With a bit of help from her good friend Delia Smith, Su gathered her courage (while Andy gathered the fruit) and got down to business. The kitchen was cleared. The dogs were kicked outside. Lulu looked on in fear.
The whole process of making jam is intimidating to the keen amateur, but surprisingly simple in reality, Su discovered. Just a few straightforward ingredients are needed - in this case; apricots, sugar, lemon and butter. Cook 'em up and that's about it! Well, the process isn't quite that simple, but you can find Delia's rather more expert intructions here.
Of course, the joy of living in a hamlet like Mathonex is that before the apricots were even harvested, the neighbours were keen to provide a dash of helpful advice, spliced with a pinch of warning. "Make sure you use enough sugar" (how much is enough?) .. "Don't let it boil too long" (how long is too long?) ..
Su trusted in Delia and was rewarded for her efforts, with a rich, sticky, sweet apricot jam that any domestic goddess would be proud of. Of course, a pretty little jar of said jam was dispatched to each of the neighbours the next day, and the general consensus was that it met the high standards of discerning French rural tastebuds. Success!
So keep an eye out for Su's pretty little pots of homemade apricot preserve the next time you're enjoying breakfast at Ferme du Ciel. A little spread over a freshly cooked croissant is divine.
