Monday 10 November 2014

Apricot Jam: From the Land of Ladakh

It was our last day in Ladakh. 15th September, 2014. A Sunday. Dada had finished his marathon; Rajesh Uncle, his half-marathon; Sheetal Aunty, Mama, Varun and I had finished our 7K.

We were walking through the Leh bazaar at 3:00 in the afternoon, right after a laid-back lunch, for one last time. Leh is a charming town. Cafes line the streets, as do small shops that sell jewelry and other tit-bits. The main market street is filled with Ladakhi women selling fresh greens, juicy carrots, and local vegetables. It certainly is marvelous.

Not to forget the APPLES!!! Uh... Ladakhi apples are DELICIOUS!! The juiciest apples ever!!

Well, on to the Apricots. The apricots, I must say, didn't look all that appetizing. They weren't like the ones in the supermarket - big, smooth and evenly coloured. No, these are much smaller and not so firm. However, I bought a kilo, as I had made up my mind to take home Apricots for jam (it really is difficult to dissuade me from doing something once I've made up my mind!!). Little did I know how much I'd regret not buying 10 kilos of those same Apricot.

We flew back home on Monday, and Tuesday morning set to work on the Jam! I'd made strawberry jam before, so I kind of had an idea of the basics of Jam making. The most important thing to keep in mind is constant stirring, and you'll be fine.

The beautiful thing about this Jam if that is retains some chunks of Apricots even after the cooking, and these chunks are the highlight of the Jam!! Another thing to keep in mind is NOT to chop the apricots before cooking. Don't even try removing the skin. The seed is the ONLY thing that needs to come out.

Here's the recipe to the loveliest Apricot Jam!

APRICOT JAM

Ingredients:

1 kg fresh Apricots, seeds removed.
300g Sugar
4 drops Lemon Juice

Method:

1. Take a large steel vessel and drop the Apricot into it.
2. Turn to the gas and place the vessel on it.
3. Cook the Apricots for 10 mins, stirring constantly.
4. Add in the sugar. Cook 20 mins, again stirring constantly.
5. Add in the lemon juice and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Let cool for 4 hours or overnight.
7. Store in airtight jars.

*The cooking time may vary depending on quantity, and ripeness of fruit.

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