Two Apricots and Gewurztraminer Jam

Ah my dear friends! Your welcoming comments went straight to my heart. Yes, even you who offered amazing discounts on hair-loss treatment and erectile dysfunctionment.

A side effect of my glamourous listlessness, I still haven’t taken the time to make final arrangements on the blog. But then again, that’s more fun for the weeks to come, isn’t it.

Instead I’ve decided to make jams. Because it’s summer, guys, and also because this summer in France, fruits happen to be extremely cheap. Not sure why. However, it’s very good news. See, I am pretty convinced that good jam is made from good fruits. Icky fruit will make icky jam (les fruits dégueus, ça fait de la confiture dégueu). So when good fruit is available in large quantities -even better when you can pick it from your own orchard- get that copper basin out of the cupboard or nick your grand ma’s, forget to put on apron on, and get that groove going.

Now my jam goddess, to whom I sacrifice almost every year, is Christine Ferber. She’s not Pierre Hermé’s BFF (la meilleure pote de Pierre Hermé) for nothing, after all. Oh and did I mention she’s Alsacian. Yes, Manggy, not as inconsequential as it may seem to some. Alsacians are grumpy, persistent, hard-working gourmets. I would know. So when they set on making jam, say, they do a damn good job with it (ils se moquent pas du monde). Same goes for foie-gras or wine.

So if Christine tells me that putting semi-dried apricots and Gewurztraminer wine in apricot jam kicks ass, Christine knows what she’s on about  (elle touche sa bille, la Christine).

Two Apricots and Gewurztraminer Jam

On the first day, wash and pit enough apricots so you have 2 lb after pitting. Put the halves in a large non-reactive container, add 3 1/2 c sugar, the juice of a lemon and that of an orange, as well as half the zest of the orange. Let it macerate for at least an hour, stirring every so often with a spoon to help the sugar dissolve. In a large pot, or better, a jam copper basin, pour the fruit and sugar syrup, add 2 vanilla pods (split and scraped) and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Pour back in the cleaned container, cover with a plate or wax paper and let it rest overnight.

Blop blop blop goes the jam Yum yum yum goes the Colloquial Cook

On the second day, strain the apricots in a sieve, set them aside and put the syrup in the basin along with the vanilla pods. Bring it to a boil (about 220°F/105°C) for a good five minutes, during which you may, if you have the patience and appetite, take the skins off the apricot halves and eat them. Don’t forget to skim the surface of the jam as foam forms. You can also eat the foam if you’re me. After 5 minutes, add 25cl of Gewurztraminer (or another fruity, sweet Alsacian wine), 9oz of semi-dried apricots cut in narrow strips, and boil for another 5 minutes. Then add the circumcised apricot halves and boil for a further 5 minutes. Test the jam for doneness by dropping a small amount of jam on a plate and letting it cool for a minute. If it’s nice and sticky (i.e not runny), you’re good to go, otherwise, give it a few more minutes and test again.

Then fill your clean pots to the top, screw the lid on and turn them upside down. By letting them cool this way, you will be able to create a vacuum seal when you’ll flip them back up. Which means jam for wintertime. And that rocks. Et ça, ça déchire grave.