Dried Apricot & Pineapple Jam without Pectin

It’s that time of the year again – Christmas and the New Year’s around the corner and the decision’s made that homemade goods will be given to my mum-in-law and some friends as a small token of our appreciation and love. The jams I make are all adapted and very low on sugar. This is my adapted version of Dried Apricots & Pineapple Jam, made without pectin. 🙂

Makes abt 1.75 litres

Ingredients:

500g dried apicots, roughly chopped
500g fresh pineapple, skin, ‘ëyes’ & core removed, roughly chopped
1 litre water
2 tbsp lemon juice
500g granulated or cane sugar (or for a sweeter version, use 660g sugar)

Preparation:

Combine apricots and water in a large bowl, cover and stand overnite.
Transfer soaked apricots (inclusive soaking water), add pineapple and lemon juice in a large stainless pot.
Bring fruit mixture to the boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for abt 30 mins or till fruit’s just soft.
Stir in sugar, stir over heat, without boiling, till sugar’s dissolved.
Wash glass jars and lids (no plastic) and leave wet in a heated oven of abt 120C to dry and till required. This is a good way to desterilise jars and lids.
Bring to the boil, boil uncovered, without stirring for abt 15 mins. Then continue boiling, stirring occasionally for another 15-20 mins.
Remove pot from heat. Blend fruits with a hand mixer or blender to a consistency wished. Return pot to heat, stirring, till fruit jam’s warmed thru again.
Carefully remove jars with a towel without touching rim or inside of jars and lids.
Fill jars till 1cm from rim, clean rim of jars with a clean kitchen paper. Immediately cover with lids and leave to cool.
When cooled, tag and date jam jars. If opened, it can keep for at least 3 weeks in fridge. Or unopened and well-sealed, it can keep in a cool dark dry place for at least 12 months.

I enjoy making jams a lot; just wish I could make on a more regular basis when seasonal fruits are around but at the rate we are consuming our jams, it’s not possible.