Apricot Conserve – an excellent career choice !

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Apricots just need a little career guidance to live up to their potential...

 

If I was writing a school report for the average apricot, I would probably give it a B+ for effort but I’d scribble “must try harder - fails to live up to potential” in the margin. You know what I mean. How often have you bitten into a fragrant golden apricot expecting a flood of heavenly juice - only to get a mouthful of apricot-flavoured cotton wool?

Raw talent is not enough. Apricots need proper career guidance and the right environment to fulfil their potential. In most cases, this needs to involve a little sweetness and a lot of heat.

My favourite way of helping this lovely fruit fulfil its potential is Apricot Conserve – not only does it bring a concentrated mouthful of summer to the breakfast table, it is also wonderful in baking. In olfactory terms, it is the equivalent of a hug from your favourite person.

For this recipe, I have included some apricot kernels for their intense almond flavour which marries so well with apricots. The kernels are widely used in food and drink products – it’s what gives amaretto its distinctive almond flavour. However, apricot kernels contain a minuscule amount of cyanide so you may prefer to leave them out. In any case, I discard them when they turn up on the spoon.

 

For approximately 3 x 370g pots of Apricot Conserve you will need…

… 3 sterilised jam jars

1kg firm ripe apricots

750g caster sugar

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 or 6 apricot stones, depending on how strong an almond flavour you want to impart to the jam (optional)

1.         Cut the apricot into quarters, discarding all but 3 of the stones. Place the apricot quarters in a glass bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar. Cover and leave to macerate for 8 hours or overnight. This ensures that the fruit stays reasonably whole during the cooking process and helps concentrate the flavour.  Put 3 saucers in the freezer – not your best china obviously - you’ll need them for ‘the wrinkle test’ to see whether the jam has set or not.

2.         When ready to make the jam, transfer the macerated fruit mixture to a large heavy-based saucepan – the mixture will bubble up about 4 times its volume during the cooking. Place the saucepan on a low heat until all the sugar has entirely dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. During cooking, some of the juice will evaporate and the golden colour will become deeper.

3.         If you have a sugar thermometer, bring the temperature up to ‘Jam’ and keep it there for 8 minutes. If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, simply boil the jam vigorously for 8 minutes.

Hubble, bubble, no toil, no trouble...

4.         In either case, I use the wrinkle test. Remove one of the saucers from the freezer and place a spoonful of the hot liquid on the cold surface. Leave it to cool for about 30 seconds then push your finger gently through it. If the jam has reached setting point, the surface of the liquid will wrinkle. If not, let the jam bubble for a further 2 minutes and test again, using the next cold saucer. If necessary, continue testing until wrinkles appear J.

5.         Once you have achieved wrinkles, remove the jam from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. This helps ensure that the fruit is evenly distributed when you put it in the jars.

6.         If you are including the almond kernels, give the stones a sharp tap with a kitchen mallet or a heavy based saucepan to reveal the kernel. Put the kernels in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Cool them quickly in cold water and squeeze gently. They should slip easily out of their brown overcoats.

7.         Place 1 or 2 kernels in each jam jar before carefully filling with the apricot conserve. Seal and keep in a cool dark place.

Note: To sterilise the jars, I put them through the dishwasher, or wash them in hot soapy water and dry them in the oven at 100˚C.

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Strawberry & Ginger Jam – and Confessions of a Blog Trainer

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I would be useless as a dog trainer - I cannot even get my blog to behave! To show you what I mean, let’s eavesdrop on a typical scene from Alchemy in the Kitchen...

Me:                 Hey, blog. What are we going to cook today?

Alchemy:       [Excitedly] How about strawberry jam?

Me:                 No! I know the weather is weirdly wonderful for this time of the year but it ain’t strawberry season quite yet. We’re making stuffed baked onions today.

Alchemy:       Whinge. Sulk. Blank page.

Me:                 [softening a little] Alright then, how about a nice pancake cannelloni? (see, trying to bargain – a fatal mistake for a blog trainer to make!)

Alchemy:       Silence. Absence of fingers tapping over keys. Tumble weed.

Me:                 Strawberry jam, eh? [voice-over of me thinking to self: Maybe this blog has a point.  The last twelve months have been relatively jam-free because the jam-maker extraordinaire in my life, my mother, has had to cope with first a fire, then less than a year later, an even more damaging flood when the miniscule stream behind her house rose by a terrifying 12 feet in the space of a few hours in Dublin’s first ‘Monster Rain’. Jam has been the last thing on my mother’s mind. (Although with all the silt the flood left behind, it’s going to be a fantastic year for the fruit trees, Mam...   Mam?)

                        Ok, maybe you have a point, blog. Let’s pop down to the shops. If they have some decent berries, you can have your way. Just this once, mind!

