Apricot Preserves (sugar free)

We were really lucky this year to have all of our apricot trees produce fruit.  I picked and picked and gave away boxes and boxes this year.  I love that feeling when the abundance is just overflowing and a little overwhelming.  I dried apricots, froze them and Bottled them because those are all really easy to do.  Jim ask if I could make some apricot preserves so I thought I would give it a try.  I think it turned out really good.

First you have to take a look at the size of these things!  The tomato is just a medium one....but still!  I believe they are as big as the peaches were last year!

First wash the apricots.  I just soak them in the sink in cold water with a splash of apple-cider vinegar and then rinse really well.

Ingredients:
Apricots, pitted and sliced
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 -2 boxes of Pectin (no sugar kind) 
1 T. butter

Mix everything in a big stock pot and bring to a full boil.  This should take 10 to 15 minutes.  Take off heat and skim off the foam.  (If you want to use sugar this is the time to add it)  Put back on the heat and bring to a full boil for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and skim foam again. The butter is in there to cut down the amount of foam and it really works.  (If you don't skim it off it will turn into nasty solidified bubbles on the to of your jam.  Yuck!

Transfer preserves to clean canning jars.  Place the lids and rings on the jar and wait for the little popping sounds as they seal.

Note: 1. Make sure that you wipe the rim of the bottle clean before you put the lid on so it will seal. 2. the jars are super hot so make sure they are on a towel or a surface that is heat resistant.  (and far enough away from the edge that sticky little kiddo fingers can't reach up and get burned)

This is so easy!  The hardest part is cleaning and cutting the fruit.   Just look how beautiful it is when you are done.

Bottled Apricots

Last year for my birthday I got myself a water bath caner.  Basically it is just a huge stock pot with a lid and a basket for holding the bottles.

My mom caned food all my life but for some reason I never learned how.  So I decided that it was about time I did learn.

Lucky me! Apricots are one of the easiest things to bottle.

What you need:

1 caner or stock pot
bottles that have been sanitised.  I run mine through the dish washer
new lids and rings
towels
syrup mixture   (I used apple juice)
Apricots

First fill your caner with enough water to cover you bottles. Put it on the stove and start to heat it up.

While it is heating clean your apricots.  I just filled the sink with water and a splash of vinegar.  Cut them in half and place cut side down in the bottle.  Pack in as many as you can because they will take up less space once bottled.

Then fill the bottle to the neck (not the brim) with your syrup.  If you are using traditional heavy syrup you will need to have that already mixed up.  I just juiced some apples and used that. In about half I mixed in some crushed pineapple and that looked beautiful!

Make sure you wipe down the top of the bottle with a paper towel so there are no bits of fruit that would cause it not to seal.

Put the lids and rings on the bottle.  Leave the rings just a little loose so the bottles won't break.  Put them in the basket and make sure your water is boiling.  Lower them into the water and put the lid on the caner.  Let them cook for 20 minutes.  While they are in the caner lay out a towel on the counter that you will set the bottles on to cool.  Keep another towel handy that you will cover the bottles with so you AC doesn't cool them too fast and cause a bottle to crack.  You should have plenty of time to fill your next bottles and have them ready to go.

And that is all there is too it!  Once they are cooling on the counter they need to set for a few hours.  You will hear the lids pop as they make a seal.  If any bottles have not made a seal after a day then you need to use that fruit right away.  Clean everything else off and place on the shelf.

I just think rows of preserved fruit are so beautiful and it feels really good to know exactly what is in my food.

Give this a try!  It is super easy.    **note:  It is just as easy to do 2 or more batches as it is to do one.  The mess you clean up will be the exact same no matter how many you do.