An ordinary day in the kitchen became something special as Ed Belfour took on the challenge of making homemade chokecherry jam for the first time, with a little help from family.
Some of life’s best memories aren’t made in front of thousands of cheering fans or under the bright lights of a hockey arena. Sometimes, they’re made around the kitchen table.
For Hockey Hall of Famer and Belfour Spirits founder Ed Belfour, a recent visit with his parents in Canada included something he’d never done before: making homemade chokecherry jam with his 92-year-old mother.
The process took approximately 12 hours, involved plenty of patience, and created an opportunity to spend meaningful time with family.
And if there’s one thing Ed understands, it’s that anything worth doing well takes time.
A 12-Hour Project With Mom
Making homemade chokecherry jam isn’t quite as simple as opening a jar from the grocery store.
Chokecherries are small, dark berries known for their tart flavor. They also contain pits, making proper preparation an important part of the process.
Before the jam could even begin taking shape, there were berries to sort and prepare.
In a video from the family kitchen, Ed’s 92-year-old mother can be seen carefully working through the chokecherries by hand, sorting the fruit across a large baking sheet. Nearby, his 94-year-old father sits at the table with a large bowl filled with berries.
It’s a simple scene, but one that captures the amount of care and hands-on effort that goes into making something from scratch.
For Ed, the entire jam-making experience took around 12 hours.
Although this was his first time making chokecherry jam, spending time in the kitchen with his mother brought back familiar memories.
As a child growing up in Canada, Ed remembers helping his mom bake cookies. Decades later, the two had an opportunity to work together in the kitchen again, this time on something entirely new.
Still Going Strong at 92 and 94
One of the most remarkable parts of this story might be Ed’s parents themselves.
At 92 and 94 years old, they’re still full of energy.
The video offers a glimpse into their everyday lives, with both parents seated at the kitchen table surrounded by freshly gathered chokecherries, bowls, and baking sheets.
Ed’s mother carefully sorts through the berries, one handful at a time, showing the patience required for the task.
There’s something meaningful about watching two people in their 90s continue to take on hands-on projects and enjoy the simple routines of everyday life.
For Ed, it’s another opportunity to appreciate the people who helped shape him long before his professional hockey career began.
From Canadian Roots to American Whiskey
Ed Belfour’s journey has taken him a long way from his childhood home in Canada.
Best known for his legendary NHL career, Ed earned a reputation as one of hockey’s fiercest competitors, eventually becoming a Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer.
But his story didn’t end when he stepped away from professional hockey.
Today, Ed brings that same dedication and attention to detail to Belfour Spirits, the premium American whiskey brand he founded.
Interestingly, whiskey making has a connection to Ed’s family history.
Generations before Ed entered the spirits industry, some of his ancestors were moonshiners.
It’s an interesting connection between his family’s past and his own passion for creating whiskey.
While Ed’s approach to whiskey making is very different from the moonshining practices of earlier generations, both stories share an appreciation for making something by hand.
The Value of Patience and Craftsmanship
At first glance, making chokecherry jam and creating premium whiskey might not seem to have much in common.
But both involve an understanding of ingredients, careful preparation, and patience.
At Belfour Spirits, Ed takes a hands-on interest in the whiskey-making process, including the development of mash bills, barrel characteristics, and the flavors that make each expression unique.
Great whiskey takes time. From selecting ingredients to aging and evaluating the finished product, every step contributes to what eventually ends up in the bottle.
Making chokecherry jam offers a similar reminder.
There are no shortcuts to carefully preparing the fruit, following the process, and giving the finished product the attention it deserves.
And while a batch of homemade jam is quite different from a bottle of premium whiskey, the satisfaction of creating something from scratch is easy to appreciate.
Making New Memories, No Matter Your Age
Throughout his life, Ed Belfour has experienced some extraordinary moments.
He’s played in some of hockey’s biggest games, lifted the Stanley Cup, and built a second career in the whiskey industry.
But not every meaningful experience comes with a trophy or a major accomplishment.
Sometimes, it’s spending 12 hours making jam with your mom.
What makes this story particularly special is that it wasn’t something Ed had done countless times before.
At this stage in his life, Ed was still experiencing something new with his 92-year-old mother.
And that’s a reminder that there is always time to learn something, share an experience, and create new memories with the people who matter most.
More Than a Jar of Chokecherry Jam
After approximately 12 hours of preparation and hard work, Ed had something to show for his efforts: homemade chokecherry jam.
But the experience was about much more than the finished product.
It was about spending time with his parents, remembering his childhood in Canada, and learning something new from his mother.
From helping her bake cookies as a boy to making chokecherry jam decades later, the kitchen has provided Ed with memories that extend far beyond his hockey career and whiskey business.
And while his family’s history includes moonshiners and his own career now includes handcrafted American whiskey, this particular experience was about something much simpler.
Family, patience, and time spent together.
Because sometimes, what matters most isn’t what you make.
It’s who you make it with.
