jammin'

summer fruit is here, and with it the lovely task of making jam. it's been years since i have actually done such a thing (doubly evidenced by the fact i can't find my canning kettle or jar lifter...), but the beautiful apricots our friend doug let us pick last weekend ripened almost overnight and it was time. one double batch made seven twelve ounce jewel-like jars. (one didn't fit in my make-shift canning kettle without the risk of overflow, so the seventh isn't pictured here...it was in my refrigerator!!) by the way, the sake in the background isn't an ingredient, but doesn't it look great alongside?i tried some this morning (the jam, not the sake) on the pancakes that amira insisted we have for breakfast, and it was yummy, if a bit stiff. i think i may have mis-measured the pectin, put in half again as much as it called for, thinking i had only put in enough for a single recipe. in today's batch i will try to include the inside of the pits, as alan's mother used to do. there are some schools of thought about this that think it is dangerous, due to the cyanide content (!) inside the pits....but it is a time-honored tradition, and the other, opposing school of thought is that it may possibly be beneficial, adds a unique flavor to the jam, and the amount used is the key to the safety of the finished product. we shall see.... any taste testers volunteering?