I love spring/summer for all the fresh fruits we get to eat! I saw these beautiful apricots at Whole Foods and grabbed a few hoping to make a chutney. I was planning a dinner party with some friends so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone, I put together a cheese platter just so I could use my new cheese board I got as a birthday gift last year and I made apricot jam instead of chutney to go with the cheese. I loved making Fig Jam last year and I can't wait to make it again this year when they are in season. I followed the same concept with the Apricot jam as well but I was so disappointed with myself because I forgot to turn down the heat and walked away from the pot. The jam was not a jam anymore, it was this dark caramelized goo. Ugh...I had to buy more apricots and tried making it again the next day. I did not forget to turn down the heat and paid more attention to it and thankfully, it turned out well.

Ingredients

9 apricots - peeled and chopped
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar* (reserve 1/2 cup to add only if needed)
1/8 tsp grated ginger (optional)

Steps

In a heavy bottom pan, mix all the ingredients on medium heat.
Once it starts simmering, turn down the heat to bring it to a low simmer.
Stir frequently and cook until the apricots are soft and the mixture starts looking and feeling like jam..this can take about 30-45 minutes. I wanted a smooth texture so I used a potato masher to break down the apricot chunks.
Let it cool and store in a class jar. This should be good for several days. I don't have the special canning jars but if you do, feel free to use those and the jam will last for a longer time.

Makes about 1 1/2 cup | Prep time: 10-15 minutes | Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Here's my cheese plate creation.

*Sugar. - I made the first batch with raw cane sugar and it made the jam a medium brown color. I wasn't a fan of it but I could deal with that. - I decided to make the second batch with white sugar just to preserve that beautiful orange color of the apricots. - Taste halfway through and check to see if its sweet enough. If the jam is still a bit on the tart side, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar that was set aside.