An ordinary object, used by generations of cooks throughout the world, can also be appreciated for its decorative qualities.

I have been making jams and jellies ever since I was a child, but I did not develop an interest in jelly jars until I began to collect clear blown-glass objects and discovered many iterations of this everyday storage container. Of course, there are the mass-produced jars by Ball and Kerr, with screw or clamp tops, that are familiar throughout the United States. The screw tops in particular are a convenient way to top the jellies, eliminating the need for the melted and poured paraffin toppers I was taught to use years ago.

In England, I learned about the flared, faceted pressed-glass jam pots and the parchment-paper or cellophane “jam-pot” covers used by British women to cover their preserves. My favorite jars are the rounded blown-glass pots from Sweden and France that have flared rims. A string is tied around a wet circle of parchment, and as the parchment dries and shrinks, it creates a tight seal over the contents. Traditionally, preserves are packaged in half- or quarter-pint sizes, which I like — any larger and an opened jar may languish in the refrigerator while other flavors are opened and tried.

Raspberry Jam

Makes about 1 cup.

This recipe is one of my favorites for savoring the midsummer berry.

12 oz fresh raspberries (about 21⁄4 C)

1 C plus 2 TBS sugar

11⁄8 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pinch of coarse salt

1⁄2 tsp finely grated orange zest, divided

Place a few small plates in the freezer. Stir berries, sugar, lemon juice and half the orange zest in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and mashing lightly with a potato masher. Skim foam from surface. Cook, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it has the consistency of very loose jelly, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove a plate from freezer; drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes; nudge edge of jam with a finger. It should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads, return it to a boil, testing every minute, until jam holds its shape on a plate.

Strain about half the jam through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard seeds. Return strained jam to pot; stir in remaining zest. Return to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool before using or storing. (Jam will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 month.

— Recipe reprinted from the book “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations,” by Martha Stewart. c.2011 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.