Apricot Noyaux Jam Recipes

HOMEMADE APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Stir apricots, lemon juice, and sugar together in a large pot over medium heat; add butter to reduce foaming. Bring apricot mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin; return to a full boil until pectin is dissolved, 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
• Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack apricot jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 5 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, for at least 24 hours. Press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). It may take up to 2 weeks for jam to set. Store in a cool, dark area.

APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Mix apricots and lemon juice in a large pot; add sugar. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook and stir until apricot mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.
• Meanwhile, prepare jars, lids, and rings by cleaning and sterilizing in dishwasher or boiling water bath. Leave lids in simmering water until ready to seal jars.
• Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space on top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

NOYAUX EXTRACT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. If kernels are wet, allow to dry, then spread them onto a baking sheet, and toast for 10 minutes. The noyaux shouldn't take on any color. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
• Place noyaux and liquor in a pint jar. Cover, and place in a dark, cool, dry place for 3 months or longer. Give the jar a shake once in a while when you think of it. Strain extract to remove debris as you use it - the longer the kernels remain in the liquor, the more aromatic and flavorful the extract will become. You can also add more kernels as they accumulate, topping off with more liquor, resulting in an infinite supply of extract.

APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Sterilize your canning jars by boiling for 10 minutes in a hot water canner.
• You will need 5 pint jars or 10 half-pints.
• Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot.
• Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
• Once mixture reaches a rolling boil, continue to boil it for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking.
• Remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 head space.
• Wipe rims clean and put the 2-piece metal canning lids in place.
• Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

APRICOT-NOYAUX JAM

Steps:

• The night before you plan to make the jam, pit and quarter the apricots, reserving pits. Trim away any soft or moldy bits. Place fruit in a large bowl or pot, toss with 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt to macerate, cover with parchment or lid and refrigerate. Place pits on a plate in a single layer, and freeze.
• The following day, bring fruit to room temperature before beginning jam-making process.
• Lay a kitchen towel across a cutting board. Place frozen apricot pits on the towel in a single layer. Cover with a second towel, and use a hammer to gently crack each pit open, then remove kernels - the noyaux - from each pit (it's fine if they break into pieces). Discard shells, and place kernels in a jelly bag or tie in a cheesecloth pouch, and secure with kitchen twine.
• Place fruit, liquid and pouch in 6-quart or larger Dutch oven, or similar wide pot, and set over high heat. Set a colander inside a large heatproof bowl, and set aside. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, bring the jam to a boil, then carefully pour everything into the colander to strain the fruit, and return the syrup and kernel pouch to the pot. Set fruit aside.
• Stirring constantly over high heat, bring syrup to 225 degrees, or until the rapid boil slows, the bubbles grow large and the syrup thickens, about 15 minutes.
• Return fruit to pot, and allow jam to return to 225 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. If the temperature gets stuck around 220, the syrup seems to stop thickening or the jam tastes too tart, add up to 1 cup of sugar to balance. Add a pinch of salt if needed to adjust seasoning. The hot jam should taste uncomfortably sweet - once it cools, its flavor will mellow. After about 20 minutes, once most of the fruit breaks down and the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and adjust sugar, salt and lemon juice as needed - the jam should be mouth-smackingly sweet and tart. Add 1/4 cup noyau extract, if using. Remove pot from heat.
• Remove pouch, and set aside. When it's cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid (and noyau essence) from the bag, and stir into jam. Divide jam into 4 half-pint jars, and heat-process to seal, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Rinse off noyaux, and use to make extract.

CLASSIC APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Measure your apricots; to every cup of apricots, add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Stand, covered, for 12 hours at room temperature
• Stir mixture in a heavy, non-reactive pan over medium high to avoid sticking to bottom of pot; boil until thick (5 minutes), continuing to stir
• Ladle hot jam into in hot sterilized glasses; seal
• Process as you would for any preserved jam, or freeze

NO PECTIN APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Clean your lids and jars, and place lids and jars, upside down, in a 200F oven.
• In a 3-4 qt soup pot, mix all of the ingredients. Heat over medium, stirring often, until the mixture begins to bubble and foam. (For us, this was about 20 minutes.)
• Place the candy thermometer in the mixture and turn the heat to high. Continue to heat the mixture, stirring constantly. (At this point, you may want to put on an oven mitt. As the jam thickens it will begin to foam, sputter and spit. This is good; it means things are getting jammy. But, it's not too good if you get hit.)
• Once the mixture reaches 220-222F, remove the jam from the heat. (For us, it took 8-10 minutes to reach the jamming temperature.)
• Using oven mitts, remove the hot jars from the oven. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, filling to ¼" of the top. ( ¼" is roughly the width of then nail on your little finger.) Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp towel to remove any sticky spillage. Top the jar with a hot lid and band. Tighten the band as tight as you can. Repeat until all the jam has been jarred.
• Process your jars using your preferred method. *
• Whichever method you use to process your jam, remove the bands after the jam has cooled. Check the seal on your lids and refrigerate any jars that have not sealed. Wipe the jars down one last time to remove any sticky bits before placing the bands back on the jars and storing the jam.

APRICOT JALAPENO JELLY

Steps:

• Place the jalapenos, pepper and vinegar in a blender (or food processor).
• Pulse until small chunks remain.
• Combine apricots, sugar and the pepper/vinegar mixture in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; skim off any foam that forms.
• Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes.
• Mix in the pectin.
• Pour into sterilized jars, seal and cool.
• (At this point I turn the sealed jars over several times as they cool for about 10 minutes at a time to keep the fruit nicely distributed in the jar).
• * Note; It is an excellent idea to wear rubber gloves when working with hot peppers, they otherwise may make the hands burn. And don't rub your eyes!

APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• 1. Using nutcrackers or a hammer, crack open the reserved apricot stones.
• 2. Remove the kernels and blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and slip off the skins.
• 3. Put the apricot halves and kernels, the lemon juice and 1 cup of water in a large stainless-steel or enamel preserving pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally.
• 4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the water has been reduced in volume. Remove the pan from the heat, add the warmed sugar and stir until it has dissolved completely. Return the pan to the heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Bring the jam to a full rolling boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes, then test for a set. If setting point has not been reached, boil for 5 minutes more, then test again.
• 5. Pour into clean, warm jars and cover immediately with waxed paper discs and cellophane cover. OR process in a boiling water bath.