Making Apricot Jam

One of the Mainly Music mums gave all the volunteers a big box of apricots as a "thank you" gift.  We divided it up between us and ended up with a big bag each.  How delicious!  As I have just recently bought some bottling & preserving jars in readiness for all the plums and tomatoes I'm expecting from the veggie patch, I decided to make apricot jam last night out of my share.  This is the first time I've made jam, so before I started I referred to three or four different on-line recipes, just to see how it's done.

The first thing I had to do was to sterilize the jars and other equipment used in the bottling.  I already had the big water bath, which had been bought years ago (when I thought I was going to do some bottling, but hadn't got around to it).  The equipment is covered in warm water and then brought to the boil and boiled for ten minutes.

... first I weighed it - I had 1.5kg ...

While that was boiling, I prepared the fruit ...

... then washed it ...

... then I cut it up and removed the stones.

 I did this outside as I didn't want to smash the kitchen benchtop!

All the best online recipes (that is the ones with the highest reader ratings and good comments) recommended adding some apricot kernals to the jam.  To do this, you have to break open the stones with a hammer.

Then I blanched the kernels and slipped the skins off them.

I kept the rest of the stones, as I want to plant some to grow our own apricot trees.  I'll talk more about that in a future blog.

Then I put all the fruit, kernels and two cups of water into a big pot ...





... popped the lid on and boiled it all up for about twenty minutes.



While I was waiting for the fruit to boil, I put three saucers into the freezer.  These are used later on for testing whether the jam will set.

 

I also cut out circular covers from some pretty "fruit" fabric I found at Spotlight a couple of days ago.





By the time I had finished that, the fruit was ready.  I added a kilo of sugar, which is a conservative amount, but I didn't want the jam to be too sweet.  Then I set the pot to boil rapidly for another fifteen minutes.  After that, I took one of the saucers out of the freezer and spooned a little of the jam onto it.  If it has reached setting point, after a minute or so, when it has cooled, the liquid should have turned fairly solid and the surface should "pucker" when you nudge it with your finger.

 

The jam did not set on the saucer this first time and I suspected it was because I had added too little sugar.  However, I was prepared for this and had already bought some Jamsetta, just in case!  This is a packet of dried pectin (the substance found naturally in the skin of fruit, which causes jam to set), so I wasn't adding in anything foreign.


Another five minutes of rapid boiling and a second saucer test and I felt the jam was setting a little better (although not as solid as I would have liked).  So, I stirred in the final ingredient - the juice of one lemon.



I turned off the pot to allow the jam to cool slightly while I took all the sterile equipment, jars and lids out of the water bath and laid them on clean paper towel.




Even though I enjoyed all the preparation and boiling, this is where the fun part really begins ... pouring the jam into the jars!!  The special wide-mouthed funnel that I had bought at the same time as the jars (online from Kitchenware Direct), was most useful in stopping any slopping down the outside of the jars.


Once the jars were filled (leaving a 2cm gap below the lid), I screwed the lids on tight.  I had enough jam to fill seven and a half jars.



I popped six of the jars back into the water bath and brought the water back to boil rapidly for fifteen minutes.  This will vacuum-seal the jars.


Following the Italian jar manufacturer's instructions, I turned the other two jars upside down for fifteen minutes, which I suppose heats up the lids and does a similar job of sealing the jars.  I will put these two into the fridge anyway and we'll eat this jam first.

Once they had finished boiling, I pulled the jars in their basket out of the water bath and set them on the bench to cool.  I was glad to see that the centres of the lids had all "popped down", which meant they were vaccum-sealed.





When the jars were cool, I placed the fabric covers on them and tied them with some pretty red ribbon.






It was with such a great feeling of satisfaction that I stacked the jars into my pantry!  They look so pretty with that deep golden-apricot colour of the jam shining beneath the pretty covers!





Even better was the lovely yummy taste of the jam on my toast this morning!!  It is pretty good for my first effort - very fruity and quite tart, although a little runnier than I would like to see.  I will have to increase the sugar in my next batch.




I can't describe what a fantastic sense of achievement I have from having succeeded with making my first batch of apricot jam!  I will give a jar to the mother from Mainly Music when I see her again next month, to thank her for the fruit.  I hope she likes it!  If I knew a song about jam-making, I would sing it right now, but I will have to make do with just humming something whilst I munch my toast.

I can see the blood plums hanging heavy on the branches of the tree outside my window, the fruit beginning to turn from apple green to a rosey pink.  It looks like plums are the next on the list for bottling ...

