Safta Rachels Fresh Apricot Preserves Recipes

APRICOT PRESERVES

Steps:

• Select good clean apricots. Wash then, cut in two, and take out the stone, pull out any stem, it could be cut, but shouldn't need to be.
• Put them into a saucepan or soup pot. Add enough water, to just have them float, or be barely covered.
• Season them with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon.
• Bring to the simmer, and cook, covered until they are quite tender, but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes approximately.
• Do one of two things, purée the apricots, with their water, in a food processor, in batches, or mash with a masher, for a chunkier consistency.
• In either case, measure or weigh, the pulp, and add back to it, in the pan, an equal volume of sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the mixture is set, 212-220 degrees f, on a candy thermometer.
• Bottle and process for 7 minutes.
• Enjoy.

BOTTLED PRESERVED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the water and sugar into a large nonreactive pan. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the sugar water to a boil, reduce by one-third then leave to cool.
• Pack the halved, pitted apricots into canning jars with the cut side facing down. Divide the vanilla pod between the number of jars you have filled with apricots.
• Fill each jar with the cold syrup up to the lip of the jar, leaving an inch or so clear at the top. Cover with a lid and screw on.
• Place the jars in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 25 minutes. Leave to cool.
• The next day, repeat the boiling again, this time boiling for 15 minutes.

SAFTA RACHEL'S FRESH APRICOT PRESERVES

Steps:

• Wash and dry apricots; halve and seed them.
• Place fruit in a large, non-reactive pot with heavy base.
• Pour sugar over apricots and cover; let stand several hours or preferably overnight to draw out juices.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, uncovered.
• Reduce heat to low and continue to boil very gently for 45 minutes, making sure that liquid is always bubbling and stirring often with a wooden spoon to keep preserves from sticking.
• Add butter during this time.
• Do not allow to scorch.
• Test preserves for consistency; drop a small amount of the mixture on a plate. The preserves should mound, not drip from the spoon. the fruit should still be chunky.
• For thick preserves, continue to cook until desired consistency is reached; approximately 20 minutes longer.
• If preserves become too thick, add a little water.
• Taste and correct sweetness with lemon juice if needed.
• Pour preserves into prepared half-pint canning jars; process in hot water bath canner for ten minutes.
• .

FRESH APRICOT TART

Steps:

• To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Brush a 8-by-11-inch tart pan with removable bottom with butter.
• Place the almonds and 1 tablespoon sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the almonds are finely ground. Add the butter, and process until combined. Pulse in the flour, the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and the almond extract until combined.
• Transfer the crumbly dough to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, pat out dough evenly to make a thin crust along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Chill the crust 30 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the filling and assemble the tart: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almond slices in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure the nuts toast evenly. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder; whisk together. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and half-and-half until well combined. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
• Arrange the apricot halves, cut sides up, on top of the filling, packing the fruit closely together. Sprinkle the tops of the apricots with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the entire tart.
• Bake the tart until the filling is puffed and golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan after 30 minutes for even browning. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool. Unmold, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

SPRING TARTS WITH WATERCRESS SALSA VERDE & WHIPPED LEMON FETA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry but leave it on the parchment, then transfer it to a baking tray. Brush egg yolk all over. Trim the edges with a large, sharp knife - this will give you a neater finish but isn't essential. Cut the pastry in half lengthways, and move the pieces apart so they have a little space to puff up as they cook. Score a border about 1cm from the edge of the pastry, all the way around, then cut slashes across the centre to prevent it from puffing too much. Be careful not to score the border.
• Toss the carrots and radishes in a little oil and a sprinkling of salt in a small roasting tin. Put the pastry on the top shelf of the oven and the veg on the middle one, and cook for 25 mins, or until the pastry is golden and has a crisp base, and the veg are starting to soften. Leave to cool while you make the lemony feta.
• Crumble the feta into a bowl, add the mascarpone, lemon zest and milk and blend using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Chill until needed. To make the salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a small hand processor and whizz to a pesto consistency. This will keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil, and have a bowl to hand filled with cold water and some ice. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 mins until bright green but still crunchy. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out and plunge straight into the iced water. Do the same with the sugar snaps, and finally the peas, draining these in a sieve, then cool in the ice water with the other veg.
• Spread the whipped feta over the bases, top with the veg (you can mix them up or keep the roasted veg on one tart and the green veg on the other, if you like), then drizzle with salsa verde and a little oil. Best served within an hour or two, but leftovers will keep for a day in the fridge.

RACHEL'S APRICOT FUDGE BISCUIT SLICE (UNBAKED)

Steps:

• Crush the biscuits and mix with the chopped apricots.
• In a pot melt the condensed milk, butter and brown sugar together (Do not boil).
• Mix with the biscuits & apricots.
• Press into a greased sponge roll/slice tin.
• Refrigerate and cut when cold.