Apricot jam with elderflower
Well, well
Welcome to my new blog.
It was time to start things over. Time for some major changes. Something was really bothering me about my former blog. It was just limiting me a lot and I hated the web layout at the end. So here is to a fresh start.
An easy beginner, thats what it should be. Just easy ingredients, filled with flavor. My mom found these absolutely gorgeous apricots in our grocery store. A pile full of red and orange sweets. She saw them and immediately got half of the tray. She nows me well, because I adore apricot jam.
Its a thing, I learned to love some years ago in the heat of the drôme provence in france. The apricots where just in season, just slightly ripe enough to bite into them and taste just the slightest bit of sourness. The rest was pure sugary fruit. We where heading home from the market visit in Nyons. As we drove out of the city, we saw a simple sign which said "apricots". As simple as it gets, the apricots where sold just in front of their own trees. We bought a huge amount. As we drove home, I probably ate half of them (no regrets here).
My mom made the best decision, turning them into jam. I am a real sucker for every "jam turned" fruit. A real staple for provencal cuisine. I never had such good apricot jam again.
Like always, trying to bring those memories back and tasting a hint of the drôme provence, what better way to use food for. Thats the real thing about food, you eat it, thats simple, but you remember all the wonderful things that accompanied your meal. Like the people, the location, the atmosphere, the talks you had and the connections you made.
This is a real allrounder. I use it as jam, on warm and fresh baked bread, as a flavour bomb into my breakfast yoghurt or into delicious fruity cakes.
Stay tuned for my next recipe, its something combined with my self-made jam. An easy french indulge.
Recipe : apricot jam with elderflower
Ingredients
500g ripe apricots
250g preserving sugar (1:2)
handful of elderflower
1 pinch of salt
Preparation
Pit the apricots, cut them into halfs
Add them and the sugar into a big enough pot
Add the elderflower and salt on top and stir around
heat the stove until the mixture simmers on low for 10min.
If the apricots are softer, turn up heat, simmer for 10min.
If the fruits are completely soft, purée into a soft jam consistency
To see, if the jam has your desired consistency,
put a tray into the refrigerator and pour some jam on top, check the consistency, if it is too liquid, add some more sugar into the pot, and heat up again
Finally, sanitize jam jars (with boiling water) and fill the jam up to the very top. Secure tightly with the lid.