Dear CSA Members,
I know I wrote that last week was the last week for apricots but luckily, there is still at least one more week. This is your last chance to get any apricots in largish quantities for making jam. If you haven’t already I highly recommend you do; even a small batch will work. If not, I fear you will regret it because few things in life are so simple to do that will give you so much pleasure. The satisfaction of making jam, even the littlest amount will give you a sense of accomplishment not to mention the sensory pleasure of having luscious, deep orange apricot jam on a cold winter’s day on your warm toast.
Apricot jam is probably the easiest jam to make; they don’t require peeling and they are small so they don’t require a lot of cutting, either. Pectin is not necessary as they have enough of their own natural pectin to get a decent set. All you need is a few pounds of apricots, a wide shallow pan, a little sugar and lemon juice and you’re all set. Yes, you’ll need jars too and new lids but they are plentiful at the hardware store right now and even at Safeway.
I like my apricot jam straight, which is my tendency. Exceptions are strawberry cherry, plum blueberry and nectarine plum. All those combinations are for practical reasons; the nectarines add pectin and thickness to plum jam, the cherries add pectin to the otherwise very runny strawberries (the cherry flavor is barely detectable to the dominant strawberry), and the blueberries give wonderful color and thickness to plum jam which on its own oxidizes very quickly to a brownish color.Apricot stands best on its own, it has beautiful color and a fantastic sweet tart balance that like no other fruit, and more closely mimics the experience of eating it fresh.
We have some very ardent jam makers for customers and they seem to be divided as to which variety makes the best jam. This year we heard from several who swear that the Robada makes the best jam. Robada jam has a definite character. Upon tasting a spoonful of a customers Robada jam, I felt the first sheer pleasure and happiness of the apricot flavor, then a little jealousy (it was really good), but ultimately it had a slightly tangy finish that I didn’t care for. Some think you can only make jam with Blenheims which is what I used until I met the Goldensweet. I found Blenheim jam to be a little too runny. For me, Goldensweet is the best, having just the right amount of texture (thickness) and perfect acid/sweet balance.
So, this is your last chance to get apricots. I hope you take advantage of what this wonderful apricot season has offered and make some jam!