Black Velvet . . . if you please

To the song and to the whisky, I would say, “no thanks.” 

This is neither. 

Last Sunday Tug and I went to our local big box warehouse store to stock up on some essentials (mainly coffee).  Going in, I had some concerns as they always have fruit, and usually have something unusual that I feel I must have.  I was determined not to succumb to my fruit for jam addiction.  This shopping excursion taught me that I have an enabling husband.  We came home with three more pounds of dark cherries and something totally new to me – Black Velvet apricots. 

looking like plums here, but with warm fuzzies

Black Velvet apricots are actually yet another cross between apricots and plums.  This particular variety has been developed, and is apparently owned, by Kingsburg Orchards in California.  I’m not sure if their flavor is remarkably different from pluots, plumcots or apriums; but visually, they are absolutely stunning.  They’re fuzzy like apricots; they’re about the size of plums, maybe a bit smaller; they’re the color of dark purple plums; and, to me, they taste more like plums.  So when looking for recipes for jam, I looked at both apricots and plums.  And I looked at a LOT of recipes.  Like this one, and this one, and this one, and this one, and several more.

This one from Coconut & Lime is specific to Black Velvet apricots, so it was my starting point.  Since I didn’t have tellicherry peppercorns, and I’ve become quite fond of using chipotles in preserves (thanks to Local Kitchen), I subbed a chipotle for the peppercorns.  Although I don’t particularly care for overly sweet preserves, I did increase the sugar by 1/4 cup, thinking it may help with the consistency of the finished jam.

I’ll be honest:  I Googled Black Velvet apricots when we got home.  While most of the websites talking about them mentioned their golden yellow flesh, mine had much more purple to them especially around the pits.  Perhaps because they were riper?  The other quality mentioned was how juicy they were.  I can definitely attest to that.  Had I been cutting these on a board versus over the bowl, there would have been juice everywhere.

What I didn’t know about the Black Velvet apricots when we bought them is that they are a clingstone fruit.  My experience with clingstone fruits is the riper the fruit, the more it clings to the pit.  I had selected what I believed to be the ripest of the apricots available. 



the stubborn little pits
(you know I stuck some of these in some dirt, dont you?)

The process of pitting them took much, much longer than the 20 minutes I had anticipated before cutting into the first one, and I knew I wouldn’t have time to finish everything before an interview I had scheduled in the afternoon.  It wasn’t initially my intent to make this a two-day jam.

this stuff foamed up like crazy while it was cooking

Although I don’t think the fruity taste of the finished jam can be identified specifically as apricot or plum, I’m still pleased with it.  There’s a tartness that didn’t get masked by too much sugar, and just a hint of smokiness from the chipotle.  The skins give the jam gorgeous color.  The set was a little bit soft when I tried it, but given that I opened the jar less than 24 hours after it was processed this isn’t unexpected.  More than likely it will continue to firm up over time.  Overall, two spoons up!

my favorite way to eat jam - with Greek-style yogurt

Smoky Black Velvet Apricot Jam

Adapted primarily from Coconut & Lime

juice of one lemon
1350 g Black Velvet apricots
500 g sugar
1 dried chipotle pepper*

Strain the lemon juice into a large bowl.  Halve (or quarter) and pit the apricots, adding the fruit to the bowl with the lemon juice.  Add the sugar and chipotle and stir gently.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:  Prepare a water bath canner and five half-pint jars with lids and bands.  Strain the apricots in a colander set over a large, heavy-bottomed pan to collect the juice.  Find the chipotle (*if you want spicy heat as well as smokiness, break the chipotle open) and add it to the pan with the juice.  Return the apricots to the bowl.  Bring the juice to a boil over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the syrup reaches 220°F.  Skim as needed.  Remove the chipotle and add the apricots, along with any accumulated juices, to the syrup and return the mixture to 220°F.  Remove from heat and skim again, if necessary. 

Ladle the jam into the prepared jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Attach the lids and screw on the bands finger tight.  Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes in the canner, off of the heat and uncovered.  Remove the jars to a rack to cool for 24 hours.  Check the seal on the jars, remove the bands and store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.  Any jars that didn’t seal should be stored in the refrigerator and used within one month.

Makes about 4 half-pint jars.