Apricot Jam

Apricot jam, the only gem my son Alex likes. Last week when I made the strawberry jam he felt left out. Try explaining to a 5 years old that the apricots are not in season just yet, a few more weeks and the farmers market will be flooded with them. All I got were wet puppy eyes.

Well at this point supermarket apricots looked just as good. Here is Alexander's apricot jam.

Ingredients

4 pounds apricots

1 cup water

4 cups sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

2 tbsp orange liqueur ( Grand Marnier)

Quarter the apricots ( no need to remove the skin). place the quarter apricots, sugar , liqueur and the cup of water in heavy saucepan.

Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered skimming off any of the foam that rises to the surface.

Boil for 30 to 40 minutes. To check if is done drop a spoonful on a cold dish, if it jells is done. Taste the Jam, if you desire add the lemon juice.

If you like a smooth texture once is cool, use a hand blender to achieve it. It keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or could be canned.

Enjoy!

Home Made Strawberry Jam

Strawberry jam is Cass and Brandon's favorite jam (Alex loves apricot jam). So because strawberries are in season we went to "Farmer's Market" and bought a big box. They ate some of them and from the rest I decided to make some jam. This recipe that I love, doesn't belong to me I have seen it on a Barefoot Contessa episode about a year ago. I tried it and my boys loved it, so... since then this is the recipe we use.

Ingredients

3 pints fresh strawberries ( about 6 cups)

3 cups superfine sugar

2 tbsp orange-flavored liqueur ( like Grand Marnier)

1/2 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored, and cut in small pieces

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

2 tbsp lemon juice ( optional)

Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut the strawberries into quarters. Place them in a heavy deep pot such as a Dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and liqueur.

Bring the strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat stirring often. When is boiling add the blueberries and the apple and keep the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.

Let it boiling for about 35 to 40 minutes. Skim and discard of any foam that rises to the top.

After about 40 minutes take the pot of the stove and taste the jam ( careful it's hot) if you decided that it is to sweet add the 2 tbsp of lemon juice.

Let the jam cool to room temperature. The jam can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or

can be packed and sealed in canning jars. My boys don't like the strawberry jam with strawberries pieces in it, so, I use the hand blender to achieve a smooth texture, but this is a personal choice.

Enjoy!