I have to make it every now
and then. Sort of like the Salmon returning
to the place they were born. It hits me
during a dream or a moment of weakness.
It starts out with the urge to obtain large quantities of fruit. So much that you know it could never be
consumed by a family of 20.
This year I had the urge and
inclination to do apricot jam. I am not certain about my crop of grapes and
this is something that I can do while we are home. Amber, mother of Allie, our favorite Relapse
Sister, brought me two boxes of apricots.
We met them on Friday at the hospital for the exchange. So I brought them home and found that they
were not as ripe as they appeared. They
were so perfect and beautiful but need a couple more days before they are
really really ready.
I gathered the jars and the
sugar (when did 10 lbs of sugar start to cost $8.50? and then started to look
for some sort of special recipe. French,
Texan, Ohio, SureJell. Much to my
surprise most apricot jam recipes do not require pectin. They have enough in their skins to do the
job. Most just take time, and boiling
and candy thermometers. About 30 to 45
minutes. Even when you do everything
right, it does not always come out the way you expect. I might be gifting Apricot Sauce for
Christmas not jam.
Two batches are done. They turn out great if you just look at
them. Until the cooling and setting
happens there is no real way to tell.
They are really pretty and it is so much fun to see them
accumulate. OHHHH, I just heard to
sealing “POP”. Love that sound. I will be getting pretty good at this over
the next week. A couple of batches a
day. Little batches, lots of stirring.
Lots of sticky for Lily to clean up.
Maybe it will be my morning ritual or take place of my afternoon
nap.
Maybe I am making jam right
now because it takes time. It cannot be
rushed and it has to be attended to with care.
The middle is not much fun but the end result is wonderful.
Maybe I can find one more
batch of ripe apricots…..
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