Apricot jam

Mid July to the end of August is apricot season, and a time of year that I look forward to with anticipation. It’s not just the fact that it’s the summer holidays, or that I usually have more time to relax with friends and family, but it’s a time of year when I start to think about ‘bottling summer’.

Bottling summer is my way of describing preserving – it’s that time of year when so many fruits (and vegetables) come into season and it’s then time to keep them for the breakfast table and for later on in the year, a way of brightening up a dreary January morning.

Of all the seasonal fruits right now, it’s stone fruits that get me wanting to get my preserving pan down for a jam session! I love soft fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries, but it’s that beautiful sunny, orange and peachy pink colours that a jar of apricot and peach jam gives you that is so seductive.

Today I am sharing my recipe for fresh apricot jam; it’s a traditional 50/50 ratio jam recipe that yields the most amazing flavoured and vibrant jam – absolutely perfect for any slice of toast, buttered crumpet or Victoria sponge cake filling!

This recipe makes 1.8-2kg of jam