Apricot Preserves

Preserving Method: Water-Bath-Canning

Makes about 4 (8 oz) half-pint jars

These beautiful, golden fruits are smooth and sweet, without being as juicy as a peach. Their faint tartness lends perfectly to a jar of homemade preserves. With sugar, lemon juice and a few pounds of apricots, you’ll have your own homemade spread that will last for months.

You will need

• 5 cups apricot halves, peeled and pitted (about 2 pounds)  
• 4 cups sugar 
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice 

Directions

1. PREP wash whole apricots under cold running water; drain. To peel apricots, blanch in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately transfer to cold water. Cut off peel. Cut apricots in half lengthwise; remove pits and fibrous flesh. Measure 5 cups apricot halves. 
2. COOK Combine apricots, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly over high heat almost to gelling point (220°F), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary. 
3. FILL ladle hot preserves into a hot jar, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.  
4. PROCESS Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process jars 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.