Bonne Maman is a preserves and jellies brand, produced in France. And this year, they're offering a limited edition Advent Calendar box! More about Bonne Maman:
Bonne Maman translates to mean “Grandmother” or “Granny”. The brand is aptly named as the preserves and jellies are made from the best natural ingredients found in your (or your Grandmother’s) kitchen, using the same traditional recipe since the brand began.
FYI: this box is still available for purchase!
The calendar is wrapped with thick cardstock paper, which has the box's illustration duplicated on the front and ingredient info on the back. The quality of this packing is excellent and ideal for gifting!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Box: Bonne Maman Advent Calendar
The Cost: $27.99
The Products: For 24 days leading up to Christmas enjoy a different flavor of delicious Bonne Maman Preserves, Jelly and Honey
Ships to: the US. Shipping is free with Prime.
And check out all Holiday 2017 Advent Calendars, too!
Each of the 24 days is beautifully illustrated similar to the cover and I like that the illustrations are not completely Christmas-themed, making it super giftable to many.
Each door opens to reveal the product and I also kind of like that the days are not in order, left to right. I'm already getting a fun and sweet vibe!
At first, I thought, how am I going to get through 24 preserves without them going bad? But the great thing is each 30g jar is just enough for your morning toast and each preserve is made with natural ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup.
Day 1:
Fraises à la Verveine, 30g
Hmmm, strawberry! Based on the name, this is a strawberry preserve with verbena. I'm not familiar with the latter, but the jam doesn't taste flowery. Just high-quality strawberry!
Day 2:
Figures Violettes, 30g
This next jar contains a purple fig spread, which tastes amazing! Bonne Maman mentions on their website that this spread is made with Violet de Bordeaux, which is "considered by many as the finest-tasting fig." I agree and think this would pair awesome with goat cheese.
Day 3:
Day 3 is a redcurrant jelly, a fruit I'm not familiar with. It's very good and the jelly is smooth in texture. It's sweet with a tad of tartness - kind of like cranberries, but much better.
Day 4:
Ananas à la Vanille et au Rhum, 30g
I don't speak French, so it's great (besides google translator) that Bonne Maman has cute little fruit illustrations on each lid seal. The seal isn't in the photograph, but I'm going to guess this is pineapple and maybe some vanilla? YES! Not only is it pineapple and vanilla, but also rum! This preserve is a bit more watery than the others but tastes like baked pineapple in an upside down pineapple cake. So good! I don't see this flavor on Bonne Maman's website, so I'll have to savor it!
Day 5:
Coings, 30g
Coings translates to Quince, which is similar to a pear. This spread is also super smooth, but I'm not familiar with the taste and also not as intrigued by it, as much as the others. It's good, but day 5 may hang out a little longer than the rest.
Day 6:
4 Fruits, 30g
This preserve is a blend of cherries, strawberries, redcurrants, and raspberries. I've never tasted a jam like this but each fruit can be detected.
Day 7:
Abricots, 30g
Apricot is one of my absolute favorite preserves and this one does not disappoint! It smells fresh and doesn't taste overly sweet. There are chunks of apricot included, which to me, seems authentic and less processed.
Day 8:
Oranges et Cannelle, 30g
Now, I see orange marmalade preserves on their website, but not orange and... cinnamon! What a treat to get a few exclusive flavors! The citrus blends really nicely with the cinnamon's spice. If you're not a fan of cinnamon or spice, though, you may not care for this one.
Day 9:
Oranges et Mandarine, 30g
Two days in a row of oranges?! I definitely like this one much more the day 8. This spread also seems to be exclusive and has a solid orange juice vibe about it. Definitely good and unique.
Day 10:
Miel d' Oranger, 30g
Day 10 marks the first day of honey! I am unable to find honey on Bonne Maman's website, but the name translates to "Honey of Orange Tree." I definitely get a sweet earthy tone, but much more pure than an ordinary store brand. This pairs nicely with green tea.
