The debacle with the apricot shipping left me more in a rush to get to the stove and start preparing and cooking all the apricots. I knew that I only had a day or two at most to cook them or we would have nothing to show for all the efforts.
My first thought is not to do ordinary things with these apricots but to find recipes outside the box to as Emeril says, "Kick them up an notch". My first thought was alcohol and what better to go with fruit than a Cambria Winery 2008 Late Harvest Viognier which is their dessert wine. So smooth and with a delicate sweetness that would add just a touch of yumminess.
Here is the recipe. This recipe is from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apricot_riesling_jam/
This was one of the best so far.
Apricot Riesling Jam Recipe
Most of the alcohol cooks out and leaves a delightful flavor that I encourage you try, but if you don't want to use wine, just substitute with water. This recipe can be easily doubled; if doubling, use an 8-quart pot.
Ingredients
5 cups of chopped apricots, pits discarded
2 + 3/4 cups of sugar
1/3 cup of Riesling (I used the Viogner)
5 tablespoons of lemon juice
Method
1 Place the apricots, sugar, wine, and lemon juice in a large (at least 4-qt), thick-bottomed, stainless steel pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2 The mixture will boil and rise in volume. Skim off the pale yellow foam that forms at the top and discard. The boil will subside to larger bubbles, but still bubble vigorously. Be sure to begin gently stirring the jam frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
3 After about 25 minutes begin testing the jam by placing a small amount on a cold plate.(I temp my jam to 220) Allow 30 seconds to pass and then run your finger through it to see what the cooled consistency will be. Boil for a few minutes longer if desired for a thicker jam.
4 Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars and seal leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. Process in a water bath at a full boil for 10 minutes.
Makes four 8 oz. jars.
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