Canning season has begun! And this gem of a recipe is making me super excited! We have already enjoyed pounds of strawberries, a few summer squash & Zucchini, and now we're moving on to the Apricots & Blackberries! The last two weeks have been spent processing apricots. I've made lots of fruit leather and then I found
THIS recipe. The smell is divine and the taste is absolutely scrumptious! It's a keeper for sure! What a great way to help us use up our produce!
A few hints (and things I want to remember when I make it again), the recipe makes about 4 1/2 pints. Also, although it says to process in a water bath for 10 minutes, after talking with my mom and looking at a few other recipes, I decided it was safe to skip this step. Instead I poured my boiling hot jam into super hot jars (leaving pretty much no head space) and tightened the lids- which I had in nearly boiling hot water- on as tightly as I could. Make sure there is no draft. I chose to cover mine with a dishtowel to keep drafts away. Within about 20 minutes I started hearing the little ear-pleasing "pings" indicating the success of our venture! 4 to store for later, and a half pint to enjoy now. Yum!
4 cups apricot puree (pit apricots and puree in blender or food processor until fairly smooth)
4 cups blackberry pulp
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 packets liquid pectin (one box)
In a large, non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enameled cast iron), combine the apricot puree, blackberry pulp and sugar and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture reach a boil, stirring frequently to prevent it from boiling over. Add cinnamon and lemon zest/juice and stir to combine. When the mixture appears to be thickening a bit, add the pectin. After adding the pectin, let the jam boil vigorously for at least five minutes.
