Sunchine Apricot Preserves

Total Time: 24 hrs 4 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 4 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 lbs fresh apricots
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 wash apricots and cut fruit into halves or quarters, discard pits.
• 2 measure 4 cups of the fruit and combine with the sugar and lemon juice in a 4 or 5 quart saucepan; stir gently to mix.
• 3 cover and let stand at room temperature to 1 hour.
• 4 over medium heat, bring mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. turn heat to high and boil vigorously, uncovered for 4 minutes without stirring.
• 5 remove from heat and let cool, uncovered for 30 minutes.
• 6 pour mixture into shallow glass or metal baking pans, roasting pans made of foil or rigid plastic trays so that the syrup around the fruit is at least 1/2 inch deep but no deeper that 3/4 inch.
• 7 cover with clear plastic film or a sheet of glass, leaving a 1-inch wide opening along one side.
• 8 place pan in direct sunlight.
• 9 gently stir mixture and turn fruit pieces over every hour.
• 10 remove preserves from sun when fruit is plump and syrup is thickened to about the consistency of corn syrup; the preserves thicken slightly more as they cool.
• 11 it will take bout 2 to 10 hours, or more, depending on the heat of the sun.
• 12 you may need to bring the preserves in at night and then return to the sun the following day.
• 13 serve at once or store as directed below.
• 14 refrigerated: preserves will last about 4 weeks.
• 15 freeze: pack into freezer containers to within 1 inch of ttop, seal and freeze.
• 16 can: fill half-pint jars. seal and process in water bath for 10 minutes.
• 17 variations:.
• 18 peach or nectarine: cut peaches or nectarines into 1/2 inch thick slices; discard pits. increase lemon juice to 1/4 cup.
• 19 berries: use whole berrie and foloow the apricot recipe.