We're (apricot) Jammin' ...

Yesterday afternoon, Victoria and I made FRESH APRICOT JAM together. Victoria brought over a wheelbarrow-full {just about ...} of apricots from her friend Gary's tree.

Some were SUPER RIPE and we used those for the jam. {we later read on the Pectin insert that "firm, ripe fruit is best" and that "overripe fruit may not set well". OH WELL. you see, children: when adults tell you to READ THE DIRECTIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH, FIRST - there's a very good reason. }

Some were not quite super ripe, and we have a pile-on-a-platter of those. Just look at this fruit:

AND I have to admit -- growing up as my father's daughter, I was addicted to DRIED APRICOTS, a la Scaglione Orchards {my stepmother's family orchard in Hollister, California). Me, there was NO WAY I was going to eat a fresh apricot. No how, no way. But so far as DRIED APRICOTS are concerned, NONE in the world are better and tastier than those from Emilie's ranch. I'm just saying.

NEWS FLASH:

I ate my first FRESH APRICOT yesterday and I am a convert. Wowza! Thanks, Gary.

So here's how it went ... our "Jam Session":

the chopping of the super ripe fruit was SO messy, I didn't dare pick up the camera for that step ... but here's what our fruit looked like as it went into the pan. My BELGIQUE pan, which I adore ...

this is the scary part ... the recipe calls for more cups of sugar than fruit ..

and only the best "pure cane sugar" will do, you know ...

sing it with me now ... "C and H pure cane sugar, it's the one" {remember that jingle from when you were a kid ???}

Victoria did the lion's share of the stirring -

and because she's a LEFTIE, this is an unusual pic of Victoria !!!

you see, here she's using her left hand !!! LOOK at that fruit jam, just dripping off the spoon ... YUM.

and yes, I did a bit of the work, too ... see !!!

ah, but here's Victoria again, hard at work ... that's FOAM that happens when the jam has boiled for a period of time. the FOAM gets skimmed off, several times, in the process of making this recipe.

Look! It's APRICOT VESUVIUS.

thankfully, the foam didn't explode all over the stove, and here's Victoria, pouring it into the jars ... and look! she's using that right hand again!

So that was our Fresh Apricot Jam adventure. My first time working with pectin; my first fresh apricot, eaten. My first Jam Adventure.

Thank you, Victoria. It was a delightful way to spend the day.

-- Davielle

P.S. I only wish that I had thought to pull out my Bob Marley CD to play "Jammin' " during our session. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q98PFdVZmc