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Pumpkin Jam with Dried Apricots
Instructions
Prepare all the ingredients. I choose pumpkin of sweet varieties, a bright orange colour, even slightly pinkish.
I peel the pumpkin, remove the flesh with the seeds, and cut it into medium-sized pieces – not too small, so the jam does not turn into mush.
I transfer the pumpkin pieces into the saucepan in which I will cook the jam and sprinkle them with sugar. I cover with a lid and leave for at least 1 hour – the pumpkin will release its juice and the sugar will start to dissolve. During that hour I stir several times so the juice is released faster.
I pour warm water over the dried apricots and leave them for 1 hour to swell.
I cut the swollen dried apricots into thin strips.
In an hour the pumpkin has released quite a lot of juice. I add the dried apricots to it and put it on the heat. After it comes to a boil, I turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook the jam for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. If you want to keep the pumpkin pieces whole – simmer for 5–7 minutes, remove from the heat, let it cool for several hours, and simmer again. But pumpkin jam in particular I prefer to make the first way: pumpkin is dense by itself, so the pieces will not lose their shape much.
The pumpkin jam with dried apricots is ready. It turned out very tasty and aromatic. The dried apricots complement the pumpkin perfectly and come through very well in the jam. Be sure to give it a try!
Tips
- 1
Use sweet pumpkin varieties (Butternut squash, Hokkaido) – a fodder pumpkin will not give the flavour you want. A bright orange colour means plenty of carotenoids.
- 2
Let the pumpkin release its juice – at least 1 hour under the sugar. Stir several times to speed it up.
- 3
Soak the dried apricots in warm water – not boiling water. Boiling water destroys some of the vitamins and gives a slight bitterness. Warm water (40–50 °C) is ideal.
- 4
Do not overcook – 20 minutes is enough. Longer and the pumpkin will fall apart into a puree. A similar principle applies to other jams made with firm fruit.
Video
FAQ
How do I choose good dried apricots? +
Good dried apricots are bright orange to dark brown (the natural ones), medium-soft (neither rock-hard nor sticky), with no sulphurous "smoky" smell (a sign of treatment with sulphur dioxide). Avoid ones that are too bright orange – they may have been treated for appearance. Natural dried apricots are usually dark brown and "plain-looking", but more wholesome. A test: drop them into warm water – good ones will swell and soften, while "chemical" ones stay rubbery. The best dried apricots are Uzbek or Tajik, from the "sheptala" apricot variety.
Can it be put up for the winter? +
Not for the pantry. The recipe is low in sugar: 150 g for 800 g of pumpkin and dried apricots, while sugar only works as a preservative when there is about as much of it as fruit. There is no lemon juice or added acid either, pumpkin is a low-acid vegetable, and in a thick mixture with no air, botulism bacteria can grow. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) does not recommend canning pumpkin butters and purées and advises keeping them in the fridge or freezing them. So keep the jam in the fridge in a clean jar with a lid for up to 3 weeks, or freeze it in portions in containers for up to a year. A tip: use small containers of 250-300 ml so an opened portion gets eaten faster.
What can replace the dried apricots? +
Alternatives: prunes (a "deeper" flavour, more vitamins), dried cherries (a citrusy shade), raisins (a classic for jam), dried apples (a neutral flavour), dried pineapple or mango (a tropical touch). For an "autumn" accent – 100 g of dried apricots + 50 g of raisins + 50 g of prunes makes an "assortment". Dried apricots give a fruity sweet-and-sour note and pretty orange pieces in the jam. Steep all dried fruit in warm water beforehand.
What to serve it with? +
It is versatile. With pancakes and fritters – a classic. As a filling for pies, croissants, and puff pastry buns. On toast with butter – an excellent breakfast. In porridge (oatmeal, rice, semolina) – instead of sugar. In quark – with a spoonful of jam it becomes a dessert. With ice cream and yoghurt. In tea as a sweetener – it gives a soft pumpkin aroma. For a "gourmet" version – serve it with a cheese board with Camembert or Brie, an unusual pairing.
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