Apricot Jam

Our apricot tree didn't produce any fruit this year because of the very late freeze we had. We were all pretty disappointed about that! However, we've been very fortunate to be able to go to our cousins' house this week and get some from their tree! I may freeze some later, but first I wanted to make some jam. I've made one big batch today and am planning to make another this evening, but I thought I would take a few minutes to share the recipe with you in case you are lucky enough to have apricots this year and want to give it a try!

This is a simple old-fashioned recipe, so be warned....there's a lot of sugar in here!

First you will need to peel your apricots (very briefly dipping them in very hot water will make this much easier) and take out the pits. Farm Kids are great at pitting the apricots!

Next, you'll crush them, I used a potato masher for this. For this recipe you'll need two quarts of the crushed apricots.

Put them in a large saucepan and add 1/4 cup lemon juice, then add in 6 cups of sugar (I warned you!) and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Heat slowly until it boils, and then boil rapidly and stir frequently, until it gels. Once it has the desired consistency, pour into your hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace and put the lid and ring on.

Then just process in a boiling -water canner for 15 minutes.

If you are new to boiling-water canning (or canning in general) the Ball preserving books (check our Facebook page for a link to one of my favorites) are great for great step-by-step directions. Anytime you're preserving foods you need to be very careful to follow directions exactly, so refer to a canning guide for more detailed instructions if needed.

Well, back to jam-making!

What is your favorite fruit for jam or jelly?