Habanero Apricot Jam

        At the end of June, Cindy and I went and picked several boxes of Apricots.  I thought… ok this will be the year that I finally will learn to bottle. Thanks to Cindy’s help it was successful.  I love Apricots, but my family not so much.  By chance I came across a magazine called tasteofhome which was all about canning & preserving. I bought it and found many wonderful recipes that I hope to try. One of those recipes was habanero apricot jam. I was so excited to try out this recipe. My husband loves hot and spicy things…me not so much. I thought it would be a meet in the middle kind of thing. To my surprise it was.    Habanero Apricot Jam has a perfect blend. It has just enough sweetness and a little kick of spice. I know for sure that it is a recipe that I will use for years to come. It is simple to make with lots of yumminess.

Supplies you will need to make 11 Half-Pints
3-1/2 pounds of fresh apricots
6 Tablespoons of bottled lemon juice
2 to 4 habanero peppers, seeded (My hubby loved the batch that we used 6 Peppers)
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) of powered fruit pectin
7 cups of sugar
  If you want a larger batch or a smaller batch just look on the pectin bottle for measurement directions.

Directions for making your Jam

1.       Pit and chop your apricots, place in a large cooking pot (you can use a Dutch oven). Stir in your lemon juice.

2.       Cut open your habanero peppers. Cut long ways. Scrape out peppers seeds. If you like flaming hot then you can keep seeds in. Chop up your peppers place in blender, add small amount of apricot mixture. Cover and process until smooth. Pour mixture into your cooking pot.

3.       Stir in your pectin. Bring your liquids to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in your sugar, return to a full rolling boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly (Be careful not to burn mixture).

4.      Remove from the heat; skim off the foam. Carefully ladle the hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving ¼-in headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. 

5.       For best results, let processed jams stand at room temperature for 2 weeks to set up.

Hot tip: Use your Habanero Apricot Jam as a marinade for pork, or with cranberry sauce for poultry and with cream cheese to spread on a celery stick. There are many uses for this delicious jam. Be prepared to have this be a hit at any gathering. Stock Up!!!!!

Note: In Tasteofhome Canning & Preserving magazine this was made in a Dutch oven.