I started making these preserves determined that I was going to follow the recipe exactly. The idea was that adherence to the text would maximize the possibility of jelling , without commercial pectin. I have not been making preserves for very long, and I know the inexperienced jammer is cautioned against varying an established recipe. Somehow, though, I always seem to find a reason to mess around. I will announce, right from the start (no need to hold your breath)- it jelled. And it seems to be delicious, judging from the tongue-scortching taste I stole.
I wish I could say that I followed every word of Christine Ferber's recipe. She is, after all, the "fairy godmother of jam" and so on. But I did wind up deviating at least once, and probably twice from the exact prescription. First, I substituted a dry reisling for the gewurtztraminer (not having had any of the latter lying around. ). Secondly, I found myself bewildered by her instructions concerning the two required vanilla beans, purchased at considerable expense and effort, involving a last minute bus trip to Penzey's.
After you are done preparing the jam, before jarring it up, you are to remove the beans from the fruit, because you will "use them later to decorate the outside of the bottles."???? How so? Will they be used as a writing instrument to make a label? To my eye the depleted vanilla bean is not all that snazzy looking. I am pretty sure she didn't anticipate my other stab at decoration a la bean, which you will see below.
And this is how you make it. (By the way, I now have a copper jam pan. It can be seen in action in Farm Box V. I couldn't pass it up- I was buying one for my daughter for her birthday, and was overcome with envy and greed and wound up buying two. It is great, brings the fruit to a simmer or boil faster than you can imagine. Also, it is very, very pretty, and lives in the middle of my dining room table with fruit and things in it, when it's not at work. I bought us both some copper polish, too-we'll see how I do on maintainence. ) Oh yes, how you make the jam:
6-9 oz dried apricots
2 1/2 lbs fresh apricots
3 3/4 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans, split horizontally
Cup gewurztraminer or dry reisling
Slice the dried apricots julienne thin. Put them in a bowl, pour the wine over, cover with parchment and stick in fridge overnight. The same evening, cut the apricots in half, stone them, and put them in a bowl with the sugar and vanilla beans. Let them sit one hour. Then, put them in a nonreactive or copper pan, bring to a quick boil, cook a minute or two. Remove from heat, pour out into a bowl, cover with parchment, and also into the fridge it goes.
Next morning, boil up 6 or so 1/2 pint ball jars and their lids. Remove with tongs and drain them on a fluffy kitchen towel near your stove, ready for the jam.
Slip the skins off the fresh apricots. Drain the dried fruit (I did not throw out the now sweetened wine. I chilled it and drank it with dessert-it was okay, but I won't be making it on purpose, or anything) and put the two together into a sieve over the pan you used yesterday. Once the juices have drained, put the fruit aside, and bring the syrup to a boil. Cook it until it reaches 220 F on your candy/frying thermometer. Carefully add the fruit and cook, stirring gently with your longhandled wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Remove the beans. Ladle jam into the waiting jars, to 1/4 inch from the top. Top with the seal disks, then the screw on lids- not too tight. Wait until the next day to be sure they have sealed, are concave, and don't go "boing" when pressed. If they appear dubious, refrigerate them and use them first. This is a european canning style, less absolutely safe than processing in a canner. I think the tastes are fresher, but it is always possible that this is my imagination. If you are very cautious, you will process them in a water bath for 10 minutes.
And perhaps you can come up with a more attractive vanilla bean ornament.
Apricot jam is my very favourite. Now I got envious and decided to check our Canadian online cookware store. The link for your copper pan shows that a 14-inch pan costs $US63.31. The Canadian guys sells the same thing for $Can235.00 Just my luck heh?
Posted by: Ana | July 04, 2005 at 06:36 PM