Apricot sunrise

 

Our neighbor Bruce brought over this beautiful box of apricots, just picked from their tree. 

I don't have canning apparatus here, so decided to make freezer jam early yesterday morning. A peaceful activity in a quiet empty house, with the sun just coming up behind Mill Hill. 

Of all the food you can preserve at home, jam is the simplest: equal parts sugar and fruit. But jam is also tricky, because the fruit needs to cook down until it reaches "gel" point.  

Using powdered pectin and following the recipe on the box is essential if you're making jelly, which sets up stiff. For jam, it isn't necessary, because fruit has natural pectin (you just don't know how much.) 

Anyway, after simmering about an hour, I did the "frozen plate test" and the consistency looked good. Soft but not runny. 

I'll make a second batch today. I can't waste a single apricot, and how good that jam will taste, come winter. 

Yesterday was a big day. The swim team championship meet was held at Wagner Memorial Pool in Twisp, and the park filled up with families from all around the region, camping out for the day. 

The matches ran nonstop from 8 am until 5. Yes, everyone was exhausted! What a day for the Methow Valley Killer Whales swim team, especially after the sad closure of the pool last summer. 

Nova and Maya each competed in about 10 different heats throughout the day. Just imagine the stamina and drive. It was amazing, watching them and their friends swim so fast and so expertly. 

Where are the photos and videos, you might be wondering? Well, the girls asked me not to post pictures of them on the blog anymore without prior clearance. Fair enough! I'll see if I can get permission to share some of the highlights.