Blue Ribbon Habanero Apricot Jam Recipes

HABANERO JAM

Steps:

• Coarsely chop chiles in a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in tequila. Let sit uncovered 1-3 hours (chiles will get less spicy as they soak; in 1 hour, they'll sink to the heat level of a jalapeño). Drain chiles; reserve tequila for another use.
• Transfer chiles to a small saucepan; add onion, vinegar, orange juice, raw sugar, salt, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook until chiles are tender and liquid is syrupy, 50-60 minutes. Let cool.
• Do Ahead
• Jam can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

RHUBARB APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Place apricots in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Drain and rinse, then drain again.
• Combine apricots, rhubarb, and sugar in a pot. Cover and let stand at room temperature until fruits release their juices, 8 hours to overnight.
• Inspect 6 half-pint jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Bring apricot-rhubarb mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rhubarb is tender and starts falling apart, about 3 minutes. Stir in pectin and bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a ladle or a large spoon.
• Pack rhubarb-apricot jam into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and tightly screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Let rest for 24 hours without moving the jars. Gently press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Mix apricots and lemon juice in a large pot; add sugar. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook and stir until apricot mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.
• Meanwhile, prepare jars, lids, and rings by cleaning and sterilizing in dishwasher or boiling water bath. Leave lids in simmering water until ready to seal jars.
• Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space on top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

HABANERO APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Pit and chop apricots; place in a Dutch oven. Stir in lemon juice. Place habaneros in a blender; add a small amount of apricot mixture. Cover and process until smooth. Return to the pan. , Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly., Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. , For best results, let processed jam stand at room temperature for 2 weeks to set up.

BLUE RIBBON HABANERO APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Pit and chop apricots; place in a Dutch oven or soup kettle. Stir in lemon juice.
• Place habaneros in a blender; add a small amount of apricot mixture. Cover and process until smooth. Return to the pan.
• Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil.
• Quickly stir in sugar. Return to a full rolling boil; boil and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour hot mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in headspace. Adjust caps.
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.
• For best results, let processed jam stand at room temperature for 2 weeks to set up.
• Makes 11 half-pints.

APRICOT HABANERO JAM

Steps:

• Pit and chop apricots; place in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Stir in lemon juice. Place habaneros in a blender; add a small amount of apricot mixture. Cover and process until smooth. Return to the pan. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Pour hot mixture into 11 hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. For best results, let processed jam stand at room temperature for 2 weeks to set up.

HABANERO APRICOT JELLY

Steps:

• Using a food processor, finely mince the diced apricots.
• Place the apricots in a large stainless steel stockpot, add the vinegar and cover. Let the apricots soak in the vinegar for at least 4 hours (can be left to sit overnight if you'd like, but 4 hours will do the trick).
• Using a food processor, finely mince the red bell pepper and habanero peppers.
• Place the apricots, vinegar, peppers, and sugar in a large stainless steel stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to make sure all the sugar dissolves.
• Once the mixture has reached a full rolling boil (a boil you can not stir down), it will double in size. Stirring constantly, keep at a full boil for one minute.
• Remove from heat and whisk in pectin and continue to stir for 3 minutes - this helps to evenly distribute the apricot and pepper pieces throughout the jelly.
• Ladle the jelly into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any jelly which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 5 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.