Sometime in late August or early September I started giving away some of the jam I made, and Steven started having a panic attack.I'd put 2 jars in a bag to take to a friend's as a hostess gift, he'd pull one jar out and put it back.
"What if we run out!" he said.
I groaned and rolled my eyes but went to the farmers market to get supplies and made more.
"We still might run out!" he said.
"You're seriously going to eat more than a jar of jam a week for the rest of the year?" I replied (we had more than 52 jars of jam).
"I might!"
I started calling it, 'Jam Panic', ignoring him and continuing to give away jam with no problem. Well, until now.
I sent a jar of apricot jam to Chiara for Christmas and she's having her own mini Jam Panic because she's almost out! (recent email from her read, "4 tablespoons left. I'm getting worried.")
We only have 2 jars of apricot left (really 1 and 1/2) and Steven might divorce me if I gave one away.
(We still have lots of other kinds of jam. note to self: make more apricot jam this summer, less blueberry.)
Fresh apricots are impossible to get this time of year, so I figured making more wasn't an option, but Chiara thought you might be able to make it from dried apricots.
After some searching I found this recipe and decided to try it out!
(I'm using 1/3rd the sugar, which is what I did with the fresh apricot jam recipe this summer. I kind of wonder how jam recipes get published because whenever I read them I worry that the folks who write them would end up in diabetic comas after testing them.)
First thing you do is soak the dried apricots for 24 hrs.
Next thing you know they are nice and plump and round and you proceed as usual for jam making.I don't know if it's as good as the summer stuff, but it's good. And 4 jars are on their way to Chiara.
14 comments:
Wow! It is so neat how the apricots plump back up! I wonder if all dried fruit would do that? I don't think I have ever had a fresh apricot before. I will have to get some this summer.
wow you already went through 50 some jars of jam?? you'd think that would be more than enough. in my home, about a couple jars of jam would suffice...i'm not really big on it. although lately i'm realizing we go through a few jars of storebought salsa a month and i might decide to can a looot of salsa next summer.
Hi Abigail! Thanks for your funny comment on my blog!! Happy to find your blog :)
Your jars of jam are beautiful, I have really got to work on presentation. Do you remember on Friends, Joey's love of jam? It reminds me of your husband. My grandfather used to grow apricots in Patterson, California, and dried them himself with the very over ripe ones which are the best, they are deep orange and almost sticky. Too many people have never had a good dried apricot, usually they are too tart. If you can not get them where you are you might be able to mail order them. Many growers call them slabs.
Well I feel like I need jam now too. Jam Panic!
This made me laugh...men get surprisingly bent out of shape about jam. I had a boyfriend to get upset with me for throwing out what I thought was old homemade jam. Sorry honey!
LOL! My partner also loves jam. We just go out and buy more if we run out. But your pics of the cooking apricots got me inspired!
so awesome! my mom makes jam and sends it to us... there is nothing like homemade jam! goal for after grad school: learn to make homemade jam!
so awesome! my mom makes jam and sends it to us... there is nothing like homemade jam! goal for after grad school: learn to make homemade jam!
This looks delicious; I'd love a jar myself if you have one to spare - but it seems like your jam is pretty popular & I wouldn't want to take away from Steven's stash either!
Also, I have to say that I feel silly because I've tried posting to your blog before but didn't have or couldn't figure out what my Google Account info. was & then I just realized today that I can post anyways; I read it all the time & sorry for not posting sooner - keep up the good work!
First, let me point out that this is not your average, run-of-the-mill apricot jam. It is actually some of the best-tasting stuff you can imagine. I started out with a little dollop on some toast. Before I knew what was happening, I was eating it by the spoonful, out of the jar. So, I can absolutely imagine going through 52 jars.
Second, I can't wait til my package comes! Salvation! Because I was in withdrawal when that jar ran out. I can't wait to taste this batch. T H A N K Y O U !
PS Did I tell you my mom won't share it with my dad, either?
What a clever idea. that's so funny I always think I'm going to eat way more jam than I actually do. I can't wait to start growing enough delicious bits to make my own jam!
This is great. Made me LOL at 2 am on Sunday morning! Still looking for the link to that urban homestead dictionary thing you mentioned...is it on your blog? Must know where I can access this info!
My husband constantly suffers from jam panic. Consequently, despite my best efforts, no homemade jam ever gets to leave this house for gifts!
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