Apricots in syrup: The anti-waste preserve

You know that feeling. You’ve got a bowl of peaches or apricots on the counter, you’re eating one a day, doing your best, and still somehow they’re ripening faster than you can keep up. This recipe is for that moment. Stone fruit in syrup is one of the simplest preservation techniques around, and it turns the problem into something you’ll actually be glad happened: intensely flavoured fruit you can enjoy long after summer stone fruit season is over. The riper the fruit, the better the syrup. Thirty minutes of your time, and nothing goes to waste.

Ingredients

• 1 kg ripe stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, or a mix)
• 500 ml water
• 250 g white granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 vanilla pod, split (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 star anise (optional)

Steps:

1. Sterilise your jars: Wash jars and lids thoroughly, then place upright on a baking tray in the oven at 120°C for 15 minutes. Remove with tongs and leave to cool slightly. They should still be warm when you fill them. Skip this if you’re going straight to the fridge. 
2. Prepare the fruit: Wash the fruit well. Halve and stone peaches, nectarines, and apricots. No need to peel. Halve plums, or leave them whole if small. Cut away any bruised spots. This is the whole point of doing it now, before it’s too late. 
3. Make the syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and any spices. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved before letting it come to a simmer. 
4. Poach the fruit: Add the fruit cut-side down and poach at a gentle simmer for 4 to 8 minutes, depending on ripeness. Riper fruit needs less time. You want it just tender and holding its shape, not collapsing. Work in batches if needed. 
5. Pack the jars: Transfer the fruit into warm sterilised jars with a slotted spoon, packing snugly cut-side down. Leave about 1.5 cm of space at the top. Tuck in a piece of vanilla pod or cinnamon stick if you like. 
6. Pour and seal: Ladle the hot syrup over the fruit until fully submerged. Tap the jar on the counter to release air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and seal tightly while still hot. 
7. Water bath (for long-term storage): Place sealed jars in a deep pot, cover completely with water, bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Leave undisturbed on a folded tea towel for 24 hours. The lids should pop as they seal. Any jar that doesn’t seal goes in the fridge and should be used within 3 weeks.a

Notes

Sweetness: This is a light syrup. Increase sugar to 350 g for something sweeter; reduce to 150 g for a barely-sweet result that works well with cheese or charcuterie.

Flavour variations: Cardamom and orange zest with apricots. Fresh ginger with plums. Thyme and lemon zest for something more savoury.

How to use them: Over Greek yoghurt, with a crumble, alongside soft cheese, with rice pudding or panna cotta, or on buttered toast. The leftover syrup works in cocktails, sparkling water, or drizzled over ice cream.