Apricot Nectar

You know how Gollum is always talking about and scheming over his ‘precious’? Well that’s kinda how I feel about this nectar. I first made it last year and rationed it out over the winter so that we wouldn’t drink it all in a day (we certainly could have!) — it’s that good. This year, I’m making a lot more of it than I did last year so that I won’t have to hoard it too much for special occasions only. I’ve been watching like a hawk for the first apricots to make sure I don’t miss making this this year. Halleluia! it’s apricot season again!

When I was little, apricot nectar was *such* a treat. We didn’t get it very often because it was in a tetra pack and we usually got frozen juice, so when we did it was a *really* *big* *deal*. I remember it being sweet and apricoty and unlike any other juice. It was so good (this was 30 years ago when juices came in three flavours: orange, apple and grapefruit.)

I think that SunRype (that was the brand we got when I was little) stopped making it sometime in the nineties, but I think you can still find it made by other brands. In all honesty though, I hadn’t any of it in decades… until I found this recipe last year, and it did not disappoint.

To serve this, mix with water or sparkling water (Proseco might be nice too) at a ratio of 1:1. We’ve also served this as a palate cleanser in-between courses without diluting it at all.

The Recipe:

From The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedric
Makes 4 pint jars

4 lbs ripe apricots, pitted
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar (or more/less to taste)
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or more/less to taste)

How-To:

Put the pitted apricots and the water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, until the apricots are very soft.

Pour into a blender or food processor and puree, then press the liquid through a sieve. When this is through, the texture will be thick — almost like a cream soup, but lump free.

Return to stove, and mix the apricot puree, sugar and lemon juice together. Bring again to a simmer.

Pour into sterilized jars, and process for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Not sure about the intricacies of canning? It’s not difficult even if you’re intimidated at first. Local Kitchen has a great post that lays out all the steps to do it right. (She’s a little more thorough than I am, but learning good habits is never a bad thing.)