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Cute Kids Cooking Class Video

Kids Cooking Class Video - The Kids Cook Monday!

As a cooking teacher, I have had the pleasure of watching hundreds of my students transform into adventurous eaters and talented little chefs. Even the ones as young as two years old will gobble up all kinds of “grown up” foods including brown rice, sautéed mushrooms, tofu, kidney beans, and caramelized onions. The key is getting them into the kitchen. Much of kids reluctance to taste new dishes is fear of the unknown. But if they help create the mysterious meal, they feel a sense of ownership and are more likely to try it. There is nothing more fun than eating your own art project!

In this video of my kids cooking class, you can see, hear and feel their excitement about ingredients such as black beans, mint, and cherry tomatoes. You’ll also see how easy it is for them to pick up sophisticated cooking skills like mincing garlic, dicing vegetables and emulsifying their own vinaigrette. They are so incredibly capable - we just have to give them the tools and education. How can they have healthy bodies if they don’t know how to cook healthy meals?

Cooking with kids is a fun and effective way to instill healthy habits for life. Exposure to scratch cooking helps kids develop a mature palate and a taste for fresh, wholesome ingredients. The earlier kids become accustomed to nutritious foods, the less likely they will acquire a taste for processed products. Teaching young people how to cook is also a powerful way to start a ripple effect beyond the classroom. Once children are empowered to feed themselves, they have the opportunity to show their families, classmates, teachers, communities, and future generations, that the key to good health starts in the kitchen.

For more information about cooking with kids, visit the new site, The Kids Cook Monday for recipes, resources and a community of people who love to cook with kids.

Rainbow Couscous Salad

A couscous medley is the perfect dinner for chaotic weeknights since it takes only minutes to prepare and you can add in leftover vegetables or meat from the night before. It’s also convenient for lunch boxes since it can be served at room temperature.

One 10- or 12-ounce box of plain couscous
2 cups any combination of vegetables, diced
3-4 scallions, sliced
¼ cup currants or dried cranberries
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

Optional: beans, nuts, feta cheese, cooked chicken or shrimp

Dressing

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice(about ½ lemon)
2-3 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons of honey
½ cup olive oil

ADULTS: Cook the couscous according to package directions.

KIDS 4 and up: Add the diced vegetables, scallions, and dried fruit to the couscous and stir. Gently fold in the parsley and mint (and the optional ingredients, if using).

KIDS 6 and up: In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, miso, celery seed, oregano, black pepper, and honey together and slowly add in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the couscous and vegetables and stir. Serve this dish cold or warm. Store the couscous in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

KID TIP:

-Since this dish can be easily changed according to taste, encourage kids to come up with their own dressing and combination of vegetables.

COOKING TIPS:

-Suggested vegetables and other dried fruit options: carrots, celery, radishes, mushrooms, spring onions, leeks, artichokes, raisins, or chopped apricots.

-Try adding seasonal vegetables, such as sautéed leafy greens in the winter, roasted beets in the spring, or peas in the summer.

-Miso is a fermented product like vinegar so it can be stored in your fridge indefinitely. It should not be heated.

-I recommend white miso because of its mild, kid-friendly flavor, but you can use any kind of miso. (Or, omit it if you don’t have it on hand.) Most health food stores carry several different flavors so feel free to experiment.

Prep time: 30 minutes   Total time: 40 minutes   Serves: 4-6

Recipe from Easy Meals to Cook with Kids © 2010 by Julie Negrin

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Are You Smarter than the Food Industry? Quick Quiz

Granola bars are supposed to be healthy, right? Unfortunately, many of the products on the market are not as nutritious as we are led to believe. This is the case for many products that beckon you with their front-of-the-package claims. “Low-fat!” “Zero trans-fat!” or, my favorite “Made with Whole Grains!” The last one should read “Made with Whole Grains that were pulverized, processed, bleached, and mixed with a bunch of additives and sugar.”

The fact is that more claims usually equals unhealthy products. The food industry is getting pressure to make improvements from consumers all the way to the White House. This doesn’t mean that their products are going to become healthy - maybe just a little less unhealthy. What will probably happen is that the companies will become even more savvy in the laboratories where they develop their goods and in their marketing departments which are hell-bent on selling.

Find out how label savvy you are:

1) Healthy foods have labels that tell me everything I need to know: True or False

2) I can make good food choices if I read food labels closely: True or False

3) Low-fat products are not better and, in some cases, may be worse for me: True or False

4) Products that say “Made with Real Fruit” contain 90% or more of real fruit: True or False

5) Products that say “Contains Zero Trans-Fats” may still have .5 grams of it: True or False

6) Ingredients are listed in order of weight: True or False

7) Products that are fortified with added nutrients are better for me: True or False

8) It is easy to tell the difference between products made with refined flours vs whole grains: True or False

Here are some tips on how to outwit the food industry:

1) FALSE: Many terms such as “natural” or “healthy” are unregulated. In fact, the FDA has been sending warning letters to companies for the last year or so to admonish them for making false claims.

