Apricot and Peach Jam

In the middle of winter it’s a little reminder of summer when I open a jar of jam and spread it with some butter on a crispy piece of toast. I usually make apricot jam, but this year I decided to go crazy and add some peaches to my usual. I’m happy with the results, and look forward to eating this as the weather turns colder.

I found this award-winning jam recipe on this site. I used fewer peaches than the recipe called for, partly because I didn’t have enough, but also because I really love apricots and wanted to make sure their flavour came through.

What you need:

• 300 grams peaches, cut into small pieces
• 600 grams apricots, quartered
• 785 grams sugar
• 100 mL water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest from half a lemon
• about 1 tablespoon butter
• about 12- 125mL canning jars, or 6 – 250mL
• rings and new lids for the jars

What you do:

1. Place a few metal spoons in the freezer for use later with testing to see if the jam has set.
2. Prepare the jam jars by boiling them or running through the dishwasher.
3. Put all the ingredients except the butter in a large pot and stir it together. Heat on low, then bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes..
4. Turn the heat off and put a few drops of jam on one of the frozen spoons to check if it has set. Let it cool for a few minutes, and then push your finger through it. If the jam crinkles a bit, it is ready. If it is not ready, put it back on to boil for 2 minutes. Test again, and repeat until it has set. Mine took almost 20 minutes to set.
5. Off the heat, stir in the butter to remove any surface bubbles.
6. Heat the lids in hot water and have the jars ready for filling on the counter.
7. Fill each jar so it has just about 2mm of space at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars if they have any jam on them. Place the heated lids on the jars and fasten them with the rings.
8. Place the jars on a towel on the counter in a place they can stay until they have sealed. Place another towel on top of the jars. You will begin to hear a series of ‘pings’ that will let you know that the jar has sealed. You will also be able to see that the lid has indented. Any jars that do not indent (seal) properly can be refrigerated. The rest are fine in a cool storage place. Some say they are only good for a few months, but I’ve kept mine for up a year, and they are great still.