apricot-earl grey jam recipe
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Recipe type: Dessert
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From Kenji's recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/07/easy-homemade-plum-jam-recipe.html
Ingredients
  • 4 pounds fresh, ripe organic apricots, chopped
  • 1½ pounds sugar (depending on how sweet your apricots are, you may need to add more. I tend to like jam more tart.)
  • 1 tablespoon Pomona's Universal pectin (the SureJell and Ball will not work here -- see my notes below)*
  • 1½ tablespoons calcium water (this is in the Pomona pectin box, with instructions on how to make it -- see insert)
  • ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons strong Earl Grey tea (I used 3 tea bags)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
  1. Macerate apricots, pectin, and sugar overnight in a large, wide pot.
  2. The next morning, put two or three metal spoons in the freezer.
  3. Cook apricot mixture on medium heat, adding the calcium water. Simmer mixture to soften fruit.
  4. Using a blender or food mill, blend about half of the fruit mixture and put it back into the pot to cook.
  5. Foam will form on the top of the jam mixture. Skim this off with a spoon and set aside (you can discard or save it for smoothies.
  6. Add butter, which also calms the foaming.
  7. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent bottom scorching, until foaming has subsided, about 15 minutes longer.
  8. While the jam is cooking, get another large pot, fill with water, and heat to boil for processing the jam jars later.
  9. Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and place jar caps (not the screwtop parts) in to warm over heat to almost boiling. This step softens the orange rim of the caps, helping the vacuum seal form.
  10. Add lemon juice and tea concentrate.
  11. Cook while stirring more frequently, until jam is glossy and shiny, about 10 minutes longer.
  12. Kenji's advice to test for doneness, "spoon a small amount of jam onto one of the frozen spoons and return to freezer for 5 minutes. Remove from freezer and check. The jam is ready when it's spreadable, but not runny. Cook until this texture is reached." I've made this jam and the plum-cardamom jam with this method, and it's pretty spot on with testing and the right consistency.
  13. Transfer jam into washed and warm mason jars, filling them to leave ¼ inch to ½ inch headspace. Make sure the jar lips are free of liquid or jam (wipe with clean washcloth, if needed), put on top, and screw on other cap piece to fingertip tightness.
  14. Seal jars and process according to manufacturer's instructions. My instructions were to put sealed jars into a processing pot to immerse each underwater, and boil for 10 minutes. The displacement of the jars may force to remove some water; just make sure they are covered. Remove promptly and allow jars to cool completely, undisturbed on the counter. Listen for the gentle ping of the lids popping into vacuum.
  15. Use when cool. Store for up to a year at room temperature. After opened, store in the fridge for up to about 1 month. Wonderful on toasted bread, with another dose of hot tea to sip.
Notes
* Pectin is different from brand to brand. I talked about this in my plum-cardamom jam recipe also. Unless you are pectin expert, don't swap out different pectins in jam recipes -- it won't work. I've tried.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/dessert-recipes/apricot-earl-grey-jam-recipe/