Mainly Music Christmas Party

Back home on Thursday morning for our wonderful Mainly Music Christmas party. What a lovely time this was for all the mothers and their children, as well as for all the volunteers who help to make music play group happen every week!

Wendy read the Christmas Story to the children

... there was lots of singing and dancing ...

... lots of yummy food and happy faces ...

... a jumping castle ....

... bubbles to chase ...

... and more bubbles!!

A Special Day with Mum & Dad

On the morning after my lovely choir Christmas party, I drove Mum & Dad back down to Phillip Island. We took it slowly, stopping in Tooradin for morning tea and arriving at about noon.  At 2pm, we had a meeting with Paul, the psychologist and Carlie, the case worker. This was the first time that I had had a chance to meet these two people who are being so incredibly helpful to both Mum & Dad.

The next day, today, we went shopping and I bought them a nice new outdoor furniture set for Christmas, to go on their front porch.  Then we went out to lunch at Harry's in Cowes.











After lunch we went to Grossard Court, the aged care facility in Cowes where we had arranged for Dad to have four days' respite.  It was really lovely that they were having their Christmas party at the time we arrived and everyone was having lots of fun.  Mum & Dad knew about five or six residents of Grossard Court, because they used to live at the Penguin Resort where Mum & Dad are.  So, they were welcomed with open arms by familiar faces.

After the party, we went for a little walk around Grossard Court, so Dad could become familiar with the place.

... in the garden ...

... along the hallways ...

... in the residents' galley, where he can do some of his own cooking ...

... and in the pretty little court yard.

Dad started to get a little weary - not surprising after everything we had done!  So, we settled him into his room, which has its own full ensuite.  He unpacked his case, took off his shoes and lay back on the bed ready for a nap.  We kissed him goodbye and Mum promised she'd be back on Friday for a visit, with Muffy.

Dad's room.

Then Mum and I went back home to their lovely house, where the outdoor furniture was delivered about 20 minutes after we arrived.  We poured a couple of bourbies and sat out on the porch for a well-deserved Happy Hour!
















Mum was OK, although she had very mixed feelings about leaving Dad at Grossard Court - including some guilt.  But, she really does need the rest from having to monitor Dad 24/7 and I hope that she allows herself plenty of time to rest and recover before she goes back to pick him up on Sunday.

Vocal Vibes Christmas Concert

Vocal Vibes (the Sweet Adelines choir that I am a member of) had our family Christmas concert, this evening.  It was a lovely evening and we really enjoyed singing a great set of songs including "Too Darn Hot", "I'm Australia", "Candle on the Water", "One Fine Day", "The Bandstand" and "The Moment I Saw Your Eyes" (these last two are our competition songs), as well as "Carol of the Bells" and "Santa Baby".

I just love the energy that is generated amongst us while we sing!

I was so blessed to have my whole family there, including hubby Wayne, Torie and her boyfriend Nick, Richie and Lizzy, my Mum and Dad all the way from Phillip Island, our great friends Lea & Les and another new friend I have met through Lizzy, who is also called Sally.

Our Musical Director, Lorraine really motivates us!

A visit from Santa delighted the children, especially with Kerrie leading a sing-a-long of carols

I'm always thrilled to be part of this fantastic choir!  The women are so friendly and the songs are just brilliant!  Here are two of the eight songs that we sang:

"Candle on the Water"

"One Fine Day"

First Fruit!!

What joy I had today to go out into my lovely veggie patch and discover that the tomatoes have set their first fruit!  The little tommies are so tiny now, about the size of my little finger nail, but they're still there!

This one (on the right) still had its flower dangling from the bottom, which reminded me of the dried up umbilical cord on a newly-born lamb.

The tomato plants are all growing so well.  They've all reached the top of their climbing frames now, so I'll have to get some taller ones for them today.

The eggplant that Wayne bought me a couple of weeks ago is enjoying its special spot right in the middle of one of the climbing bean teepees and has put out a couple of beautiful flowers, too.

The beans are just putting out their first climbing shoots and I will soon be able to guide them up the teepees.  You can see them here, amongst all the feathery fronds of the carrots.

The beetroot and spring onions are still small, but healthy.

And the little celery seedlings that I put in last week are all showing healthy growth.

But, the pumpkins, cucumber and broccoli are all growing vigorously and I will have to build a trellis soon for the cucumber.

One of three pumpkins that I have grown from seed.

Cucumbers, almost ready for a trellis.

Broccoli - having to inspect regularly for the eggs of white cabbage butterfly on the underside of the leaves!

All in all, my veggies are coming along beautifully and giving me such pleasure every day!