Ingredients
12 cups fresh, bright-skinned apricots
12 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
Preparation
Halve and pit apricots. Wrap half the pits in cheesecloth, and crack the remaining ones open with a hammer. Pick out the kernels and set aside. Discard the cracked shells.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place sugar in a large shallow pan and put in oven. Turn off oven and let sugar warm for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine the apricots and water in a large kettle over low heat. Cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the warmed sugar and wrapped pits and simmer for 30 minutes; remove pits and continue cooking until mixture reaches 221 degrees on a candy thermometer or falls in sheets from a spoon, about 15 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Skim off and discard foam. Stir in reserved kernels, then ladle jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe excess jam from inside and outside rims, then seal.
