Making the most of a glut of apricots...




 

 

Apricot Jam

 

  1. Wash the fruit.
  2. Cut in 2 and remove the stone then weigh.
  3. Break a number of the stones, remove the almond, wash, dry, and keep to one side. You will need roughly 8 for each 500g of jam.
  4. Weigh a quantity of sugar equal to the fruit. Place the sugar in a jam pan with ¼ litre of water to each kilo of sugar. Heat gently to pearl stage.
  5. Drop the fruit into the syrup, once it comes back to boil, remove the fruit and keep to one side.
  6. Boil the syrup a second time to pearl stage.
  7. Replace the fruit in the syrup and boil gently for 15 mins once it has reached boiling stage.
  8. Remove the fruit again, this time place into clean, warm jam jars.
  9. Boil the syrup a third time then cover the apricots in the jars. Cover and allow to cool.

 

Bottled Fruit

  1. Make a syrup of 750g per litre of water, leave to cool.
  2. Wash the fruit, cut in two and remove the stone.
  3. Arrange the fruit in Kilner jars with the cut side turned towards the bottom.
  4. Fill with the cold syrup. Close the jars.
  5. Place in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 25mn. Leave to cool. The next day repeat for 15mn.

 

 

 Apricot Liqueur

500g apricots, cut in 2 and stones removed and kept to one side
1 coffee spoon of 4 spice powder.
500g sugar
1 litre dry white wine
65cl gin

 

  1. Put the apricots in a jam pan and mix well with the spice powder. Add the sugar and the wine and stir well.
  2. Bring to the boil stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Remove from the heat and add the gin.
  4. Remove the almond from the stones. Peel then add to the apricots.
  5. Place the whole mixture in a large pot, cover and keep for 5 to 6 days.
  6. Sterilise and dry 2 or 3 bottles.
  7. Pass the apricot mixture through a fibne sieve or a piece of muslin into a large bowl. Press the mixture well to remove as much juice as possible.
  8. Put the liquid into the bottles and close.
  9. Wait for the minimum of one month but as all liqueurs will improve with keeping. Christmas will be a good time to open it.