Traditional apricot jam

Chunky and with hearty apricot flavour, this sticky jam is great on toast or with cheese.

• 1 lemon
• 900g (4 cups) white sugar
• 1kg firm ripe apricots, flesh cut into 1.5cm pieces
• 250ml (1 cup) water

1. Step 1

   Use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind from the lemon. Halve and juice the lemon, reserving the seeds. Wrap lemon rind and seeds in a piece of muslin and tie with unwaxed white kitchen string to enclose.

2. Step 2

   Preheat oven to 150°C. Place the sugar in a deep-sided baking tray or baking dish. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until sugar is warm.

3. Step 3

   Meanwhile, place the muslin pouch, apricot, water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and soft.

4. Step 4

   Reduce heat to low. Add the warm sugar and cook, stirring, occasionally brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

5. Step 5

   Increase heat to medium. Bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly, stirring and using a slotted spoon to remove any scum from the surface, for 20-25 minutes or until the jam reaches setting point (take care the jam doesn't catch on the base of the pan). Discard the muslin pouch.

6. Step 6

   Ladle hot jam through a funnel into clean, dry jars and seal. Invert for 2 minutes. Turn the jars upright. Set aside to cool. Label, date and store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight until ready to use.

It is important to sterilize jars to prevent mould forming. Jars can be sterilized in a number of ways. Firstly, choose glass jars with an airtight lid. Remove any old labels and ensure they are free from cracks or chips. Wash in hot soapy water and rinse, then sterilize using one of the following methods:

Oven: Preheat the oven to 120C. Place jars (upright) and lids (separately) on an oven tray and heat in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and fill immediately with jam or other preserves.

Stovetop: Place jars and lids in a deep saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring water to the boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes. Line a baking tray with paper towel. Remove the jars using metal tongs and allow to air dry or dry with a clean paper towel.

Dishwasher: Place jars, lids and rubber seals in the dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Remove and place onto a paper towel-lined tray; the heat will dry them naturally or you can dry them with paper towel.

For recipes classified gluten free, please always check your ingredients to ensure they do not contain gluten.