2) FALSE: The majority of the foods that are best for you have little to no packaging and/or labels: fruit, vegetables, fish, lean meats, nuts, and seeds don’t have packages that tell you how healthy they are. Beans and grains may come in cans or plastic bags but there is only one ingredient (themselves).

3) TRUE: If ’s it low in something, it’s usually going to be high in something else. Remember the low-fat craze of the 90’s? Many of those products had (and still do) contain extra sugar - and not the pure out-of-the-ground sugar but usually something ending in -ose (like dextrose) that was created in a lab.

4) FALSE: Products that claim to contain “real fruit” may only have a few drops of the real thing. There is no law requiring how much real fruit must be in the product.

5) TRUE: Any food that contains 0.5 grams or less of a nutrient can be listed as zero grams on the nutrition facts label. This can add up to a lot of harm trans fats if we are eating packaged foods throughout the day.

6) TRUE: Keep in mind that if a product says “contains whole grains” but there aren’t any grains listed until the bottom of the list, then you know it doesn’t contain much of it.

7) FALSE: We tend to go a little overboard in this country when something is revealed as good for us rather than depending on Mother Nature. For example, after folic acid was added to flour in Chile, one study showed an increase in colon cancer. When in doubt, eat unfortified foods that occur in nature.

#8 TRUE: Be aware that manufacturers won’t necessarily call their processed flours “refined” on the label. Anything that is listed as corn, rice, wheat, or oat flour IS processed and refined unless it specifically tells you that it is “whole”.

This Granola Bar recipe was developed by my cousin, Sonya. She is a kindergarten teacher who is passionate about sharing her knowledge about nutrition with her small students. This recipe is a winner with both adults and kids. The more foods we prepare at home, the more we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies.

Sonya’s Homemade Granola Bars

granolabarsreally160px3 cups whole oats
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour (or any flour - we use corn flour for a gluten-free option)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/3 vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CUSTOMIZE: 1/4 cup raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, or anything else you want to add to your bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. If you’re short on time and dishes, add the wet ingredients directly to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Otherwise, combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl before adding them to the dry. Transfer the mixture to a  a lightly oiled 9×13 pan. Use a spatula to firmly press the mixture into the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until brown and firm. Remove from oven and cool. Cut into squares. Eat or freeze. Enjoy!

Recipe by Sonya Jassen Basseri

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Getting Healthy One Habit at a Time

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

A few months ago, I was teaching my students how to poach eggs. The water was taking awhile to boil but that didn’t stop them from pestering me every couple of minutes - can we go? Now? NOW? I finally turned to them and calmly explained that you can’t rush nature. It’s a matter of physics - the water will boil when it’s ready.

The same goes for our bodies. We want to instantly look like the chiseled woman or man advertising exercise equipment or diet pills. Yet, once again, we can’t rush nature. In order to poach eggs, create a delicious, nutritious meal from scratch or get into shape, there is only one way to go about it: time and effort.

I recently spoke  with someone who offers therapy at a wellness company. She pointed out that long-term lifestyle changes aren’t just about working out and dieting. It’s also about changing our self-identification. Eventually, we need to shift the way we perceive ourselves - to go from identifying with being a fast-food eater to a person who likes taking long walks and roasted cauliflower. Clearly, this won’t happen overnight!  But in order to get there, we often have to fake it ’til we make it.

There’s been an urban myth that it takes around 21-28 days to form a new habit. A new study revealed that it takes on average 66 days to create a new habit. The researchers found that:

“When we want to develop a relatively simple habit like eating a piece of fruit each day or taking a 10 minute walk, it could take us over two months of daily repetitions before the behaviour becomes a habit. And, while this research suggests that skipping single days isn’t detrimental in the long-term, it’s those early repetitions that give us the greatest boost in automaticity.”

Becoming fit takes time. Go easy on yourself and create one new healthy habit at a time:

Start with goals that are small and realistic. If your goal is to start dinner with a salad, make sure you are well stocked with lettuce, veggies, and your favorite dressing.  Chop the vegetables on Sunday night. Do as much as possible to make the change a SUCCESSFUL one.

ADD something in instead of TAKING something out. When we try to avoid something, it just becomes more enticing. Instead of denying the body, feed it frequently with tasty, nutritious snacks and meals. The vending machine will have less power if you aren’t starving.