Day 11:
Framboises et Litchis, 30g
Yummm, raspberries and lychee! This berry jam includes raspberry seeds, but is awesome and sweet as you'd expect.
Day 12:
Myrtilles et Cassis, 30g
If you ever wanted to taste red wine in jam form, this one's for you! It's a blend of blueberries and cassis, which is a liqueur made from blackcurrants. It's semi-sweet and has a dry aftertaste, like wine.
We made it half way! How's everyone doing?
Day 13:
Pêches, 30g
Another jam favorite! Wow, this peach preserve is really good too. It's thick with peach chunks and the right amount of sweetness.
Day 14:
The raspberry taste is much bolder than day 11. There are still seeds, but the spread is a lot smoother. I decided to try some with vanilla ice cream, and oh my, the creaminess balanced out the strong raspberry flavor.
Day 15:
Fraises et Fraises des Bois, 30g
Unlike day 1, this is pure strawberry jam but a bit earthier than traditional brands. There's hints of strawberry seeds and chunks of strawberry, but the preserve is blended really nicely and perfect on toast!
Day 16:
Myrtilles Sauvages, 30g
Day 16's door has what looks like blueberries illustrated.. and that is what's inside too! I'm so glad because I love blueberries but day 12 wasn't my favorite. Oh wow, this tastes very natural with a hint of lemon. Yeah, I ate this with a spoon directly out the jar. No shame.
Day 17:
Mûres, 30g
Blackberry! Not a preserve I've ever tried before. It has the consistency and taste very similar to traditional grape jelly, but definitely high quality.
Day 18:
Mirabelles, 30g
One more week to go! I have no idea what mirabelle is, but the image on the seal looked like a lemon. Turns out, mirabelle is a golden plum. And now that I look closer, the coloring reminds me of the inside of a plum, along with the taste.
Day 19:
Miel d'Acacia, 30g
Another honey, yay! This tastes just as pure and earthy, thanks to the acacia. Acacia is known for its healing and health benefits, so I am enjoying this straight from the jar as well.
Day 20:
Cerises, 30g
Day 20 has cherries on the door...pretty please let cerises mean cherries. It does! I love anything cherry-flavored and my goodness, it's not even fair how good this tastes! The preserve's consistency is super thick and full of cherry chunks.
Day 21:
Fraises, 30g
More strawberries! Unlike day 15, this preserve is almost identical to what you might find at a specialty store. I think I like the sweetness and smoothness to this a bit more, but honestly, they're all great.
Day 22:
Abricots et Pêches, 30g
Based on what I've learned so far, this has got be apricots and peaches. This blend in not available on Bonne Maman's website, so I will enjoy this slowly. If you're a fan of either fruit, you will like this. There's a clean, lightweight taste to this preserve.
Day 23:
Oranges Amères, 30g
Strawberry and orange blends seem to be Bonne Maman's jam, haha! a bitterness compliments the orange and boy is it bold. It's almost like what you can image eating an orange peel to be like. A bit too strong for my liking.
Day 24:
Poires et Mirabelles, 30g
Last but certainly not least is this exclusive pear and mirabelle blended preserve. I don't detect pear as much, but there's an overall natural sweetness that would pair well with a cheese board.
Verdict: For $27.99 plus free shipping, I received 24, cute 30g jars of jam and honey from Bonne Maman. It looks like Bonne Maman can be purchased at Whole Foods and Walmart, the latter of which is selling a 13 oz. jar for $4.93. That being said, there is a definite premium placed on this advent calendar, even considering the curation and exclusive products.
If you or a loved one is a fan of jam on their toast, honey in their tea, or high-quality French products, I'd still recommend this advent calendar. Each day is a sweet little treat and the value is definitely in the quality ingredients and great giftable packaging. As much as I would have loved to try some of the other unique flavors on Bonne Maman's site, I like that exclusive blends were included and that each jar is perfect for the day and you're not left with a lot of excess.
What do you think of the Bonne Maman Advent Calendar? Are you gifting it to yourself or someone else this holiday season?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.