members recipes

Making this once with no almonds in the house, I substituted pine nuts. It’s quite good, though not as good as almonds I think. To test if jam is done, put a couple of saucers in the freezer when starting the cooking. When ready to test the jam, take out a saucer and put a large teaspoonful of jam on the saucer. Return to the freezer and chill for a couple of minutes, till the jam is at room temperature. Push the jam with a finger. It is done when the surface crinkles, and a line drawn with a finger through the middle of the jam stays as a line, rather than the jam running together again. 1 c = 250 mL; 1/2 c = 125 mL; 1/3 c = 80 mL; 1/4 c = 60 mL; 1 tb = 20 mL; 1 tsp = 5 mL; 1/2 tsp = 2/5 mL; 1/4 tsp = 1.25 mL

Ingredients
500g dried apricots
3 c boiling water
1 c apricot nectar
1 c orange juice (or omit apricot nectar and use all orange juice)
1/3 c lemon juice
575g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
¾ tsp cinnamon
2/3 c slivered almonds

Method
• Chop the apricots finely (or pulse in a food processor to chop well).
• Put in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water.
• Leave to stand for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring to a simmer, then simmer until apricots are very soft and pulpy, probably about half an hour. Add a dash more water as necessary.
• Add sugar, apricot nectar, orange juice, lemon juice and cinnamon.
• Heat gently until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to a simmer, and simmer for an hour, stirring sometimes so that the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom.
• Test, and simmer longer if necessary, until jam sets as desired. (I’ve cooked it for an hour and a half.)
• While jam is boiling, toast the almonds until golden. Let cool, then chop up a bit if desired.
• When jam is finished cooking, mix the nuts through.
• Pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars, and seal.