APRICOT JAM WITH MINT

I reach for apricot jam when I fancy something special. It has a beautiful colour, smell and flavour. When combined with mint, it is simply heavenly. I dream of a whole shelf in an apricot-coloured pantry.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of apricots
• 200 g of cane sugar
• the juice of half a lemon
• orange zest (half an orange)
• 1 tsp of vanilla sugar
• 10 mint leaves

Instructions:

1. Wash the apricots and take out the stones.
2. Put them in a pot with a thick, wide bottom.
3. Add two tablespoons of water so that the apricots do not burn.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon (about half an hour).
5. When the apricots are soft, add brown and vanilla sugar.
6. Add the orange zest.
7. Add lemon juice and finely chopped mint.
8. Cook for about 15 minutes until the jam is shiny.
9. Pour the hot apricot jam into scalded, small jars.
10. Pasteurise for 15 minutes.
11. Put the jars on a kitchen cloth, turn them upside down and cover with a cloth.
12. The lids of the jars after cooling down should be concave, if they are not something went wrong:) Most likely the lid was damaged. Then leave the jam for the current consumption, or pasteurise it again (we eat it, of course).