Learn to Make Jam with MasterChef Dara Yu

Celebrate the flavors of the season in this hands-on jam-making workshop at the UBC Farm. Students will learn how to turn fresh fruit into vibrant homemade jam while mastering the fundamentals of proper canning and preservation. The class is led by Dara Yu, the youngest winner of MasterChef US and a 2025 UBC Farm practicum graduate. Chef Dara will guide participants through techniques for balancing sweetness and acidity, achieving the perfect set, and safely sealing jars. Each student will leave with their own freshly made jars of jam and the skills to continue preserving fruit at home.

Based in Los Angeles, Chef Dara Yu is a culinary talent whose career spans restaurants, media, and creative food event planning. Influenced by her Chinese, New Zealander, Californian, and Canadian heritage, her cooking blends classical technique with a modern, globally inspired perspective. She first gained national recognition as the runner-up on MasterChef Junior at age 12 and later returned to become the youngest winner of MasterChef Season 12 after graduating with high honors in baking and pastry from the Culinary Institute of America. She is also a 2025 graduate of the UBC Farm Practicum, deepening her connection to sustainable agriculture and seasonal cooking. Chef Dara has trained in acclaimed kitchens including A.O.C., The Tasting Kitchen, Bouchon Bakery, and Dominique Ansel Bakery, and continues to build community through pop-ups, collaboration dinners, culinary education, and media appearances while sharing recipes and travel with her global audience.