QUICK AND EASY APRICOT JAM AND OUR SON’S FAVORITE BAGEL

Apricot ready for the freezer and winter enjoyment!!

Apricots seem to be found only for a short time at the Farmer’s Market and they were at the market this week. They make the most gloriously rich deep orange jam. Quick and easy seem to be my favorite words and since apricots don't have to be peeled this makes for a quick and easy preparation, and a winter filled with jewel toned flavor.

Ingredients for Son's Favorite Bagel.

Warm toasted bagel, cool smooth cream cheese and beautiful apricot jam.

Our Son’s favorite bagel is an egg or plain bagel toasted. Spread toasted bagel with cream cheese and top with apricot jam. The smooth, cool creamy cheese on the warm toasted bagel topped with the sweet but very slight astringent, puckery apricot jam makes for a marriage made in heaven.

BALL APRICOT FREEZER JAM
This recipe is from the back of the packet from Ball Instant Fruit Pectin. For any canning recipe or fruit freezer jam, I recommend The Ball Blue Book for canning and freezing. The times for processing change periodically and for safe canning or quality products to freeze you want an up to date edition of the Blue Book.

4 c crushed apricots, pits removed, skin left on
1 pkg. Ball Instant Fruit Pectin
1 ½ c sugar or Splenda, granulated
5 (8oz) containers or jars for the jam
Rinse off apricots with water. Cut apricots in half and remove the pit. Put fruit into a food processor. Pulse to chop. Measure 4 cups of fruit. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and Instant Fruit Pectin. Add crushed fruit to sugar/pectin mixture. Stir for 3 minutes. Ladle jam into clean jars/containers and let stand for 30 minutes. Freeze for up to a year or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

Pop out the pit of the washed apricots.

Place fruit in food processor and pulse to crush and chop.

4-cups of prepared fruit.

Stir together sugar and Instant Fruit Pectin.

Put sugar mixture over the fruit and (this is the hardest part for me) stir for three minutes.

Ladel into containers.  I love the little Ball Freezer jam container.

Five 1-cup containers ready for the refrigerator or freezer.  ENJOY!