Directions:

• Place 7 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• Select fruit which is 3/4 ripe and 1/4 slightly under ripe.


• Wash, pit and chop apricots to make 5 cups (1.25 L). Remove stems and wash currants. NOTE: red currants have seeds which some people find objectionable in jams. To make a seedless jam, bring washed and stemmed to a boil, cook and mash until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine cloth-lined sieve. Use back of spoon and squeeze cloth to force as much mixture as possible through sieve. Combine sieved currants with apricots, lemon zest and juice, then proceed.


• Cut zest (lemon peel) in one long strip from lemon and squeeze juice. Combine apricots, currants, lemon zest and juice in a large deep stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil.


• Maintaining boil, gradually stir in sugar. Stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, boil vigorously about 15 minutes or until mixture reaches gel stage. (Gel Plate Test: remove mixture from heat; pour a spoonful of cooked recipe on a cold plate and place in freezer for a few minutes. A gel has been achieved when the product does not run together when separated with a spoon.) Remove from heat and skim foam.


• Quickly ladle hot jam into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more jam. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining jam.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 10 minutes.*


• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.


• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Notes & Tips