Kick Ass Apricot Jam Recipe, Apricot Vinegar, Apricot Syrup

 Vanilla ice cream with apricot syrup, raspberries (obviously I beat Moose to the berry patch today) and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.  Molto Bene.  The syrup is apricot tart and not too sweet, a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the ice cream.  Waffles tomorrow? 


I'm over the top with fruit vinegars this year.  Last years blackberry was so delicious I decided to expand my horizons.  Planning to deglaze the pan using apricot vinegar after cooking a thick pork chop - that sounds like an amazing combination.

To make vinegar, pour 5% acidity white vinegar over fruit.  Make sure fruit stays beneath the surface of the vinegar.  Let stand for a long time - the jar pictured at left has been sitting for two weeks.  It's beginning taste of apricots but I've giving it a while longer.  Strain and bottle.  I had great success with the blackberry by adding a small amount of sugar and cooking it down, by about a third, so will repeat that method with the apricot.


 Apricots are in the Prunus genus, just like almonds and peaches, and the seed within the hard husk looks very like an almond.  It has an intense almondy aroma.  The seeds are an ingredient in amaretto cookies and liquors.  The following apricot jam recipe uses five chopped seeds with a caution not to use more as it will turn the jam bitter.

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 Apricot Syrup:  I used

nine lbs. apricots, halved and deseeded
8 cups of brown sugar (going for a rich color and added flavor)
8 cups of water
6 apricot seeds, finely chopped  

Place the apricots and chopped seeds in a large pan.  Mix in the sugar and allow 30 minutes to macerate.

The ratio is one lb. fruit, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water.  Use a stainless steel/non-reactive pan.  My pan size dictated less sugar and water... 

Cook over medium heat until the fruit has cooked into a pulp.  The sugar will dissolve and the juices will thicken.  This stage took about an hour.  Strain through a sieve.  Refrigerate syrup.  I processed five pints in a water bath for 10 minutes.
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The best ever Apricot Jam Recipe

This recipe was adapted from "Chez Panisse Fruit" by Alice Waters.

2-1/2 lbs ripe apricots
3 cups sugar
5 apricot seeds
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon

Wash and pit the apricots, reserving 5 stones.  If the apricots are big, quarter them; if small, halve them. Don't peel but trim away any bad spots.

Combine the apricots and sugar in a nonreactive wide-bottomed pan.  Crack the shells of the five pits, remove the kernels, peel and chop finely.  Add the kernels and the lemon zest to the apricots and sugar; stir well.  Allow to macerate for at least 30 minutes, even overnight.  Begin cooking when the apricots have released their juices.

Sterilize five (7 ounce) canning jars of four (8 ounce) jars.

Bring the pot of fruit to a boil over a high heat, stirring as need to keep it from sticking.  (This splatters like mad so I suit up with gloves and long sleeves to prevent burns.  I've heard that adding a teaspoon of butter reduces splatter so I'm going to try that when the weather cools enough to suit up and make jam with the pre-measured frozen apricots.) Reduce the heat if the mixture begins to stick, but take care not to lower the temperature too much, to the detriment of the finished product.

As the foaming subsides, continue to stir to avoid scorching and cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  The jam is done when it is loosely set and spoonable with whole chunks of fruit still visible.

Add the lemon juice to the jam, stir and immediately remove from the heat.  Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

This jam is worth the effort!






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