Yummiest Apricot Jam Ever

As summer approaches – but, really, does it?! – I am trying to put everything into perspective, including a new job role that might or might not have been announced to the outer world yet, and my willingness to do things as well.

Too personal? Too much perspective? I am not sure, just like the weather this year, I am on the confused-slash-toomuchgoingonitstoogood side of life.

So, usually, when I am stressed, I cook. And lately, there has been a whole load of that: cooking just puts my mind in a stand-by position for a bit, and with how lately everything has been, it is just the perfect excuse to lock myself in my own little world. And this is where the yummiest Apricot Jam was born.

This is just an excuse to share a simple recipe, but also some of my favorite (old) food pictures. The whole deal it’s easy, pretty quick and it will result in the perfect Sunday morning breakfast treat or in large batches ahead of winter, your choice. Of course, we ate it in one go, as a treat, and it might – or might not – have involved bread and butter too.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of fresh apricots, pit removed
the juice of 1 lemon
400g of caster sugar

The way a jam goes and becomes jam is pretty straight forward, and it sometimes depends on taste too: usually, the way you work out your fruit to sugar ratio is as easy as 2:1, but we went slightly lower than that – never forget the #sugartax joke.

Chop all the fruit, add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and give it a good stir before turning the heat on.

On a low heat, cook and keep on stirring every so often for a good 30 minutes. You should see the whole thing come together and set, and I would recommend a thermometer and for the jam to reach 105C (or 220F for the friends from the other side of the pond). But, if you are like me, you have no time for the thermometer and fancy bits, you will use the back of a spoon trick and check that it dribbles down slowly. Lazy butt club here, of course.

Pour the yummiest apricot jam into a glass pot, seal with a cap and sit upside down on your counter until completely cool: storage for winter is now complete. Aweeee!