APRICOT JAM / KHUBANI KA MEETHA

Making jams at home is a wonderful way to preserve fresh taste that can be enjoyed during any season. Apricot is one of those fruits. You can use fresh apricot to make this jam or dried apricot can be used too. Here I used dried apricot . 

It can be used as jam spread on breads or use as topping over plain custard. My kids like it more as topping on custard as it balances the taste very well.

 
INGREDIENTS 
250 gm dried apricot (Khubani)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey

METHOD
1. Soak apricot in 3 cups of water and keep overnight.

2. Discard seeds from it by gently pressing the apricot. Store water for later use.

3. You can break the seeds and enjoy the nut inside. The nut tastes really good and great for health.
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4. Transfer apricot in pan, add sugar, honey, cinnamon and cardamom. Let it cook for first 5 minutes on low flame and then as soon as sugar melts increase the flame to medium to high.


5. Once you see nice caramelized color add leftover apricot water.

6. Mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

7. After 5 minutes, open the lid, if you see scum on the edges, discard with the help of spoon. Now cook on high to medium flame and mash it using potato masher or you can use ladle. I like to keep it roughly mashed as it tastes much better than puree. (It's a personal choice and taste, you can blend in mixer and make a puree if wish so).

8. Cook till it become little thick.

9 Don't let it become too thick as after cooling down it becomes more thick.

10. Once it cool down completely, transfer in glass jar and refrigerate.

11. Enjoy as topping on custard, cakes or spread on bread as jam.

12. This can be stored upto one month in fridge.

Pictorial:

1. Wash and soak apricot overnight.

2. Remove seeds from soaked apricot and keep water aside.

3. Transfer de-seeded apricot in deep pan . Add sugar.

4. Add honey.

5. Cardamom powder.

6. Cinnamon powder.

7. Cook on low to medium flame till sugar caramelize.

8. Once sugar caramelize add leftover apricot water.

9. Mix well.

10. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.











11. Open the lid, if you see scum on the edges.

12. Remove with the help of spoon.











13. Using potato masher, make a rough paste.

14. Once it thicken little bit turn off the flame.

15. Once it cool down, transfer in clean sterilized glass jar. Store in fridge or freezer up to one month.

16. Spread on bread and enjoy as jam.













17. Or spread as topping on plain custard.

STRAWBERRY CRUSH/ STRAWBERRY PRESERVE/ STRAWBERRY JAM / STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

INGREDIENTS 
8-10 packets of strawberry
4 cups of sugar (sugar level varies depending on the sweetness of strawberries)
2 tbsp citric acid
1/4 cup warm water
glass jar washed and sun dried


METHOD
Wash and chop strawberries. Keep pan on low flame and cook strawberries. Once it start leaving water as shown in pic 2, add sugar in it.



Cook the mixture and keep mashing strawberries till it thickens. Take taste test and adjust sugar level accordingly.

Warm 1/4 cup water and add 2 tbsp citric acid. stir till it dissolves completely.

Mix in strawberry mix. Let the mix come down to room temperature.

Store in washed and dried glass container in freezer.

NOTES:
1. I used 8 packets of strawberry and stored almost 2 kgs of strawberry pulp.

2. One can adjust sugar level according to the taste.

3. Adding citric acid is optional, but strawberry preserve with citric acid cannot be added in milk as it will curdle it, only benefit is it increases the shelf life.

4. I used this pulp only in puddings, if you want to preserve to add in milk omit citric acid.


 
5. I used honey jar which was washed thoroughly and then I dried it under sun for 2 days.

6. It's always better to keep crush thick as you can use it as jam.

7. If using for pudding, add more sugar in it and cook again so that sugar dissolves and crush becomes little thin.

Pictorial:

1. Wash and chop strawberries and cook on low flame.

2. Once strawberries start leaving water add sugar.

3. Keep stirring, mashing and cook strawberries on low flame.

4. When it thickens turn off the flame.

5. Warm 1/4 cup water and add citric acid. Keep stirring till citric acid dissolves completely.

6. Add in strawberry crush. Let the mix come down to room temperature.

7. Store in jar.

8. Close it tightly and keep in freezer.