Apricot Blueberry Thyme Jam

Ingredients:
2 lb apricots
1 lb blueberries
3 tbsp thyme leaves
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Place a small plate in the freezer.

Chop up your apricots and place them in a heavy bottomed pot. Add blueberries, thyme, sugar and lemon juice. Add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Bring the fruit to a slow boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. At first your fruit will get quite watery, but as it cooks, it will begin to fall apart. Stir occasionally and skim the froth that you see coming to the surface at that first boil.

Cook your jam until the temperature reaches 200 degrees F. At this point, your jam will darken in color (blueberries help!) and deepen in hue. When it leaves a thick coat on the back of the spoon, take that plate out of the freezer and drop a dollop of jam onto the plate. If it runs, try cooking for a few minutes longer and testing again. If it becomes solid, your jam is done.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of water to a boil and sterilize your jars. When cool, fill your jars with jam, leaving 1/2 inch of space on top. Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Do not over tighten.

Put the sealed jars in the pot with water and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water and boiling. Boil for about 20 minutes.

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching, or bumping in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight).

Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid (with a new lid) and reprocess the jar, while it’s still hot for the full time in the canner. Depends on when you want to eat your jam. If it’s for immediate consumption – no need for the whole dog-and-pony show. If it’s for a few months from now – and you plan on maybe giving these as gifts, then you want to make sure the jars seal properly.