Apricots are in season in Sydney at the moment and and over the next few weeks they will be at their ripe perfection. Its a perfect time to make some delicious apricot jam for your morning toast.

Apricot Jam

Ingredients

• 1.8 kg apricots, firm, ripe and soft (flesh only no kernel)
• 350 ml water (50 ml per 300 gr of fruit)
• 5 tablespoons tbls lemon juice and 3 strips lemon rind/zest(no pith)
• 1.6 kg sugar . (260 grams per 300 gr of fruit). approx.

Method

1. Wash jam jars in hot soapy water, rinsing them well.Put them on an oven tray.
2. Put the lids into a small pan of water and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat and leave them to simmer on the lowest heat.
3. Wash apricots. Halve or quarter them and remove stones.
4.  Put fruit, water and lemon zest and juice into a stainless steel saucepan (or stainless steel preserving pan ) and bring slowly to a boil
5. Simmer until fruit is just tender, around 1 hour
6. While the apricots are  cooking  put the sugar into a clean baking dish and warm it in the oven.         (7-10 mins at 110 Deg C)
7. Remove the sugar from the oven and place the jam jars on oven tray  into the oven on 110 C They should be completely dry when the jam is ready to fill.
8. When the apricots are cooked down, add the warmed sugar to the pan, stirring until sugar has dissolved
9. Then boil rapidly at just below high until the temperature of the jam reaches 106 F on the candy thermometer. for about 15 – 20 minutes or until setting stage is reached
10. Drop a     small amount onto a chilled saucer for 30 seconds, Push the jam with your finger, if it wrinkles it has reached its setting point.
11. Ladle into hot, sterilised jars, and seal. Handle the lids with sterilised tongs and never let your hands touch the inside of the lids.