Brandied Apricot Jam
With vanilla bean and a dash of brandy, this simple apricot jam will be the jewel of your pantry.
Servings 6 half pints
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ripe apricots, pitted and diced
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons brandy
Instructions
- Sterilize the jars and lids as per proper procedure.
- In a large bowl, stir together the diced apricots and sugar. Scrape the caviar from inside the vanilla bean, stir, and tuck the whole pod into the mixture. Let this this macerate for at least an hour, or covered in the fridge overnight.
- Now that its nice and juicy, pour the apricot-sugar mixture into a wide non-reactive pot. Stir in the lemon juice and bring the mixture to boil over medium heat. Simmer and reduce the jam for up to half an hour, stirring often to keep the fruit from burning at the bottom of the pan.
- When the consistency of the jam passes your preferred gel test, stir in the brandy and let the mixture boil hard for another 3-5 minutes to bring it back to gel set.
- Remove the pan from heat, and spoon the apricot jam into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Wipe the rims of the jars clean, apply the lids, and process in a boiling water both for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars to a folded kitchen towel and let sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place and put any unsealed jars in the fridge to be used first.