Apricot and vanilla jam

Apricot and vanilla jam Method 1. Put the apricot halves in a pot. Add the sugar and mix it evenly through the fruit. Chop the vanilla pods (there is no need to scrape out the seeds) and drop them into the mixture. Pour in the lemon juice, mix well and leave to stand overnight to let the flavours infuse.

Sit the pot on the hob, bring it to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring from time to time.

When the fruit is soft and starts to look a bit like jam, test it to see if it will set. To do this, spoon a little of the fruit and some of its juice onto a saucer and place in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes. Remove the saucer from the fridge and push the syrup gently with the tip of your finger: if the syrup wrinkles, the jam is cooked.

Spoon the jam into sterilized jam jars, filling them to the top, then cover and seal. Finally, the jars upside down so any bit of air that is caught between the lid and the jam will rise up through the jam.