Work with your cravings. I love salty and crunchy foods, especially at night.  Instead of trying to deny myself (impossible), I make fresh popcorn. If you have a sweet tooth, invest in dried mango or papaya or keep small bars of high-quality dark chocolate around. The trick is to shift to healthier versions of your favorite foods and eat them in small quantities - not to eliminate them altogether.

Create a calendar. It sounds silly but adults respond to positive reinforcement as much as kids do. Get a calendar dedicated to your new habits. Mark off the days that you accomplish them. When you hit 30 days in a row for a new habit, reward yourself with something other than food: a massage, a pedicure, or a new work-out outfit. Or, instead, you can start putting money in your New Habits jar and save up for a vacation. The key is to make the process fun and rewarding.

Find support through friends or online. One writer is documenting her goal of “eating like an adult” at Slate.com.  Or, perhaps the website, SparkPeople.com is more your style. Whatever helps you make the shift - as long as it’s a site that promotes slow changes and healthful eating habits (and not extreme dieting or other unhealthy strategies).

New habits are uncomfortable at first but after awhile, they will begin to feel “normal.” Try adding a delicious protein-packed smoothie to your morning routine. By balancing your blood sugar in the morning, you won’t be as hungry throughout the day and will make better food choices. Make it the night before and store it in a to-go cup if you’re always in a rush!

img_1832adjusted315px1Very Berry & Creamsicle Smoothies

2 cups vanilla yogurt
¾ cup orange juice
2 medium bananas, peeled and broken into large pieces
1 cup frozen strawberries OR ¾ cup frozen blueberries

For Creamsicle Smoothies: use 1 cup of ice instead of frozen berries
Optional: ground flax seed, protein powder, bee pollen, leafy greens

Add all the ingredients to a blender and purée until very smooth. Serve
immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two days.

COOKING TIPS:
-You can use fresh berries when they are in season. Just make sure that you add a frozen ingredient such as ice or a frozen banana, so that the smoothie will become frothy like a milkshake.
-Replace the orange juice with pineapple juice for a tropical version.
-It’s best to avoid non-fat yogurts since they often contain added sugars. Instead, use low-fat or whole milk yogurt for this recipe.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Recipes from Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin © 2010

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” - Mark Twain

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Host a Fondue Party! Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

The emails are the same every year: “Help! I’m supposed to bring a dessert to a holiday party but I have no idea what to make and I’m a terrible baker. (I store dress shoes in my oven.) Do you have any ideas on what I can bring? There will be serious food people there so I can’t do the store-bought thing.”   –Your Oven-Challenged Friend

Do you want an easy-to-prepare dessert that everyone loves? Do you need a gluten-free dish? If you’re hosting, would you like a fun activity at your party that both kids and adults will enjoy? Never fear! I have the perfect solution - that’s both delicious (and nutritious).

Chocolate-dipped strawberries are always a hit - and you can make them the day before and simply store them in a large tupperware and place wax paper in between each layer. If you are hosting a party and overwhelmed at the idea of cooking for a lot of guests, you can still offer a sophisticated table of food by simply getting creative.

Borrow a couple of fondue pots (or follow my directions below and use the stove), melt some cheese in one and chocolate in the other. For the cheese fondue dippers, keep it simple and offer cubed sourdough bread and vegetables like blanched cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. I recommend purchasing some high-quality cheese for your fondue.

Berries aren’t exactly seasonal right now but the beauty of a Fondue Party is that you can dip pretty much anything into chocolate. For the chocolate fondue, you can offer kiwi or bananas slices, pineapple chunks, pear or apple slices, and of course, strawberries. It’s an excellent way to get some fruit into kids during this sugary time of year. However, the kids (and adults for that matter) might also enjoy graham crackers and pretzels too.

Place some more cheese, olives, and grapes on the table surrounding the fondue pots and everyone will comment on what a spectacular host/hostess you are - when you hardly did a thing in the kitchen!

This recipe is from my cookbook - enjoy and HAPPPY HOLIDAYS!!

strawberryphoto300pxChocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Dipping food into melted chocolate is always an exciting activity! When making this recipe with kids, make sure that you keep the chocolate cool enough for their little fingers to touch but not so cold that it hardens.

30 medium-sized strawberries
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated margarine
1 tablespoon corn syrup

KIDS 2 and up: Wash and dry the strawberries. Make sure that the berries are completely dry or the
chocolate will not adhere to them. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

ADULTS: In the top of a double boiler that you’ve set over simmering water, stir the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove the chocolate from the heat but leave the water simmering in case the chocolate starts to harden and you need to re-heat it. If you’re worried about small kids touching a still-warm pan, you can transfer the chocolate to a cool dish.

