SEASON EXTENSION: APRICOT JAM

A recent summer road trip across rural Northwestern Ohio yielded a farm stand surprise -- fresh, local, apricots. I rarely find apricots in these parts so I quickly snapped up the three remaining cartons along with a pound or two of beautiful nectarines and plums and spent the rest of the drive coming up with ideas for how I was going to enjoy them.

Arriving home, I hauled out my copy of The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders and landed upon a recipe for Apricot Rose Jam. While the recipe sounded delicious as written, I decided to forego the addition of rosewater in this batch in favor of a simple, clean apricot flavor. (Other flavors that play nicely with apricot include rosemary, ginger, cardamom and vanilla. You could have lots of fun experimenting with those as well).

For me personally, the oven-method for sterilizing and processing jam that Rachel describes in her book has been an eye opener because it's so easy. The happy result has been a lot more jam making in my life. This method is a bit unconventional and, as you can read here, it is somewhat controversial and is most definitely only for use when making high-acid fruit jams, jellies and marmalades. I have a commercial range and I also use a thermometer inside the oven to monitor the temperature in several spots. I haven't encountered a problem but if this method makes you nervous, just use the traditional water bath process for canning the finished jam. Or, if you plan to use your jam within a few weeks, just store it in jars in the fridge or freezer.

The recipe may look daunting as it's plotted out over two days. But don't let that deter you. Day 1 only involves prepping the fruit and macerating it in sugar and lemon juice over night -- a step that is rather nice actually as you get the messy part done ahead of the actual cooking/canning time.

Five pounds of farm stand apricots yielded about nine pints of sunny, orange-hued, apricot jam, a perfect way to extend the season and capture a little summer for the crisp months of fall and winter that lie ahead.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the fresh flavor of this jam on my toast the past few days but with fall looming, I'm thinking of other ways I might use it in the kitchen as the season progresses: as a condiment to grilled lamb, pork or chicken; with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing; as a partner with fresh chèvre or aged sheep's milk cheese; the possibilities are endless.

The only question is, did I make enough?

APRICOT JAM
From Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders

5 1/4 lbs apricots, pitted and quartered (pits reserved)
2 1/4 lbs white cane sugar
3 oz strained freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2-3 small splashes of rose water (optional)

Day 1

In a glass or hard plastic container, combine the apricots with the sugar and lemon juice. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture, smoothing well to minimize air bubbles (this will help keep the fruit from browning as it sits). Cover the mixture tightly with a lid and let macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

Place a saucer with five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later.

Place several apricot pits on the floor between two old, clean cloths and, using a hammer, tap them through the top cloth until they crack. Carefully remove the almond-like kernel from each pit, discarding the shells, until you have enough to make 1 heaping tablespoon chopped. Place the chopped kernels into a fine-mesh stainless-steel tea infuser with a firm latch and set aside.

Remove the apricots from the refrigerator and transfer them to an 11 or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive kettle. Place the tea infuser into the mixture, pressing down on it to submerge it.

Bring the apricot mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently with a large heatproof rubber spatula.

Boil, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a large stainless-steel spoon, skim the stiff foam from the top of the mixture and discard. Return the jam to a boil, then decrease the heat slightly. Continue to cook, monitoring the heat closely, until the jam thickens, about 30 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan often with your spatula, and decrease the heat gradually as more and more moisture cooks out of the jam. For the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, stir the jam slowly and steadily to keep it from scorching.

When the jam has thickened, test it for doneness. To test, carefully transfer a small representative half-teaspoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the spoon in the freezer for 3-4 minutes, then remove and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs; if it runs very slowly, and if it has thickened to a gloppy consistency, it is done. If it runs very quickly or appears watery, cook it for another few minutes, stirring, and test again as necessary.

Turn off the heat but do not stir. Remove the tea ball of kernels. Using a stainless-steel soup spoon, skim all the remaining foam and discard.

If you are using the rose water, pour a small splash of rose water into the jam, stir well, and carefully taste. Add more rose water judiciously, tasting carefully as you go, until the rose flavor is present but not overpowering.

Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process. I used Blue Chair Fruit's oven method outlined here. You can also use a traditional water bath. Or, freeze or refrigerate if you're planning to devour your jam right away. And believe me, that won't be difficult. It's delicious.

Approximate yield: nine 8-ounce jars