The End

So, you can see it would be useless to send me your dog for training.

Anyway... while I absolutely love homemade jam, I don’t eat vast quantities of it and don’t have ideal storage for it. Therefore unless I am making it as gifts, I make only a little at a time.

For approximately 350g (1 small jar) of delicious strawberry and ginger jam you will need:

350g fresh strawberries, rinsed, dried and chopped into bite-sized pieces

200g caster sugar

30g fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 3 or 4 large slices

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sugar and spice...

If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, put a saucer or small plate in the fridge before you start – you’ll need this to test that the jam has set.

You will also need a sterilised jam jar – To sterilise jars, I run mine through the dishwasher but you could wash them and pop them in the oven at 100°C for a few minutes.

1                    Place the strawberries and ginger in a glass bowl and add the sugar. Cover and leave overnight. The sugar will draw the juice out of the berries. The following day, transfer to a large saucepan (you need plenty of room for the jam to bubble). Heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. When the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon juice, then turn up the heat. Pop the sugar thermometer into the pot. Allow to bubble until the temperature comes up to ‘Jam’ (106°C or 222°F).  Be sure to take a moment to enjoy the heavenly scent rising from the saucepan. If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, simply keep the jam bubbling for 8 minutes, then test it the old-fashioned way by spooning a little onto the cold saucer you placed in the fridge. Leave it a moment or two to cool, then push your finger through the jam. If the surface wrinkles, the jam will set. If not, continue letting the jam bubble for a minute or so more, then test again.

2                    Remove the jam from the heat and fish out the pieces of ginger. Leave the jam to cool for about 15 minutes before transferring to the sterilised jar. This is because if you pour the jam into a jar while it is still very hot, all the fruit rises to the top of the jar. If you leave it to cool a little first, the fruit will distribute itself evenly.

I think this batch has Victoria Sponge written all over it. What say you?

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Bramley Brulée – So Tempting, It’s Criminal

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I am not one to hold a grudge. I believe in forgive and forget... let bygones be bygones... bury the hatchet... kiss and make up. 

There is just one crime that I have been unable to pardon. Tears still well up (sniff) when I recall that dreadful moment.



The innocent victim...



I had organised a Christmas party for a group of friends and made sure that my favourite dessert was included on the menu. Mmmmm Crème Brulée... sigh! I had been dreaming about the moment when the spoon would shatter the caramelised sugar crust sending splinters of sweetness into the creamy custard. The starter and main course – delicious though they were – were merely a prelude to this delight.

As the empty plates were cleared away for the next course, I did a quick tour of the room to make sure all the guests were in good spirits. As dessert was being dished up, I made my way back to my table. Oh such sweet anticipation.

Aaaaaaaaarrrrggh! It took mere moments for the crime to be committed. There, in my place, was an EMPTY, licked-clean dish, with the merest trace of burnt sugar still clinging to the sides. “Ooops, I thought it was a spare,” said the heartless thief my dining companion who must have inhaled the dessert so quickly did it vanish, “let's order you another one.”

We're obviously not Bramleys... but we are a windfall!

His crime was not to be erased that easily. The caterers had been exact and there was (sniff) no more (sob) Crème Brulée (wail). While I have tried to find it in my heart to forgive this dessert-stealing fiend good friend, I know I will never forget...

Here’s my prize-winning Crème Brulée with Bramley apple compote. I used Bramleys because at the time I wrote this recipe, it was the 200^th anniversary of the variety. You could use any sweet/sharp apple. Just don't leave your dessert unattended!

For 6 servings you will need...

... to pre-heat the oven to 140°C (when you have finished making the compote)

Apple compote

2 large Bramley apples, peeled and cut into small cubes

zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon runny honey

Crème brulée

6 egg yolks

150g caster sugar

500mls double cream

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sugar crust

75g caster sugar

1          For the apple compote: First, place all the compote ingredients in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Pour off any excess juice and divide the apple mixture between 6 shallow ramekin dishes. Leave to cool. Place the ramekins in a roasting tray or similar. Now, preheat your oven to 140°C.

2          For the custard: Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk together until pale yellow in colour. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, and add the cinnamon. Heat gently to just boiling then - very slowly - pour onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Now, divide the mixture between the ramekins. Transfer the ramekins to the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting tray until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the custards are just set. Remove the ramekins from the water and allow cool.

3          Finally, the topping: evenly sprinkle each of the cooled Bramley Brulées with the caster sugar and either place under a very hot grill until the sugar is golden and bubbling, or use a blowtorch to achieve the same effect. Cool before serving, but do not refrigerate.

Variation

Scatter a layer of fresh raspberries in the bottom of each ramekin instead of the apple compote. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream in place of cinnamon.

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