KIDS 2 and up: Hold each strawberry by its stem and dip it ¾ of the way into the chocolate. Swirl it and shake off excess chocolate. Place the chocolate-dipped strawberry on the baking sheet lined with waxed paper and repeat with the rest of the strawberries. They can harden in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Cooking Tips:
-It’s best if the strawberries are at room temperature rather than cold.
-If you don’t have a double boiler (which is necessary since the chocolate will burn if put directly over heat), simply place a metal bowl on top of a saucepan or put a small saucepan inside another larger saucepan. Alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals until it is melted.
-“Simmering” means a few small bubbles are barely breaking the surface.
-This recipe can be prepared up to 1-2 days before serving – just store the strawberries in the
refrigerator and remove 30 minutes before serving.

Kid Tips:
-If your kids want to create designs, melt some white chocolate, dip a spoon in, and swirl designs onto the chocolate-dipped strawberries. Or, they can dip the chocolate-dipped strawberries in sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour for hardening)
Yields: 30 strawberries
Recipe from Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin © 2010

Just thinking about eating melted cheese makes my stomach hurt so I don’t have my own recipe for it - however, this Cheese Fondue recipe on the Food Network looks like a winner. Check it out and have fun!

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Learn How to Bake Bread: Best Ever Challah Bread Recipe

I’ve been a negligent blogger this summer! My apologies. Now that my new cookbook, Easy Meals to Cook with Kids, is off to the printers (yeah!), I will be able to write more frequently. I look forward to sharing recipes from the cookbook and tips on how to turn kids into veggie lovers over the next few months. (It will be on sale soon - I will keep you posted.)

round-challah175px1Since Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is around the corner, I thought I’d share a challah recipe that I’ve been teaching for many years. Challah is a braided egg bread served on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays. On Rosh Hashanah, people typically create a round-shape challah to represent the “head” of the new year. They also add raisins to make sure it’s a SWEET new year!

Even if you don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I highly recommend this recipe - it’s absolutely delicious fresh out of the oven and once it’s a little stale, it makes wonderful French toast. It’s a one-bowl recipe and although you can certainly allow the dough to rise twice, you can get away with letting it rise only once. If you want to add whole wheat flour, just make sure half the flour is still white otherwise it will be too dense. Some of my students like King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat Flour which is organic.

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of working with yeast! If you’re unsure how to “proof” yeast (allowing it become frothy), buy a cheap candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the water - it should be around 105-110 degrees F. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, it won’t “grow.” I recommend proofing yeast in glass - I find that it prefers glass over metal.

If you’re unsure how to knead dough, here is excerpt from my book, Easy Meals to Cook with Kids, on how I teach kids to knead:

“This is an oversimplified explanation for a fast-moving technique, but it’s helpful for kids to have a step-by-step method that they can repeat to themselves during the task. Once the dough is in a ball, have them Fold, Press, Turn.

1) Fold over the top half of the dough
2) Press with the heels of their palms
3) Turn the dough halfway around the surface
Keep repeating this process for 3-5 minutes.”

If you’d like to watch a video on how to prepare a round challah (versus braided), check out this clip from the Today Show where I teach Al Roker how to make challah for the new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Best Ever Challah

Yeast mixture:

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast)
1 teaspoon sugar

Dough:

1/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 ¾ - 4 cup flour (or up to 4 ½ cups total if dough is very sticky)
poppy or sesame seeds
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
½  cup raisins (optional)

1.    In a small bowl or measuring cup, add water to yeast and sugar.  Stir.  Let stand for up to 10 minutes. Water should be around 105-110 degrees F.
2.    In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups of flour.  Stir in yeast mixture.
3.    Gradually stir in remaining flour.  Dough will be sticky.
4.    Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed.  Dough will feel silky and smooth.
5.    Put dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1 ½  hours.
6.    Punch down dough and knead in raisins.

FOR A ROUND CHALLAH

1.     On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a very smooth 24-inch long “snake” of even thickness.
2.    Bring one end around to form a circle that is about 5 inches in diameter.
3.     Continue winding the rest of the snake on top of the circle so that it spirals inward and upward, finishing in the center.
4.     Tuck the end of the snake into the center.

