Apricots again

[magid]

I got a couple more bags of apricots last night (and gave the tree owner a half-pint of chutney :-), so this morning included more apricot play.

I started by roughly chopping at least a couple of pounds of fruit (I really should have weighed it, but didn't), layering each cutting-board-ful with some sugar, then starting it on low heat. After three layers, the bottom fruit had already let some juice out, and it was starting to look like it might become jam.

At which point I realized I hadn't gotten any more lids (the jars and screw bands are reusable, but the lids aren't), and I didn't have enough, so I did a run to Tag's for more lids, and more pints and half-pints while I was at it. (The minis fill my canning jar too quickly, though they're a nice size for small gifts, especially mix'n'match, and the quarts are too large for jam or chutney. I saw a six-pack of wide-mouth half-gallon jars, and thought about getting some for pickles/sauerkraut, but restrained myself (this time).)

I also picked up more sugar, and 100 proof vodka.

So when I got home, I turned the heat up on the jam again (it smelled amazing, but looked more liquidy than I wanted), and started slicing more apricots, layering them in a quart jar (I don't remember why I got quarts; usually I think of them as too big for my uses). Once the jar was full, I poured vodka over them, and put that in a dark corner of the kitchen. The plan for liqueur is to drain this in a week (well, a week and a half, since I'll be away next week), drain then layer the apricots with sugar for a week (continue to lather, rinse, repeat this step if I want, until the apricots run out of liquid), then mix the resulting liquids into a liqueur. I hope it works.

I canned the jam: a pint and two half-pints. They've been boiled to seal the lids, and are now cooling. I have ten apricots left fresh. If I get more apricots, next thoughts include cran-apricot jam, or amaretto-apricot jam. Or some other chutney permutation. Suggestions welcome.

Comments

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

I have not done canning (or if I have I was a kid), but I thought from what I have seen on the shelves that the lids are re-usable....am I thinking of i different jar?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Different kind of jar, likely. The regular Ball jar type (like these have three parts: the jar itself, the screwband, and a flat, circular lid that has an edge of something that seals when heated. That seal only happens properly once. The screwband holds the lid on during the canning process (and once the jar is opened later, of course :-), but is superfluous other times.

[gingicat]

Apricot-ginger-cranberry something?

And now I see why your plans today did not include nieces and nephews. :)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking maybe another batch of booze with ginger and apricot.

[bitty.livejournal.com]

if i had been thinking, i would have had you over with the apricots to make sorbet/ice cream *before* i used the ice cream maker and promptly de-kashered it. d'oh.

[magid.livejournal.com]

S'ok. I appreciate the thought, though.
(Hey, do even eat apricots or mangoes?)

[bitty.livejournal.com]

No, but the mango from Boston Organics really needed to be used up, so it became the first test. The guinea pig heartily approves.