Apricot Jam
A lot of recipes I’ve tried call for apricot jam (thinking of Kerry’s marinated pork). I made peach jam with Mom my first summer of canning (2008), and decided in the fall of 2009 that apricots were important enough to have just a few jars on hand. It is now the summer of 2011 and I am FINALLY making this jam. Again, Steve doesn’t like tart jams, so these are all mine:
- apricots, washed, peeled and pitted (no more than 8 cups at a time)
- lemon juice
- granulated sugar
- Sterilized jars, lids and rings
- Cut the apricots in half along the seam and twist to remove the pit; chop coarsely
- In a large non-aluminum cooking pot (to prevent metallic taste), for each cup of apricots, add ½ cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp (which is ½ Tbs) lemon juice. Let it stand at least two hours to extract the juice.
- Bring to a boil over med-low heat. Stir occasionally until it comes to a boil, then increase the heat and cook steadily, stirring continuously until it sets.
- After about 25 minutes, remove from heat to test the gel. If the mixture hasn’t set, let it boil another five minutes (but no more). Remove from heat. Skim the pale orange foam with a ladle. Apparently, some recipes say if you put the foam in a clean jar and let it settle, it turns into apricot syrup, ideal for pancakes or ice cream. Store in a sealed jar and keep it in the fridge.
- Fill sterilized jars up to ¼” below the seal. Wipe the rims and assemble the lids to finger tight.
- Process in a hot water bath for 10 min; turn off the burner and let stand for 5 minutes; remove the jars and let cool upright for 24 hours. The lids should “pop” as it seals – if not, store in the fridge and enjoy!
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