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When a blizzard sweeps outside the window and frosts creak, it is the fruit preparation of apricots, reminiscent of small suns, that will help maintain good spirits and good mood, bringing with it a piece of summer sunshine and light. There are a great many recipes for apricot blanks, but in syrup they turn out to be as natural and tasty as possible, and in terms of ease of manufacture, any other delicacy can hardly compete with them.
How to cook syrup
Syrup for harvesting apricots usually has a rather high density and viscosity due to the significant sugar content. Although in some recipes, especially for adherents of a healthy diet, the sugar content in the syrup is minimal.
So that the workpiece does not darken over time and does not become sugary, it is necessary to strictly observe the basic requirements for cooking syrup:
- To prepare the syrup, it is better to use a thick-walled pan, or at least with a multi-layered bottom, so that the sugar does not burn.
- The required amount of water according to the recipe is first brought to a boil and only then sugar is added to it.
- Sugar is added very gradually, in small portions, and the syrup is constantly stirred thoroughly. The next portion of sugar must be added only after the previous portion is completely dissolved in water.
- After adding the last portion of sugar according to the recipe, the syrup boils for no more than 5 minutes.
Preparing fruits and utensils
Apricots must be thoroughly washed. The best way to free fruits from various contaminants is to soak them for 15-20 minutes in cold water. After that, they must be rinsed well in running water and dried on a waffle or paper towel.
Glass jars for canning are also thoroughly washed and then sterilized either in the oven, or in the microwave, or in the convection oven.
It is enough to put the lids for preservation in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Apricot Syrup Recipes
The most delicious, original and diverse recipes for making apricots in syrup are selected here, so there are examples of blanks for almost every taste.
With bones
This recipe for harvesting apricots in syrup is considered the most traditional and at the same time the simplest and most affordable even for those housewives who decided to do conservation for the first time. For him, there is no need even for pre-cooking sugar syrup, since the mixing of products takes place already in jars.
In addition, the preparation with bones turns out to be the most saturated in taste and aroma, and real gourmets will surely appreciate its merits.
Since after 12 months after cooking, apricot pits can begin to release poisonous hydrocyanic acid and eating the workpiece can cause serious digestive problems.
To prepare the delicacy, fruits of medium ripeness are taken, they must be dense, not overripe. It is best to use medium and small apricots for this recipe, so that they are more convenient to place in jars.
As for the size of the cans, it is more rational to use liter jars for this blank. However, for special receptions and meetings with many guests, you can also prepare several large 2 or 3 liter jars.
In addition to the actual apricots and sugar, you need to boil a few liters of water.
Cooked apricots are pierced in several places with a toothpick and tightly packed in sterilized jars. In each liter jar, a glass of sugar is added on top. (In large jars, the amount of added sugar increases proportionally.)
Then each jar is filled with boiling water, leaving 1 cm to the brim, and covered with a lid. The next step is to sterilize the jars with the contents either in boiling water, or use any other device that is convenient for you: air grill, microwave, oven. Liter jars are sterilized for 10 minutes.
At the end of the sterilization process, the jars are finally sealed and cooled at room temperature.
Slices
What is the beauty of this blank, that even greenish and not very sweet apricots can be used for it, the main thing is that they are firm and without damage. Over many months of ripening in sweet syrup, they will in any case acquire the missing sweetness and juiciness.
The cooking method is also very simple.
First, sugar syrup is boiled. To do this, 400 g of sugar and a small amount of citric acid (250/1 teaspoon) are dissolved in 4 ml of water. Boil for about 2-3 minutes to completely dissolve the sugar.
At the same time, cooked apricots are cut into halves or even quarters, the pits are removed from them, and they are tightly stacked cut-side down in sterile jars. Fruit jars are poured with boiling syrup very carefully, not reaching 1 cm to the neck.
Having covered the jars with sterile lids, they must be sterilized: 0,5-liter jars – 15 minutes, 1 liter jars – 20 minutes.
After sterilization, the jars are finally closed, turned upside down and sent to cool at room temperature.
In honey syrup
For those who are trying to keep sugar intake to a minimum and in all cases are looking for a replacement for it, the following recipe is offered. Instead of sugar, honey is used, and the workpiece immediately acquires a special taste and aroma. All manufacturing steps are similar to those described in the previous recipe, but when boiling syrup, 2,5 cup of honey is added to 1 cups of water. This amount of syrup should be enough to spin 1,5 kg of apricots.
Such a preparation can be stored even in room conditions for more than one year – these are the preservative properties of honey. The main thing is that the apricots are completely dry, even a drop of water getting into the workpiece can adversely affect its safety.
Without sterilization
Among those who do not like to mess with sterilization, the following recipe is very popular.
Taken:
- 500-600 g of apricots;
- 300-400 g of sugar;
- 400 ml water.
This amount of ingredients is usually enough for one liter jar. Stacked apricots are poured with cooked sugar syrup and infused for about 20 minutes. Then the syrup is drained, again heated to a boil and again poured into the jar. This procedure must be repeated a total of three times. After that, the jars are twisted with lids and wrapped upside down until cool.
Without cooking
Especially delicious are apricots prepared according to a similar recipe, but with more sugar and a longer infusion time.
In this version, 1 kg of sugar and only 1 g of water are taken per 200 kg of apricots. After the first filling of apricots with sugar syrup, they are infused for about 6-8 hours, then the syrup is drained, brought to a boil and apricots are poured over them again. Again, a 6-8 hour exposure follows, and these processes should be repeated 5-6 times in a row (or as long as there is enough patience). Of course, it will take several days, but the result is worth the time spent. At the end, as usual, the jars are twisted with lids and turned over until they cool completely.
If you want to do without heat treatment at all and at the same time fully preserve the taste of fresh apricots, then use the following recipe:
Prepare a syrup from 500 g of water and 200 g of sugar and cool it. Place the prepared apricots, cut in halves, into a suitable freezer container and pour over the cooled syrup. Then close the container with a lid and place in the freezer. In this form, apricots can be stored even longer than any preservation, and after defrosting, apricots will look like almost fresh fruits.
Conclusion
As you can see, apricots in syrup can be made for every taste, so any housewife should have such a preparation in the house.
