Makes 3 litres.
Wash the apricots really well, discarding any that have bad bruises or blemishes. Remove
the stones and quarter them. Weigh the apricots once you have removed the stones.
Combine the sugar and the apricots in an extra large saucepan, such as a stock pot.
Add the lemon juice. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring continually to prevent the mixture
from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Reduce the temperature and simmer
slowly for about 1 hours. Throughout this time continue to remove any scum that
may rise to the surface.
An easy way to test if the jam is ready is by putting a tsp of jam on a small plate. Place the small plate with the jam in
a freezer for 3 min. Remove the plate from the freezer and check the consistency of the jam. If it is very runny, continue
cooking the jam for longer. If the jam holds its shape then it is ready.
Stir the Vanilla Paste into the jam mixture. While the jam is still hot, ladle it into sterilised jars until almost to the top.
Seal the jars with their lids and turn upside down. Allow to cool. Once opened, the jam should be stored in the fridge.
TIP: To sterilize glass jars, preheat the oven to 180°C. First wash the jars really well in clean hot soapy water. Then place them in a saucepan with boiling water for 2 min. Remove the jars with tongs and place them in the oven to dry out. When removing the jars from the oven, handle with extreme care as they will be very hot.
