This is a lovely way of using up any luscious apricots that come your way. The syrup is quite spicy and helps make this bottled fruit very special. Special enough to serve alone as dessert at the end of a meal. Leaving the whole spices enough to serve alone as dessert at the end of a meal. Leaving the whole spices in the jar means it looks good, too.
MAKES: About 1½ pints
INGREDIENTS:
- 1¾ cups sugar pared rind and juice of 1 small orange
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods, with seeds crushed
- 2 star anise
- 1½ pounds apricots, halved and stoned
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a pan, combine 2½ cups of water, sugar, 3 strips of orange zest, orange juice, and spices to make a syrup. Heat the mixture gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat and bring the syrup to a simmer.
- Add the apricots to the simmering syrup and poach them until they are cooked but still in whole pieces. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poached apricots from the syrup and pack them into hot, sterilized jars.
- Bring the syrup to a boil and let it boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes to thicken and reduce.
- Pour the thickened syrup, along with the spices, over the poached apricots in the jars, ensuring that the fruit is completely covered. Gently tap the jars to release any air bubbles, then seal the jars.
- Allow the jars to cool before storing them in a cool, dark place. The apricots can be enjoyed later as a delicious preserved treat.
VARIATIONS:
NECTARINES IN SYRUP
- One of summer’s most delectable fruits, nectarines also make a special treat when preserved, ready to “encore” in fall or winter.
- Substitute the same quantity of nectarines for the apricots in Apricots in Syrup. Medium-sized fruits can be used halved with the stones removed; but larger fruits should be cut into quarters. Proceed as for main recipe
DAMSONS IN SYRUP
- Since the damsons are kept whole, you might like to warn anyone eating them to beware of the stones. It is a small price to pay for this delicious preserve.
- Use damsons in place of apricots, but leave the fruits whole. Poach them gently in the syrup, removing them as soon as you see signs of the skins’ splitting. Damsons almost always have such a superb flavor that too many spices will only spoil them. So keep the orange peel and juice but omit the spices in Apricots in Syrup. A darker sugar will also suit this fruit, so use demerara or good quality dark brown sugar instead of white sugar.
