Microjammery.

I have been small-batch jam-making now for a couple of weeks. Basically, this means buying some of whatever fruit's in season and preserving it in the form of freezer jam or freezer preserves. So far, I have made strawberry jam, raspberry jam, cherry preserves, and blueberry preserves.

Last week, we were lucky enough to get a paper sack full of apricots. We ate some of them, and as they ripened in their sack, we put them in the refrigerator so they'd keep a little longer. I thought about making a tart--my cosmic calling to tart-making being something I have only recently responded to--but I am making dinner for a bunch of family this afternoon, and have tried to keep the baking to a minimum (so far: flourless chocolate cake and a bunch of different quick-roasted vegetables. There will be grilling, but that will be outside.). So, instead I made apricot jam, and now I have about a pint of apricot jam. It is damn good. All told, it took me maybe a half an hour, which seems worth it to me.

You take half a paper sack full of organic apricots, pit them and slice them into a pan (which I did in my hand with a paring knife, since there weren't all that many apricots). Then you use your Microplane grater (<< indispensable kitchen tool!) to zest two lemons and an orange, preferable organic. After that, you juice the lemons and the orange over the fruit and zest, then add as much sugar (preferably raw, preferably organic) as you think you need (I used maybe three quarters of a cup).

Then you cook it until it's jammy. Pour into small containers--I used those little ziploc containers that hold between a half a cup and a cup. You can refrigerate this if you think you'll use it soon-ish, or you can freeze it and use it later. Before you do either, though, take a spoonful, let it cool a little, and eat it, because it is tasty.