Apricot Preserves

Photo: flickr user not a hipster

Ingredients

9 pounds very ripe apricots pitted

7 pounds sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

pkt Einsiedehilfe (preserving aid) dissolved in

Hot water

Preparation

Cook apricots and sugar to setting point, continually skimming off foam. Shortly before done, add lemon juice. Remove from heat. Stir in 'Preserving Aid' dissolved in hot water.

To test for setting point: Spoon a little of the conserve onto a chilled saucer. Leave for a few minutes - then hold saucer upside down. If conserve doesn't run, then setting point has been reached.

Pour into hot, dry, sterilized jars. Seal jars with cellophane the top of which has been dipped in rum and smooth the overhang over the jars' necks, tying with thin twine.

This recipe yields between 13 and 14 one-pint jars.

Comments: "Einsiedehilfe" ('Preserving Aid') is sold (in Austria) in 15 gram packages and consists of 65 percent sugar and 35 percent benzoic acid.

Yield: 13 pints