Apricot jam with pits inside
10 servings
180 minutes
Jam is the sweetest and most varied way to provide yourself with berries and fruits for the winter. The cooking process is a Russian-style meditation: you can't rush and do several things at once with jam . Some recipes require one, but long-term approach, others imply short, but daily practice.
1
Apricots should be washed and dried properly. There are cultivated apricots with sweet kernels in the pits; these are the ones needed. There are also small apricots with unsweet kernels that are not suitable for jam. It's best to ask the seller about the type of pits since it's hard to check. The larger the apricots, the more cultivated they are, and thus their pits are sweeter. It's better to choose medium-ripe apricots, even slightly greenish ones.
- Apricots: 1 kg
2
Remove the pits from the apricots. Eastern chopsticks work well for this. Push the thick end of the stick into the spot where the apricot was attached to the stem and push it in deep while holding the apricot firmly with your fingers. It sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple.
3
The pit will pop out from the opposite side of the fruit. It's worth involving close ones, so the process will go faster.
4
Crack the stones with a hammer and extract the kernels.
5
Remove the skins from the pits and take away the part where the main bitterness is concentrated. To do this, slightly lift the thick edge of the pit with a knife and peel off the skin with the dark spot. Then you can clean the pit completely.
6
Then the apricots need to be pierced so they absorb the syrup better. For this, you can make a device: cut an eraser lengthwise and poke it with pins to create a hedgehog shape. Use this device to pierce the apricots, trying to penetrate the flesh deeper. If you pierce the skin with something large, it will tear and fall apart, causing the apricots to lose their market appearance. This way they will soak up the syrup while maintaining their integrity.
7
Then put the kernels back into the apricots with a stick.
8
Place the apricots in the saucepan tightly, with the ends that had flowers facing up.
9
Then you need to make the syrup. For 1 kg of fruit, you need 1 kg of sugar. But there's a trick. First, take 600 grams of sugar, add a glass of water (250 ml), bring to a boil while stirring constantly. When the sugar dissolves, the syrup is ready.
- Sugar: 1 kg
- Sugar: 1 kg
- Sugar: 1 kg
10
Pour syrup over the apricots so that each fruit is drenched on top. Leave everything for 12 hours without covering it, otherwise the apricots will become unattractive. During this time, they will cool down, release juice, and slightly shrink in size.
11
After 12 hours, pour the syrup into the pot.
12
Add the remaining 400 grams of sugar, place on medium heat, and bring to a boil. At this moment, a lot of foam will appear, which needs to be removed until the syrup is completely clear. Boil the clear syrup for another 3 minutes.
13
Pour the apricots a second time and leave for another 12 hours.
14
Get the apricots again in 12 hours.
15
Boil the syrup for three minutes to remove excess moisture.
16
Pour the syrup over the apricots again and leave for another 12 hours. In total, the apricots should sit for 12 hours three times.
17
Boil the apricots in syrup for the fourth time for five minutes. You need to lift the sugar that settles at the bottom, and at that moment it will all dissolve. Remove the foam.
18
Transfer the apricots to sterilized jars and pour in the syrup. The jam is ready.