Honey Apricots

Sweet bounty of early summer.
Nothing beats fresh apricots.
I am fortunate to have an apricot tree next to my beehives.
The honeybees help pollinate the apricots in springtime.
Honey is a wonderful way to preserve them beyond the short season when they are ripe.
This instructable describes a method for canning apricots.

Ingredients:

• - apricots - about 10 cups when pitted and halved
• - honey - one cup
• - sugar - one cup
• - lemon - juice of two lemons
• - amaretto (optional) two or more tablespoons
  note - the "amaretto" I used was made by soaking apricot nuts from inside the pits (bitter almonds) in vodka for several months then adding sugar syrup...

1. cut apricots in half and remove pits (maybe save them to make amaretto)
2. in a large mixing bowl combine honey, sugar, lemon juice and amaretto
3. mix apricots in honey/sugar and let sit for at least an hour

If you have never canned fruit or jams before, I highly recommend getting the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It has all the basics for home canning. Keep in mind that canning uses boiling water. Take care not to burn yourself and be sure to keep everything clean for the sake of food safety.

For this preparation, I used wide mouth pint jars (easier to fill). Additional supplies include pot for boiling water. Canning lids and rings, jar lifter, rubber spatula.
NOTE I have a support on the bottom of the pot to keep the jars from coming into direct contact with the bottom of the pot. Jars may break if they rest directly on the bottom of the pot.

Please refer to a general book on canning basics for a review of materials necessary for canning.

1. Prepare clean jars by sterilizing in boiling water, when ready to begin remove them from the boiling water.
2. Put halves of apricots that have been sitting in honey/sugar into the jars. Pack them as tightly as possible.
3. Pour syrup made by apricots sitting in the bowl into the jars.
4. Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the jars to release any air bubbles.
5. Put on lids and rings.
6. Carefully place jars in boiling water.
7. Boil pint jars for 30 minutes.
8. Carefully remove the jars and let them cool completely.
9. Let the jars rest and the flavor develop for as long as you can.. well at least a week.

I could barely wait a week!

Serving suggestions include...

1. on yogurt
2. on toast
3. on waffles
4. on ice cream
5. all by itself...

and some of the fruit that had a few bruises (or the squirrels got to first) went to ... a happy Labrador!