Apricot-Noyaux Jam

Preparation

1. Step 1

   The night before you plan to make the jam, pit and quarter the apricots, reserving pits. Trim away any soft or moldy bits. Place fruit in a large bowl or pot, toss with 2½ cups sugar and ½ teaspoon salt to macerate, cover with parchment or lid and refrigerate. Place pits on a plate in a single layer, and freeze.

2. Step 2

   The following day, bring fruit to room temperature before beginning jam-making process.

3. Step 3

   Lay a kitchen towel across a cutting board. Place frozen apricot pits on the towel in a single layer. Cover with a second towel, and use a hammer to gently crack each pit open, then remove kernels — the noyaux — from each pit (it’s fine if they break into pieces). Discard shells, and place kernels in a jelly bag or tie in a cheesecloth pouch, and secure with kitchen twine.

4. Step 4

   Place fruit, liquid and pouch in 6-quart or larger Dutch oven, or similar wide pot, and set over high heat. Set a colander inside a large heatproof bowl, and set aside. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, bring the jam to a boil, then carefully pour everything into the colander to strain the fruit, and return the syrup and kernel pouch to the pot. Set fruit aside.

5. Step 5

   Stirring constantly over high heat, bring syrup to 225 degrees, or until the rapid boil slows, the bubbles grow large and the syrup thickens, about 15 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Return fruit to pot, and allow jam to return to 225 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. If the temperature gets stuck around 220, the syrup seems to stop thickening or the jam tastes too tart, add up to 1 cup of sugar to balance. Add a pinch of salt if needed to adjust seasoning. The hot jam should taste uncomfortably sweet — once it cools, its flavor will mellow. After about 20 minutes, once most of the fruit breaks down and the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and adjust sugar, salt and lemon juice as needed — the jam should be mouth-smackingly sweet and tart. Add ¼ cup noyau extract, if using. Remove pot from heat.

7. Step 7

   Remove pouch, and set aside. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid (and noyau essence) from the bag, and stir into jam. Divide jam into 4 half-pint jars, and heat-process to seal, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Rinse off noyaux, and use to make extract.