The Preservationist

The Preservationist Cherries and Apricots

Capturing summer’s arrival

By Jordan Champagne

They say that “life is a bowl of cherries” for a reason. It is not a bowl of oranges or bananas or onions. Wherever they grow, cherries are the grand kickoff party for summer’s fun: They are tart and sweet and juicy and promise the hot days of summer have arrived!

Cherries and apricots are inextricably linked in my mind because they are the two crops that Van Dyke Ranch in Gilroy focuses on—and grows amazingly. I am usually pretty flexible with my food choices as long as they are local and organic. For instance, I will eat organic strawberries from a variety of local farmers, and I enjoy their diverse flavors and nuances. Not so with cherries. The Van Dykes have been growing Blenheim Apricots and Bing Cherries in southern Santa Clara County since 1921 and grow fruit that meets your high expectations every time. Five generations later, they have the attention and knowledge to ensure that they provide the most amazing harvest every year.

Cherries are actually a big reason that I began to preserve fruit. Cherries only have a window of perfection of 10 days to harvest from any one tree. So we have 10 days in June to celebrate life—and then what? It just is not enough time.

Cherries are a fruit just begging to be preserved to extend the celebration of their short season. So do not plan your vacations for early June because the harvest is short and varies, and you just may miss it!

Blenheim apricots are a fruit that just wants to become jam. I think that they are one of the rare fruits that actually become better when they are cooked with a little sugar and lemon juice. The color really pops, and the flavor develops rich undertones that are too subtle in raw form. Apricots are the best fruit to experiment with in your initial trials of making jam, as they just want to cook down and jump into the jar.

You can check our website for workshops to brush up on your summer preserving skills.

Note: I must say that it is very hard for me to write a summer article and not talk about pickling cucumbers, but I had to rein it in. We have included a recipe for crunchy sour dills on the website. Please go to www.ediblemontereybay.com and click on the “RECIPES” tab.

Jordan Champagne is the co-owner and founder of Happy Girl Kitchen Co. She has a passion for preserving the local, organic harvest and loves sharing the secrets she has unearthed. She teaches workshops at the company’s cafe in Pacific Grove.

Happy Girl Kitchen Co. 173 Central Ave., Pacific Grove 831.373.4475 • www.happygirlkitchen.com

Courtesy Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co.

This is my favorite way to preserve cherries, and it is also the simplest. When you preserve the cherries whole, leaving in the pits, the texture and flavor are far superior than if you were to remove the pits. I like to think of them as the olive of the dessert table. Pitted cherries have their own obvious convenience and flexibility of use, but leaving the pits in also means you do not have to de-pit 20 pounds of cherries in one day. Then, if you want to use your preserves later for pies or smoothies, the pits will be easy to remove. What a fabulous saving of labor!

I use a very light honey syrup when preserving cherries. I love for the subtle flavors of the cherries to come through, and it is a real treat to drink the liquid once the cherries are consumed. I do not give specific amounts in this recipe; it can be made in any quantity.

Fresh and ripe Bing cherries (pitted or whole) 1/2 to 3/4 cup Honey Syrup per half-pint jar Honey Syrup recipe ratio: 1 part honey 10 parts water

Pack jars with cherries with a nice firm touch. You want to fit as many cherries in each jar as possible, without crushing them. While you are doing this, heat the honey syrup in a nonreactive pot. Heat to 210° F and be sure not to boil, as we are trying to retain some of the beneficial enzymes present in the honey.

Cover packed cherries with the hot syrup and cap. Process in a hot water bath canner at 210°, 12 minutes for pint jars and 8 minutes for half pints.

Let cool, seal and store in a dark, cool spot. Preserves will keep for one year.

Courtesy Jordan Champagne, Happy Girl Kitchen Co.

Yields 9 half-pint jars (will keep for up to one year)

This recipe took a lot of time, trials and patience to come up with. I wanted a low-sugar apricot jam that tasted just like apricots but still retained its delicious sunshine color. I tried using other sweeteners like agave and honey, and the results were not satisfactory. I found this recipe to be the perfect amount of sugar to get that perfect gel. People love this jam.

8 pounds apricots (Royal Blenheims are my favorite) 2 pounds evaporated cane juice 1/2 cup lemon juice

Wash and remove the pits from the apricots and drain very well. Combine fruit with sugar and lemon juice, cover and let sit in a dark, cool place over night. You can let it sit like this for two days if you need to.

The next day, mash the mixture by hand. Add contents to a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. You will need to boil on high heat with a constant stir until the gelling point is reached. It may be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

Pour into clean half-pint jars. Process in hot water bath canner at 210° for five minutes.