Apricot Jam

Except for an overcooked misstep of mixing blackberries, raspberries and blueberries which came out as fruit cement, I'm really happy with the results of my 3 jam-making experiments.  These are the other 2:

• Chef John's Kumquat Marmalade
• Rhubarb Jam

I'm so lucky to have fresh fruit available!  Making jam in small quantities is super-simple.  I'm probably not saving any money, but there is a real sense of accomplishment in this.  This recipe made 2 6-oz. jars plus 1 4-oz. jar (see below).

This recipe is by David Lebovitz, a wonderful American chef and author who lives in Paris.

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June 15, 2019:  Here it is one year later, and this time I made jam with "Red Velvet" apricots.  They are apricots "pollinated with plum pollen," whatever that means.  They are a little sweeter than regular apricots, 30 cents/pound cheaper, a beautiful ruby red and the pits are softer.  Unfortunately, despite the addition of no less than 4 cups of sugar, the jam came out tart! Needless to say, I didn't add lemon juice. I got just the right consistency after boiling the jam for about 35 minutes.  

Red Velvet Apricots

Red Velvet Apricot Jam

Ingredients

• 2¼ pounds (1kg) fresh apricots
• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• 3 cups (600g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• optional: 1 teaspoon kirsch

Directions

Cut the apricots in half, extract the pits and quarter them.

Place the apricots in a stockpot or Dutch oven and add the water. Cover the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the apricots are tender and cooked through.

Put a small plate in the freezer.

Add the sugar to the apricots and cook, uncovered, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. As the mixture thickens and reduces, stir frequently to make sure the jam isn’t burning on the bottom.

When the jam looks thick and is looks slightly-jelled, turn off the heat and put a small amount of jam on the chilled plate. Put back in the freezer for a few minutes, then do the nudge test: If the jam mounds and wrinkles (as shown in the photo), it’s done. If not, continue to cook, then re-test the jam until it reaches that consistency.

(You can use a candy thermometer if you wish. The finished jam will be about 220ºF, 104ºC.)

Once done, stir in the lemon juice and kirsch, if using, and ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to use.