We have been fortunate this year as the first harvest of Latvian apricots has already arrived. Maybe it is not luck at all but shows that global warming is happening. Yet – it is a beautiful thing that I do not have to buy apricots from other countries. Of course, nothing compares to sweet and plump ones from France or Italy, but locally grown is always better. And when the apricots arrive, it is time for me to make jam — apricot- lavender. It’s a classic at our house served with pancakes, porridge, and yogurt or baked in crostata. Beautiful jam that is loved by anyone who loves apricots and lavender.

Ingredients

1400 g de stoned apricots
1 kg golden caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
1/3 tsp lavender
1 vanilla pod cut open
1 lemon juice

Prepare

Place the apricots, lavender, vanilla, and sugar into a bowl, mix, cover and macerate for 24h. You can do it in the room temperature if it is not too hot. If it is hot, leave at the room temperature for 12h and the place in the fridge.

After 24 hours, take a large, heavy saucepan, put all the ingredients into the saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Turn the heat to medium/high and simmer for approx. 15 minutes, skimming off the foam. Take a potato mash, mash the apricots into smaller pieces and boil on high heat for 10 more minutes, until it turns ‘jammy’.

Take off the heat and leave for 10 minutes. This allows the fruits to calm down and transfer throughout the jam (otherwise they will flow on the top). Put into sterilized jars and seal, or put into a bowl, cool and serve.

PS. I sterilize the jars very simply. Wash with soapy water and then heat in a 150-degree oven for 15 minutes. For the lids – I put them in water, boil for 2 minutes, and then also heat in the oven. I keep the jars in the fridge (I have a separate fridge for my preserves, as we don't have a cold cellar and I feel much safer if they are in the fridge).

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s

Apricot lavender jam