book, and I can see why. It's a book choc full of fantastic jam and jelly recipes. It's organized by season and the recipes are so bizarre you feel compelled to make them just to see what they taste like.Cases in point:- Spring Carrot with Cinnamon (pg. 11)- Apple Jelly with Rose Petals (REAL ROSE PETALS!) (pg. 38)- Zucchini and Peppers with Spices (pg. 71)- Watermelon, Apples and Grapefruit (pg. 111)- Spiced Beer Jelly (WITH REAL BEER) (pg. 144)- Chestnut with Vanilla (pg. 145)- Apple with Caramel (mmm) (pg. 195)- Green Tomato and Pumpkin (ewww) (pg. 203)- Prailine Milk Jam (pg. 234)I'm so excited to start using this book but I don't want to make any jams if I can't eat them until after I move to New York. Does anyone know how long you have to let the jams sit for after you make them? Because I really want to make them. Although, waiting until after I get to NYC is a nice thought too: then I can make all these jams my first few weeks, put them away, and eat them in the winter when it's cold and nasty. Nothing like Spiced Beer Jelly on a cool winter's night...