summer apricot jam
save for a rainy winter's day
jams & preserves are a great way to enjoy fruits long after their season has ended (i’m still eating my seville orange marmalade from last winter!) and apricots are one of my favourite fruits in the summer season
they’re lovely fresh, but miles better when cooked into this sunny jam and stowed away for a cold winter day
eat it on bread, on oats, or with a spoon out of the jar
yields two jars, easily doubled if you have more apricots!
ingredients
400g prepared apricots (halved, pips removed)
180g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
0.25 tsp almond extract
half a lemon
method
add the apricot halves (400g), sugar (180g), vanilla paste (1 tsp), and almond extract (0.25 tsp) to a medium bowl and stir to combine
squeeze the lemon (half) directly into the bowl and drop in the squeezed lemon half
let sit for at least 8 hours to allow the sugar to draw out the natural juices of the apricots
give the mixture a stir whenever you walk past, and you should see the apricots giving up their juice and making a syrup at the bottom of the bowl
sterilise your jars
optionally: reserve a few of the apricot pips, smash them open to reveal the almond-like kernels and add 1-2 to the bowl for a subtle almond aroma. note don’t eat them! they are just there for the aroma. skip if the cyanide link scares you
transfer the entire apricot sugar mixture to a heavy-bottomed pot that is large enough that the pot is only half full. the mixture will froth and rise up alarmingly while cooking and you don’t want it to bubble over!
rapidly bring to the boil then cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly
it’s done when the mixture hits 104°C on a sugar thermometer (if you have one) or when a spoonful of the mixture placed onto one of the chilled plates wrinkles when you push your finger through. when stirring, it will feel thicker and less watery and the bubbles will be more glassy and slower to pop
remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes to cool
transfer to jars and let cool completely
