I’m absolutely crazy for stone fruit. From the moment the first cherries come in, I quiver in anticipation of what’s to follow: sweet-tart plums and pluots, gushingly juicy peaches. I most look forward to the apricots, seductive and demure.
I could eat a bushel of them right out of hand, but apricot jam is my favorite, bar none, so every year I hunker down and make a bunch. Apricots don’t need much; their flavor blooms as you cook them down, but they also take nicely to a little spice. A few peppercorns, some cardamom, perhaps half a stick of cinnamon all bundled into a cheesecloth sachet will leave a subtle undertone to your jam. But if you want to create something special, crack open a few of the apricot pits and toss the kernels into the sachet.
The noyaux (nwa-yo), as they are called, look like little almonds, and in fact leave a faint, haunting almond-like flavor in the jam. The reason for this is mildly alarming:
cyanide.
All stone fruit of the genus prunus, including apricots, peaches and cherries, produce some cyanide in their seeds and stems. Eaten in excess, apricot pits can absolutely be harmful, but Europeans have been using them as flavoring agents in everything from jams to baked goods for centuries. Just keep the pits in your sachet, which will be removed at the end.
Besides, it’s good to live dangerously once in a while.
Apricot Jam Recipe with Noyaux, Spices and Bourbon
7 cups apricots, coarsely chopped, pits reserved
5 cups sugar
1 lemon, cut in slices
5-7 black peppercorns
1-2 cardamom pods, cracked
2-3 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
1/4 cup bourbon
In a large, heavy, nonreactive pot, mix the fruit and sugar, and let stand to macerate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
With a nutcracker or a hammer, crack open several of the reserved pits and remove the kernel from within. On a square of cheesecloth (approximately 6″ square), place the noyaux and spices, and tie up the corners tightly to form a sachet.
Place the macerated fruit over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemons and the sachet. Raise the heat to high, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
When the jam reads 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer, cook one minute longer, turn off the flame, add the bourbon, stir well to combine and let the jam stand for a few minutes. Remove the sachet and lemon slices.
Pour into sterilized jars and process via the standard water-bath canning method.
More from Sean and Punk Domestics:
- Maraschino Cherries
- Basic Strawberry Jam
- DIY Kimchi
- Pulled Pork with Carolina-style BBQ Sauce
- East Meets West: Yuzu Kosho
- Rany’s Tomato-Meyer Lemon Chutney
- Pompelmocello
- Cranberryless Sauce
- Apple Habanero Jelly
- Pear Butter
- Zucchine Sott’Olio
- Fig Jam with Fennel Pollen
- Canning Tomatoes
Sean Timberlake is a professional writer, amateur foodie, avid traveler and all-around bon vivant. He is the founder of Punk Domestics, a content and community site for DIY food enthusiasts, and has penned the blog Hedonia since 2006. He lives in San Francisco with his husband, DPaul Brown, and their hyperactive terrier, Reese.
This is my favorite kind of preserve hands down. Thanks for sharing this.
When the jam reads 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer, cook one minute longer, turn off the flame, add the bourbon,
Where did the BOURBON come from ,and how much?
Sorry for the omission — 1/4 c. bourbon will do the trick, but even a tablespoon will add good flavor.
I am making peach jam this weekend, love this! sounds delish!
Could I use something like this for blueberries and then freeze it?
Certainly you can always freeze jam instead of canning it. You could try using the same proportions for blueberries, but they tend to be higher in pectin. We have lots of blueberry jam recipes on the site though: http://www.punkdomestics.com/category/tags/bluebe…
Wow, noyeax is creepy, but cool! Perhaps I will try adding it at my next apricot jamming session. I had found apricots at my local grocery much earlier in the summer, though. I guess that means they must have traveled from far, far away to get to me. Do you know their general season in the U.S.?
Sounds amazing! How many pints/half pints does this make?
Soooo yummy! I was able to make 7 1/2-pints with the recipe. I couldn't get the mash to 220 deg F (it stalled at 212), but it was think enough, and I didn't want to boil off all the liquid. I also macerated the apricots for about 9 hours – definitely worth it.
[...] This jam is much the same as before, except with a new fruit combination and the pits. If you are uncomfortable with the kernels and their almond flavor, dont use them. I add the kernels in a cloth bag and steep them with the jam, I just take them out [...]
[...] This jam is much the same as before, except with a new fruit combination and the pits. If you are uncomfortable with the kernels and their almond flavor, dont use them. I add the kernels in a cloth bag and steep them with the jam, I just take them out [...]
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