Jo’s Apricot and Vanilla Jam

Ingredients

1 kg apricots, halved and stones removed1 vanilla bean pod, halved lengthways1 cup of water750g white sugarJuice of one average-sized juicy lemon (Meyer lemons are a good choice).

Method

Put your apricot halves, the halved vanilla bean pod and the cup of water into a heavy saucepan and simmer with the lid on until the fruit is soft.Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to boiling. Stir in your lemon juice. Keep stirring and boiling with the lid off until the fruit has turned into a consistent mixture and the jam has reached setting point.Remove the vanilla pod and pour the hot jam into hot sterilised jars and seal with the lid right away.

Tip: Don’t let the jam wait around in the pot as it will harden by the second. Pouring the jam into hot jars and sealing right away will create a tight, air proof seal and give your jars that ‘pop’ when you open them for the first time.

Tip: Using the vanilla pod in this way makes vanilla the dominant flavour of this jam. If you’d like to taste more apricot and less vanilla, try using just half a pod. If that’s still too much, you could take it out of the pot earlier.

Enjoy with toast, crumpets, pikelets, scones or straight from the spoon!