FOR BRAIDED CHALLAH

7.    Divide into 3 equal sections.
8.    Roll each section into equal strands, pinch 3 strands together at one end and braid.
9.    Place dough on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with seeds.
10.    Preheat oven to 375.
11.    While oven preheats, dough can go through a second rise (can be 30-45 minutes for final rise) or skip second rise altogether.
12.    Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Original recipe by Judy Genack Matthews, adapted by Julie Negrin

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All About Canning: Apricot Amaretto Jam Recipe

It’s been a busy summer so far. I’ve been doing a lot of teaching which has been wonderful. One of my jobs is teaching teenagers how to cook through a new camp at the 92nd Street Y called Passport NYC Camps and the other was teaching for Dr. Oz’s non-profit HealthCorps for the third summer in a row. Teaching the teen camp cemented my belief that the key to better eating is refining the palate. By the end of each three-week session, my teens became food snobs - sub-par food and snacks just aren’t as appealing after being exposed to stellar home-cooking! More on that later….

I’m also excited to announce that my cookbook, Easy Meals to Cook with Kids, is nearly done! It should be on sale next month. I can’t wait to share it with you.

jelly150pxAll these exciting things means that I haven’t had much time to blog! So, I decided to share a canning recipe with you from a terrific book, Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone. There are lots of great canning books on the market - I recommend finding one that suits your needs and taste buds. I didn’t get this blog post up in time to support Canning Across America’s annual summer event - but you can visit their site for more information about food preservation and how to host your own canning party.

This is an excerpt and recipe from Eugenia Bone’s, Well-Preserved. There are also some mouthwatering recipes for Figs in Brandy, Strawberry Balsamic Jam, Cherries in Wine, and Spiced Apples. I chose the apricot recipe because they are in season now. Eugenia not only shares her expert tips on how to preserve and can, she also includes wonderful recipes on how to cook with them throughout the year. What I like best about her book is that she writes her recipes like a cooking teacher - she explains things in the middle of the recipe and they are easy to follow.

I’m eyeing the Ricotta Balls Stuffed with Apricot Amaretto Jam and the Apricot Almond Shortbread…but first, here’s how to make the jam:

Apricot Amaretto Jam

“Of all the fruit jams and marmalades I make, this one is particularly versatile, I suppose because the apricot taste crosses the sweet and savory line with such finesse. It is equally good mixed into barbecue sauce or combined with whipped cream to make a fool. I have to confess I also prefer this jam because it is so easy to prepare the fruit; just split the apricots in half with a knife and flip out the pits. You don’t have to peel them, as the skins are tasty and delicate.

Apricots, which are available in Juy and August, are high in acidity, making this product safe for water bath processing. Because this recipe calls for a short water bath process, you have to sterilize the jars first. The citric acid will help hold the beautiful orange color of the fruit. The jars will keep in a coo, dark place for up to one year. If, after a few months, you notice the apriocts discolor at the top of the jar, don’t worry. This happens when excess air gets trapped in a jar, usually because of an air bubble or because there was too much headspace in the jar. If your seal is good, the food is fine.”

4 cups pitted and chopped apricots (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon citric acid (I use Fruit Fresh)
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
3 to 4 tablespoons amaretto

Combine the apricots, sugar, and citric acid in a large, heavy pot and heat over medium-low heat until sugar melts. Pay attention and stir often, because sugar burns easily. Once the sugar is melted, turn up the heat to medium and bring the apricots to a boil. Add the butter. Apricots tend to foam up as they boi, and if the foam spills over on to your stove youwill have quite a mess on your hands. Butter keeps the foam down. Skim off any foam that does form. Cook the apricots, uncovered, at a brisk but not riotous boil. After the first 5 minutes, you will notice that the apricots look thin and soupy. Keep boiling for 15 minutes longer. They will thicken up.
You are basically boiling off the water in the fruit. Stir periodically to make sure that the apricots don’t stick. Take the apricots off the heat and stir in the amaretto to taste.

Bring 4 half-pint jars and their bands to a boil in a large pot of water fitted with a rack. Boil for 10 minutes. The lids are only simmered in a small pan of hot water, to soften the rubberized flange. Remove the jars with tongs (the tongs don’t need to be sterilized). When the jars are dry but still hot, spoon the apricots into jar with a slotted spoon, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inch headspace. (If your apricots were very juicy to start wtih, you may have extra juice. You can refrigerate it, or boil it down to a thick syrup and can the syrup the same way you do the jam. It is great poured over ice cream and pancakes.) Wipe the rims, set on the lids, and screw on the bands fingertip tight.

Place the jars in a big pot with a rack in the bottom. Add enough water to cover the jars by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and gently boil the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow the jars to rest in the water for 5 minutes or so, and the remove. Allow the jars to cool, untouched, for 6 hours. Right away you will hear the popping sound of the vacuum seal as the jars cool down.

Check the seals. Store in a dark, cool place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

Recipe from Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone

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