i have told you about my stone fruit jam-making process that i learned from christine ferber’s
i have told you about my stone fruit jam-making process that i learned from christine ferber’s book before, but i am doubly committed to it now that i have briefly strayed from my own cooking and tried some acclaimed local jam, on which i had to reflect for a few minutes to figure out what fruit it even was because it had been boiled completely to mush and sweetened beyond my ability to taste it. the governing principles of this method are that ripening fruit is the breakdown of pectin, boiling is not the only way to soften the fruit, and the softened fruit and its liquid need not be cooked together for the full length of time required to bring the mixture to its gelling point. macerating in sugar will do most of the work for you if you give it time. yesterday i mixed the diced apricots with about 70% of their weight in sugar, brought it to the brink of a boil, then took it off the heat and let it sit overnight. this morning i strained the (rather diminished in size) fruit out of its (greatly increased in volume and viscous with pectin) liquid, brought the liquid to 220F, and added the fruit back only for long enough to return it to 220F. -- source link