Sweet and Sour Jam - Not Just for Chicken

Perfect for the bounty of fresh apricots, recipe is somewhere between a delicious, fruity and spicy jam and a chutney, but it makes a fabulous sauce base for Asian-style sweet and sour dishes. Preserve a little taste of early summer for a rainy day.

• Preparation Time: 2 hr
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 43 Calories

Ingredients

• 6 cups white sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 habanero pepper
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
• 3 cups fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup shallots, sliced into thin slivers
• 9 sterilized half-pint canning jars with lids and rings
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon butter
• 0.25 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 0.5 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 0.5 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 0.5 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
• 0.25 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Wearing rubber gloves and avoiding touching your eyes or face, seed and mince the habanero pepper. Place the habanero pepper, apricots, shallots, green and red bell pepper, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice into a large pot over medium heat, and stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the white and brown sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Return the jam to a full rolling boil, add the butter to reduce foaming, and boil hard for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Step 2

Turn off heat, and skim and discard any foam that forms on the jam. Pack the jam into the sterilized jars, and top each with a sterilized lid and ring.

Step 3

Simmer the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove the jars and store upside-down on a cloth towel for about 5 minutes. Turn right side up, and allow the lids to seal (listen for the popping sound). Let jars cool completely.