To give apricot jam a nutty flavor and a slight tartness, housewives often add apricot kernels. But few people know that this can be very dangerous due to the large amount of hydrocyanic acid contained in the ingredient. Apricot jam with the addition of walnuts will be safer and tastier, the recipe for which we will consider in detail.
Features of making apricot jam with nuts for the winter
In order to make apricot jam with nuts, you must adhere to the following rules:
- A wide variety of varieties can be used. But the most experienced housewives prefer to use the following varieties for these purposes: Lel, Parnas, Iceberg, Alyosha, Black Velvet.
- Whenever possible, you should select fruits of approximately the same size, since apricots of different parameters will be soaked in syrup differently.
- When choosing fruits that are too soft, you should give preference to the jam recipe in the form of puree.
- To ensure that the slices do not become overcooked during the cooking process, it is worth cooking in several stages. In addition, do not stir the mixture too often.
Advice! For those who do not like candied jam, you need to add a small amount of citric acid at the final stage of cooking. The ingredient is taken at the rate of: 4 grams per 1 kilogram of apricot.
Preparing the main ingredients
In order for the jam to be stored for a long time, it is necessary to carefully select the fruits: apricots must be ripe and undamaged. It is unacceptable to use fruits that are beginning to rot.
Walnuts must be deshelled and then thoroughly dried in the oven or in a dry frying pan. You can also use almonds, hazelnuts or other nuts to make jam, which also need to be well dried first.
Note! To speed up the preparation of apricot jam, it is necessary to divide the fruits into slices, which cook much faster and acquire the necessary transparency.
How to properly prepare the container?
To cook the delicacy, you should use stainless steel or copper dishes with a thick bottom, in which the mass will not burn.
Jars that will be used for long-term storage of jam must first be thoroughly washed with baking soda.
Then the containers need to be sterilized in a water bath or in the oven. Lids also need to be sterilized.
How to make apricot jam with nuts
Let's look at some of the most common recipes for making jam.
Simple recipe with walnuts
Cooking steps:
- Prepare 1 kilogram of apricots, remove the pits and add 600 grams of sugar.
- Stir carefully and leave for several hours to form juice.
- Place on low heat, bring to boiling point, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and do not touch for several hours.
- Bring to a boil over low heat again and simmer for a few minutes. Leave for several hours.
- Carry out the same procedure 1 more time.
- Now you need to deal with the nuts: chop 300 grams and add them to the total mass during the fourth cooking of the jam. Stir and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Distribute into jars and seal tightly.
Five Minute Recipe
Jam prepared according to this recipe is the healthiest, since short heat treatment allows the beneficial components to be preserved. To prepare you need:
- apricot – 1000 grams;
- sugar – 500 grams;
- shelled chopped walnuts – 200 grams.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Wash the prepared fruits, dry them, remove the seeds and divide them into 4 parts.
- Add sugar and do not touch for 5 hours.
- Place the container with the fruit on low heat and, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, bring to a boil.
- Add walnuts and cook the mixture for 5 or 7 minutes.
- Distribute into jars and seal tightly.
Important! Due to the small amount of sugar and short cooking time, long-term storage of jam is only possible in a cool and dark place.
With hazelnuts
How to cook:
- Using a non-stick saucepan, boil 100 milliliters of water, add 100 grams of sugar and 1 pinch of citric acid.
- Wash 350 grams of apricot, divide into halves, removing the pits. Place the fruit in the boiling syrup and cook for 5 minutes.
- Dry 50 grams of peeled hazelnuts in a frying pan or oven, and then add them to the jam. Boil the mixture for another 3 minutes.
- Pour the finished treat into a jar and seal it tightly.
With almonds
To prepare a piquant and aromatic jam you need:
- apricot – 3 kilograms;
- sugar – 2 kilograms;
- almonds – 400 grams;
- water – 400 milliliters;
- vanilla sugar – 2 sachets.
Preparation:
- Wash the fruits well, dry them and carefully divide them into 2 parts, removing the seeds.
- Pour sugar into a container, add water and boil over low heat.
- Place apricots in a cooking container, add almonds and vanilla sugar.
- Pour in the prepared syrup, leave until cooled, then place over low heat and bring to a boil. Leave to cool. And then repeat the procedure 5 times again.
- Distribute the finished jam into jars.
Apricot jam with different nuts
An interesting version of jam with cashew nuts acquires extraordinary tenderness.
How to cook:
- Pour 500 grams of sugar, ½ teaspoon of citric acid into a container and add 100 milliliters of water. Place over low heat, bring to a boil and, stirring, wait until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour 100 grams of cashew nuts into the syrup and cook for 3 minutes.
- Wash 1 kilogram of apricot, divide each fruit into 4 parts, pour in syrup and leave to infuse for 3 hours.
- Place the container with the jam on the stove, bring to a boiling point and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, regularly skimming off any foam that forms.
- Distribute the finished mass into jars.
Note! It is advisable to open the jam only 2 weeks after preparation.
Baked jam
Step-by-step preparation:
- Pour 1 kilogram of sugar into a saucepan, add 300 milliliters of water, mix and put on the stove, where you bring to a boil and wait for the sugar to dissolve. Add 200 grams of chopped walnuts to the syrup and boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Wash and dry 2 kilograms of apricots, divide into halves. Place on a deep baking sheet. Pour in semi-cooled syrup.
- Place in the oven, preheated to 140 ⁰C, wait for the fruit to soften. Open the oven door slightly and leave the mixture to cook for 5-6 hours.
- Distribute hot jam into jars and seal tightly.
How and how long can you store
As a rule, the shelf life of any jam is 2 years. But temperature plays a very important role here.
The optimal value is in the range from +5 to +20 ⁰С. If this parameter is not observed, the product may begin to deteriorate ahead of schedule.
It is also important to pay attention to the fact that apricot jam with nuts is best preserved in a dark and dry place.
