Apricot Nectar

(www.thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com)

Apricots (a 5 gallon bucket produce about 10-12 quarts of juice)

Water

Sugar

Lemon juice

Water bath or steam canner

Canning jars, sterilized (I send them through a cycle in the dishwasher)

New lids

Rings

Chinois Strainers(we just called it a sieve growing up)

1.  Wash all your apricots and remove pits.  Put apricots in your large thick bottomed pot--very important because you don't want the bottom to burn.  For every 4 cups of apricots you put in, add 1 cup of water. Let sit at a gentle boil until apricots are very soft--I let mine sit 3-4 hours or longer.

2.  After your jars have been sterilized, fill each one with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice.

3.  When the apricots are soft, set up your sieve (or chinois) over a bowl to catch all the juice.  Gently pour several cups of the apricot/water mixture in your sieve and using the pestle push the mixture all around trying to get out as much juice as possible.  Pour juice into jar, filling up to the neck.  Dump out remains of apricots in separate bowl.  Using a wooden spoon stir juice until sugar dissolves.  Repeat until apricot/water mixture is gone.

4.  Top each jar with a lid and ring.  Process for 20 minutes according to manufacture's instructions.  Enjoy!