By Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co.
Yields 9 half-pint jars (will keep for up to one year) This recipe took a lot of time, trials and patience to come up with. I wanted a low-sugar apricot jam that tasted just like apricots but still retained its delicious sunshine color. I tried using other sweeteners like agave and honey, and the results were not satisfactory. I found this recipe to be the perfect amount of sugar to get that perfect gel. People love this jam.
8 pounds apricots (Royal Blenheims are my favorite)
2 pounds evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
Wash and remove the pits from the apricots and drain very well. Combine fruit with sugar and lemon juice, cover and let sit in a dark, cool place over night. You can let it sit like this for two days if you need to.
The next day, mash the mixture by hand. Add contents to a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. You will need to boil on high heat with a constant stir until the gelling point is reached. It may be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.
Pour into clean half-pint jars. Process in hot water bath canner at 210° for five minutes.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
