Ha-ha -- Get it? Log-JAM? LOG-jam? Truth is, I am backed up with projects. I have perhaps become overzealous about Fall fruits and went to GROW in Manhattan Beach (a wonderful little market that sells organic produce and meats) and bought the first of their pomegranates, Granny Smith apples, & a bottle of Guwurtztraminer...really, truly, the wine IS for jelly. I promise. I still have frozen fruits I would like to use to create more space in my freezer, and of course pumpkins are all over the place and I almost bought some today on a whim.
But first...a little story about apricots. Apricots are about 6 weeks out of season, but I had frozen 8 cups in early September and I've been dying to do something with them.
Admittedly, I may have waited a bit too long to use the 'cots and when I chopped them prior to freezing them, I noticed some slight browning on the inside, around the pits. They looked pretty on the outside, but they had begun to ripen a bit too much. I cut those parts off and froze what I was able to salvage.
As I cooked the apricots, I noticed some major bubbling (not foam) and I couldn't do anything to get rid of them. Also, the sugar seemed to take longer to dissolve than it normally does. Could it be when I removed some of the browned flesh that I also removed a lot of the fruit's water? I think that's exactly what happened. A short search on the internet led me to believe that nobody knows why this happens, I will probably have to do further reading to figure it out for sure. Grandma Irma (my mom) thinks the apricots might have started to ferment. Thinking about how they sizzled in the back of my hot, sunny car for a day and then in front of my kitchen window for 2 days after that...hmmm...she might be right.
Just look how scrumptious this jam turned out in spite of the bubbles. I may not be sharing this with anyone based off of looks alone, but I don't mind hoarding this sunburst batch for myself. If Grandma Irma is correct, maybe I'll get lucky and get a little tipsy!
But first...a little story about apricots. Apricots are about 6 weeks out of season, but I had frozen 8 cups in early September and I've been dying to do something with them.
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| Happy Golden Suns |
Admittedly, I may have waited a bit too long to use the 'cots and when I chopped them prior to freezing them, I noticed some slight browning on the inside, around the pits. They looked pretty on the outside, but they had begun to ripen a bit too much. I cut those parts off and froze what I was able to salvage.
As I cooked the apricots, I noticed some major bubbling (not foam) and I couldn't do anything to get rid of them. Also, the sugar seemed to take longer to dissolve than it normally does. Could it be when I removed some of the browned flesh that I also removed a lot of the fruit's water? I think that's exactly what happened. A short search on the internet led me to believe that nobody knows why this happens, I will probably have to do further reading to figure it out for sure. Grandma Irma (my mom) thinks the apricots might have started to ferment. Thinking about how they sizzled in the back of my hot, sunny car for a day and then in front of my kitchen window for 2 days after that...hmmm...she might be right.
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| Tiny Bubbles.... |
A typical apricot jam doesn't require adding water to the mixture as it cooks, but I probably could have added water when I noticed the sugar wasn't dissolving easily. I loved, however, how thick and chunky this batch was shaping up to be, so I funneled it into the jars and sealed the lids and crossed my fingers.
Too bad about the bubbles but the jam looked great! Does Irma know that you call her Grandma Irma?
ReplyDeleteNo, but Tatumn calls her that so I think she's okay with it.
ReplyDeleteLooks Fantastic:) And Jack & Colin call her Grandma Irma too!~ Lexie
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