Apricot is one of the tastiest fruits enjoyed by young and old alike. It has a tempting and sweet taste, which makes it a favorite winter dessert in our kitchens and pantries. There are a whole range of ways you can prepare winter jam from apricots, from compote and juice to apricot jam, homemade marmalade is a creamier version of jam that will keep the flavors and smells of summer all year round.
As is the case with other winter jams, you can easily buy apricot marmalade in a store, but home-made marmalade has a special structure and richness of flavor that store-bought marmalade cannot replace. Its versatility in combining with other foods shows how delicious it is, so it is often used to prepare various cakes and desserts.
If you want to try homemade apricot marmalade and try your hand at making it yourself, below is a recipe and tips for making the perfect apricot marmalade that you can’t go wrong with.
Apricot marmalade recipe
To prepare marmalade, you will need only 4 ingredients, but also time to get a fine, creamy structure. The sugar in this recipe is white refined sugar that serves as a thickener and preservative. If you want to cook the marmalade for a shorter time, add gelatin according to the instructions on the bag. As a substitute for sugar, you can use organic agave or maple syrup, which are less harmful to health, contain a lower glycemic index, but are very sweet.
Ingredients for marmalade
- 1/2 kg of apricots
- a little lemon juice
- 300 g of sugar
- 2 bags of vanilla sugar
Preparation of marmalade
- Wash the apricots and remove pits and rotten parts
- Cut into smaller pieces and place in a tall pot with a thicker bottom to cook
- When the apricots begin to release liquid, pour some of the water into a separate bowl, add sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon juice and continue cooking until the apricots are soft
- When the apricots are completely cooked, grind everything with a stick mixer and add the liquid that you previously separated to the side
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until desired thickness. Check the density of the marmalade by placing 2-3 tablespoons on a saucer and letting it cool.
- Pour the hot marmalade into sterilized jars and pasteurize as desired
Sterilization of jars
Before pouring the hot marmalade into the jars, they should be washed well in water together with the lids and sterilized in an oven facing downwards at 100-150°C for ten minutes. The bottles will be hot so take a glove and immediately turn them open side up so the moisture can escape. Return them to the oven for quick drying for 2-3 minutes at the same temperature.
For jars with airtight lids, reduce the sterilization time and oven temperature to avoid damaging the rubber on the lid.
Pasteurization of apricot marmalade
After sterilizing the jars, and after pouring the hot marmalade into them, if you want, do pasteurization – creating a vacuum in the jars. Considering the fact that with winter jams that are prepared by boiling, this procedure is not normally necessary because the hot air from the marmalade in the hot jar vacuums the jar itself. Close the jars and turn the lids downwards, wrap them in a blanket and let them cool gradually at room temperature.
Tips
The length of cooking the marmalade depends on the width of the pot – the wider the pot, the faster the marmalade will be ready.
With longer cooking, the sugar will caramelize and the marmalade will be darker
During cooking, foam will appear on the surface, you may or may not remove it. By leaving the foam, you will notice light lines in the jars, and if you remove it, the marmalade will have the same texture and appearance.
If you have pickled peaches, add a peach or two instead of lemon juice
Source: Zimnica.net, Photo: RitaE / Pixabay